FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2013
HARLAND CLARKE HOLDINGS TO OFFER STRAIGHTERLINE’S ONLINE COLLEGE COURSES TO EMPLOYEES
Nearly 6,000 Employees of Multiple Businesses and Brands Will Have Access to Innovative, Affordable and Accessible Approach to Higher Education
April 24, 2013 (Baltimore, MD) – StraighterLine (www.straighterline.com) announced today that it is offering online self-paced college courses to employees across the multiple businesses and brands of Harland Clarke Holdings Corp. (HCHC). StraighterLine offers entry level college courses in Business, English, the Humanities, Math, Science, and Foreign Languages, as well as College Preparatory. Students can complete required courses online on their own time while balancing workplace and lifestyle commitments and responsibilities. The cost for the first year of college through StraighterLine is typically 90 percent lower than most colleges and universities. Additionally StraighterLine offers a wide variety of CBEs (credit-by-examination) that allow students to earn college credit based on test scores. Course credits earned at StraighterLine transfer through the ACE Credit Service to partner colleges and universities. “Advancing one’s education is a significant achievement for individuals and a benefit to the businesses that employ them,” said Stacy Franklin, senior vice president Human Resources, Harland Clarke Holdings Corp. “Our organization recognizes the value of an engaged and skilled workforce, and strives to provide every employee with the opportunity to learn and contribute to his or her fullest potential. StraighterLine’s model supports this goal with an easily accessible and affordable option for higher education that we’re excited to offer to employees across our businesses and brands.” Harland Clarke Holdings provides oversight to four businesses: Harland Clarke, Harland Financial Solutions, Scantron/GlobalScholar, and Faneuil. The combined employee population totals nearly 6,000 employees who are based in the United States, Puerto Rico and internationally. The organization has a longstanding commitment to ongoing education and training initiatives. “Every day we hear a new, disturbing statistic about the price of college and student debt. We're proud to partner with Harland Clarke Holdings – an organization clearly committed to its employees –to give students an affordable, low-risk pathway to a college degree," noted Burck Smith, CEO and founder of StraighterLine." About Harland Clarke Holdings Corp. Harland Clarke Holdings has four business segments, which are operated by Harland Clarke, Harland Financial Solutions, Scantron, and Faneuil. Harland Clarke is a provider of checks and related products, direct marketing services, customized business and home office products, and security solutions. Harland Financial Solutions provides technology products and related services to financial institutions. Scantron is a leading provider of data management solutions and related services to educational, commercial, governmental, and healthcare entities. Faneuil is a leading provider of business process outsourcing and managed services with expertise in contact centers, violations processing centers and toll operations. About StraighterLine StraighterLine has been recognized as a revolutionizing force in lowering the cost of college education by major news organizations and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for offering students online courses that earn real college credit for just $99 a month. Inside Higher Ed recognized StraighterLine for offering the “...lowest-cost set of credit-bearing courses on the Internet.” And Fast Company named StraighterLine one of the “10 Most Innovative Companies in Education.” In order to facilitate the award of credit, StraighterLine has forged partnerships with leading accredited online colleges and universities. A student ultimately earns a degree from those institutions but realizes tremendous savings and convenience by starting with StraighterLine. StraighterLine’s courses are evaluated and recommended by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT), which includes over 1,800 participating colleges and universities. In addition to the institutions with which StraighterLine has a direct relationship, more than 350 other schools are reported to have accepted StraighterLine coursework for transfer credit. Currently, StraighterLine offers entry-level college courses online in the Sciences, Humanities, English, Math, Business and Language. Many StraighterLine courses are now offered in both self-paced and professor-led formats. 5 StraighterLine courses have been approved by The College Board to be listed as AP courses. As a pioneer in the movement to revolutionize college for America, StraighterLine also offers alternatives to college courses including Prior Learning Assessments and credit-by-examinations that let students earn college credit for knowledge and life experiences they already possess. For information, visit www.straighterline.com or call 1-877-str8erline (1-877-787-8375).
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Media Contacts: Josef Katz; 443-842-5803; [email protected] Donna Hinkelman; 210.694.1034; [email protected]