Distributed Learning Funding Model (DLFM)

Students enrolled in electronically-delivered courses who are claimed for distributed learning funding model revenue by a department must meet the following two criteria:

  1. The student must NOT be simultaneously enrolled in any courses which meet on the UNT Denton campus for 50% or more of the course contact hours.
  2. The student’s primary residence must be located inside the State of Texas and further than 50 miles from the UNT Denton campus as determined by the student’s zip code. This is not driving distance from UNT-Denton, but rather based on a circle with a radius of 50 miles. Technical details and maps of the coverage area are available below.
map image showing 50 mile radius with denton campus in the center

50-Mile Buffer Zone from UNT Denton

map image showing 50 mile radius with denton campus in the center as well as plotted zip codes within the radius

50-Mile Buffer Zone from UNT Denton with Zip Codes Plotted

Implementing the Criteria

To simplify and standardize determination of eligibility, departments enter each student’s name, EMPLID, and zip code for each course into the DLFM Spreadsheet (MS Excel) provided by the Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Redesign (CLEAR). Each student’s zip code is compared with a comprehensive list of zip codes that are considered to be within a 50-mile radius of campus. If a matching zip code is not found, then the student is determined to meet the “50-mile” eligibility criteria. The spreadsheet is then submitted to CLEAR electronically where it is input into a software program that identifies and removes each student simultaneously enrolled in any courses which meet on the UNT Denton campus and calculates the total reimbursement due to the department. A memo is then sent from CLEAR to the Budget Office requesting the funds be deposited in the departmental account set up for this purpose.

Technical Details

For all zip code areas that were bisected by the circle with a 50-mile radius, a mathematical calculation was performed to determine if more of the land area covered by the zip code fell inside or outside the circle. If more of the zip code area fell outside the circle, then even those portions of the zip code inside the circle were counted as meeting the 50-mile criteria for funding.

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