Accessibility links

Breaking News

Student Union

Olympic Gymnast Simone Biles Takes on New Role: College Student

FILE - Olympic gymnast Simone Biles arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, Aug. 28, 2016.
FILE - Olympic gymnast Simone Biles arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, Aug. 28, 2016.

It’s not every day that a professional athlete goes back to school.

World champion and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles has 19 medals to her name, but one accolade was out of her reach, until now.

Starting this month, the most decorated American gymnast of all time will be pursuing a college degree.

Before the Rio Summer Games in 2016, Biles committed to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). But her demanding schedule made studying full time next to impossible.

WATCH: Olympic Gymnast Simone Biles Takes On New Role: College Student

Olympic Gymnast Simone Biles Takes On New Role: College Student
please wait

No media source currently available

0:00 0:02:04 0:00

The University of the People, a nonprofit, tuition-free online university, seems to be a better fit. Biles has become a global ambassador for the 9-year-old institution and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

“I think it’s a good time to start, so that you don’t wait too-too long to start. So that you won’t want to go back,” Biles told VOA News. “I could have picked any time, but this was the perfect opportunity.”

The accredited online university also offers an MBA (master’s of business administration) degree, as well as undergraduate degrees in computer science and health science.

Its tuition-free classification is reliant on private and public donations. More than 6,000 administrators and educators from the likes of Yale University, New York University and the University of California Berkeley volunteer their time and expertise. Class materials are open source, specifically, Open Educational Resources (OER) that live in the public domain and are licensed for public use.

Students do pay assessment fees of $100 per exam. The university estimates an associate degree costs $2,060, while a bachelor’s degree is approximately $4,060.

Biles has established a scholarship fund in her name, to help incoming students with these costs. The fund targets those who have been in foster care, like Biles herself.

“A lot of them age out of the system and they don’t feel like they have the same opportunity as other kids,” Biles said.

The school’s unconventional approach is perfect for its latest student, whose journey thus far has been anything but ordinary.

“I haven’t had a traditional school experience for a while, actually going into a classroom and sitting down,” said Biles, who left public school to be homeschooled during her high school years.

“The traditional way won’t work for me and I understand that. So it’s OK ... online it is,” Biles said, laughing.

FILE - Dr. Larry Nassar, 54, appears in court for a plea hearing in Lansing, Mich., Nov. 22, 2017. Nasser, a sports doctor accused of molesting girls, pleaded guilty to multiple charges of sexual assault.
FILE - Dr. Larry Nassar, 54, appears in court for a plea hearing in Lansing, Mich., Nov. 22, 2017. Nasser, a sports doctor accused of molesting girls, pleaded guilty to multiple charges of sexual assault.

Perhaps it’s a bid for a bit of normalcy, after the recent sex abuse scandal involving Larry Nassar rocked the gymnastics world. Biles’ name was one of the biggest on the list of victims. But she’s ready to move on.

“I didn’t want the headlines, once I go out and compete again, to be, you know, that be the title of me, rather than what I have to offer for this sport,” Biles said.

Her dreams also go beyond gymnastics, into the corporate world.

“I’ve always wanted to work in the business industry,” Biles said. “My mom’s always worked in business and my brothers, too, and they’ve been very good at what they’ve done so hopefully I will, too.”

Biles said the same drive that shaped her athletic career will help her academic pursuits.

“I feel like I’ve always been dedicated, and I never stopped until I got what I wanted. So being driven helps,” Biles said.

See all News Updates of the Day

Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley

FILE - Students walk past Sather Gate on the University of California at Berkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif., May 10, 2018.
FILE - Students walk past Sather Gate on the University of California at Berkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif., May 10, 2018.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

STEM, business top subjects for international students

FILE - The Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus on Sept. 12, 2024.
FILE - The Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus on Sept. 12, 2024.

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges

FILE - A person walks near buildings, Dec. 17, 2024, on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.
FILE - A person walks near buildings, Dec. 17, 2024, on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass.

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)

Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools

FILE - Students cross the campus of Dartmouth College, March 5, 2024, in Hanover, NH.
FILE - Students cross the campus of Dartmouth College, March 5, 2024, in Hanover, NH.

US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)

British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio

FILE - Spectators look at the solar eclipse through protective eyewear on the football field at Bowling Green State University on April 8, 2023, in Bowling Green, Ohio.
FILE - Spectators look at the solar eclipse through protective eyewear on the football field at Bowling Green State University on April 8, 2023, in Bowling Green, Ohio.

A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.

Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.

Read the full story here. (December 2024)

Load more

XS
SM
MD
LG