University Uses Groupon Deal to Lure New Students

Sure, Groupon can get you a 2-for-1 deal on dinner or an evening of bowling, but what if it could get you the same steep discount on college classes?

National Louis University intends to find out, as the private university in Chicago on Tuesday became the first university in the country to offer one of Groupon’s daily deals in an effort to boost interest among potential students.

The deal is for a graduate-level introduction to teaching course and will go for $950. That’s almost a 60-percent discount on the usual $2,232 price tag for a three-credit course at the school.

The class was custom-made for the Groupon audience and is only valid for new students. Those considering enrolling must have some sort of undergraduate degree, but the course is designed for those with little or no background in education. Completing the course does not guarantee admission to a degree-earning program at the university, and those who do go on to pursue a graduate degree at the school will still need an additional 33 credit hours at the usual price.

"There are all kinds of factors in the K-12 world that are really discouraging teachers and people seeking teaching degrees," Jocelyn Zivin, vice president of marketing for the university, told the Chicago Tribune.  "We'd like (potential students) to understand what the realities are.”

As of this afternoon, Groupon’s website says the deal is indeed on after at least 15 people purchased it. If supplies last, perspective students have until Saturday night at midnight central time to sign up. Only 25 of the deals were slated to be released and those who do take the plunge will have to act quickly: the deal expires on Sept. 14 and the first class is Sept. 26. The course – a seminar that will cover everything from political influences on education to developing a personal approach to teaching – will meet for three hours on Monday evenings through early December.