top of page
Search

It Was Never About Access: Education Shouldn’t Be Free—What Our A/B Test Revealed


ree

For years, we believed what the world kept repeating: that access was the greatest barrier to quality education. That once you gave people the tools—free courses, a working device, internet access—they would learn. Thrive. Complete. Excel.


At Univad, we were built to fix that problem. Everything we created was designed to remove friction: 100% online, self-paced learning that works on any device. No unnecessary exams or gatekeeping. Programmes built around real-world skills with built-in AI support (OrixAI), peer groups, and tutor reviews.


But in 2024, we ran an internal test to challenge this assumption. The results forced us to unlearn everything.


The Experiment: If You Remove All Barriers, Will People Learn?


We selected three of our top diploma programmes:

  • Frontend Engineering

  • Business Strategy

  • Digital Marketing


Then we opened up a fully funded cohort: 6,200 learners, selected from waitlists across Africa and Asia. They paid nothing—no application fee, no tuition, no hidden costs. They were given access to Univad's full learning stack, including OrixAI guidance and a vibrant peer community.


We expected strong engagement. What we got instead… was a harsh wake-up call.


Within the first 4 weeks:

  • 2,600 students never logged in once.

  • 1,200 dropped out after the second module.

  • Only 2,400 completed their programme within 3 months.


ree

That’s a 38.7% completion rate, despite having removed every traditional barrier.

We were stunned. This wasn't a tech problem. It wasn’t even a content problem. It was a human behavior problem.


The Real Issue: Skin in the Game

So, we tweaked one thing: cost. We re-ran the same programme with a second group of 8,000 students. Everything was the same—except this time, students paid a small, subsidized commitment fee: ₦15,000.


No fancy tweaks. No product relaunch.


The result?

  • 6,320 students completed the course within 4 months.

  • That’s a 79% completion rate.

  • Their engagement scores, project quality, and satisfaction rates were all measurably higher.


Why? Because when students pay, even a little, they show up.


Why Cost Works (And What This Means Globally)

We’re not alone in this finding. A 2023 report from MIT’s Jameel World Education Lab showed that accountability mechanisms—including financial stakes—can increase course completion by up to 5x. Another World Bank study tracked government-led free learning schemes across West Africa and noted average dropout rates between 75–92% when no accountability was present.


Meanwhile, top online learning platforms like Coursera and edX report average global course completion rates of just 7–12%—especially for free or open-access tracks.

Univad, after implementing our new accountability model, now sees an average of 71% programme completion across all diploma paths.


What We Learned (And What We’re Doing About It)

Here’s what we realized: Access matters. But access without accountability is noise. Students don't just need opportunity—they need structure. They need stakes. They need reminders. They need to feel that dropping out would cost them something.


So, we changed everything.

  1. We now require a symbolic commitment fee for all diploma students, unless covered by an employer or verified scholarship.

  2. We built smarter nudges and tracking into OrixAI, our in-house learning assistant, to guide learners more personally.

  3. We introduced a system of incentives: course milestones now unlock hiring referrals, and internship opportunities. Univad no longer bets on motivation alone. We’ve created a system that engineers consistency.


This Is Bigger Than Us

The story here isn’t just about Univad—it’s about the myth of free education. It’s about the future of online learning, where simply removing friction isn’t enough. The next chapter of edtech must be about designing commitment, not just designing platforms.


We want our findings to help shape the conversation. If you’re an educator, policymaker, or edtech builder, we invite you to reach out, collaborate, or dive deeper into our methodology.

Because in the end, access isn’t the problem. Apathy is. And accountability—when designed right—is the cure.


Comments

bottom of page