Feb 23, 2017 10:25 AM EST By Audri Taylors, UniversityHerald Reporter

On February 13, the Admissions Office at the University of Pennsylvania launched a free online learning course to help students and parents in the college admissions process.

According to The Daily Pennysylvanian, the online course entitled "How to Apply for College" is a program on the Coursera platform that gives information about the detailed steps of the application process including the things that you need to look for in college, how to pay for college, and a lot more. The interactive course takes six weeks to complete and it includes quizzes, forums and resources from the College Board and Raise.me.

This project is a partnership between the admissions office of the university and Steppingstone Scholars Inc., according to Penn News.

Vincent Price, the Penn Provost said that the course embodies the power that online learning can do to be able to reach out to new audiences and provide them the resources that will help improve their lives. He also said that it is a reflection of Penn's commitment to making colleges more accessible to applicants, especially to those who come from underserved areas. He then acknowledged the collaboration of Penn Admissions with Steppingstone Scholars, as their initiative is gradually becoming a reality.

Eric J. Furda, dean of admissions, said that the goal is not just to be able to go to college, but be able to graduate from college, and this course is what is going to help in closing the information gap for the students who are the first members in their families to pursue higher education.

Sean Vereen, the president of Steppingstone Scholars said that it is important gather all the resources together and be able to share information about a complex process in a place where it can be easily accessed. This way, there will be no problems with accessibility and equity

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