The purpose of the Distributed Learning Funding Model is to encourage the enrollment of students at UNT who would otherwise not attend because of distance limitations. These students must be enrolled in distributed learning courses or programs. Through this model, 83% of the tuition is returned to the offering College or School. Because the University must budget for these funds before the start of the fiscal year, departments must identify the courses in which qualifying students will enroll.

Consult the following list to find out if your course and/or program qualifies for funding through the funding model at UNT:

Videoconference Courses - If the site at which the course is held is at least fifty miles from UNT, then all the students in the course at the remote site would qualify for participation.

Videoconference Programs - If all of the courses in the program are delivered at a site at least fifty miles from UNT (whether face-to-face or videoconference, as long as at least fifty percent of these courses are delivered via distributed learning), then all of the students in the courses offered in the program would qualify for participation.

Web-based Courses - If the program would identify the zip code of the primary residence of the students taking the course, then those students whose primary residence is greater than fifty miles from UNT would qualify for participation.

Exception: An appeal to waive the fifty-mile rule for eligibility may be made to the Provost in such instances where it is demonstrable that the distance education enrollments represent a net gain to UNT.  As an example, if a department is planning to deliver a certificate program by videoconference to employees of DFW airport and it can be shown these students are unlikely to otherwise pursue studies at UNT,  the department could request a waiver from the Provost in order to participate in the Distributed Learning Funding Model.  Any waivers will be granted at the sole discretion of the Provost. 

Note: In order to qualify for DL Funding, students cannot be simultaneously taking courses at the Denton campus. Contact CLEAR for details.

A department, with approval by the Dean, should make a proposal to the VPAA to participate in the funding model. Proposals should be for the upcoming fiscal year and should be submitted in early March. See below for proposal forms.

Each department should provide the following information:

For each course, estimate the number of undergraduate and graduate students who will qualify for the DL Funding Model revenue.

Complete the spreadsheet providing information on the amount of Distributed Learning Fee income projected for each class (amount of fee, if any, times number of qualifying students expected) and the amount of tuition expected to be generated (amount of tuition times number of qualifying students).

Note: The Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Redesign has a support fee of 7%, and there is a University overhead charge of 10% of tuition generated. The remaining 83% is returned to the college or school for distribution as agreed upon between the department and college or school.

Once the proposal is approved, and prior to the start of each fiscal year, an account will be created within each college or school. Each department will submit a budget based upon 12th day enrollment. Tuition income, minus CLEAR support fee and University overhead charge, will be allocated into the accounts.

Download Proposal Form

Download Proposal Form Instructions

Form questions or problems?
Contact Alison Pelzel at 565-2708