Training group backs US online program

An educational training organization in China has invested in the Minerva program in the United States in hopes of "building a bridge between Chinese and American education".

TAL Education Group, a K-12 after-school tutoring service in China, recently invested approximately $18 million in Minerva, a four-year undergraduate program founded by Ben Nelson, former president of photo site Snapfish.

Charging an annual tuition of $10,000, the program offers all of its courses through live online seminars, with students living and having classes together in San Francisco during the first academic year.