U Of I To Offer Courses For Free -- But Not For Credit

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Want to take a class at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign for free, and never leave your home to do it?

As WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports, the U of I is joining well-known universities from across the United States and around the world that are offering free online courses through a company called Coursera.

The U of I is among 12 universities signing onto California-based Coursera Tuesday. Several others – including Princeton University, Stanford University, the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania – joined earlier this year, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

While the classes don't cost you anything, you also don't get any college credit for them either.

There is a also chance the U of I may charge you for a certificate of completion. The U of I might also earn money through the sale of some students' names to potential employers.

The first U of I courses include organic chemistry, microeconomics and programming of smartphones. Other courses include mathematical biostatistics bootcamp, and galaxies and cosmos.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports