The Open Learning (OL) Division of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) announced the launch of Grow Your Education, Compete to Complete, its first ever tuition credit contest which recognizes the importance of post-secondary education and the difference it can make to an individual’s life and future.

Enter to Win

The contest, which runs January 29 to April 18, 2010, comes at an auspicious time for many individuals who are both swayed by today’s troubled economy and yet concerned over related tuition fees, to return to school to enhance their job marketability.

Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning (TRU-OL) is inviting their current and former students as well as any individual who has not been a full-time student (have taken 12 or more credits during any eight month period) at any post-secondary institution after December 31, 2006,* to Compete to Complete their university credential and grow their education.

TRU-OL is utilizing its social media Facebook page to help determine one lucky winner who will be awarded with full sponsorship of all fees related to up to 60 TRU-OL credits that will be used towards completion of their post-secondary credential. The prize is valued at up to CAN$9,500.

In order to win, contestants must create a new Facebook group for the TRU-OL Grow Your Education, Compete to Complete contest and describe how winning the contest, and accomplishing their post-secondary potential, will make a difference in their life. From there, each contestant must visit www.truopen.ca/contest and fill out and submit an entry form.

“The majority of students at TRU-OL take 60 credits or less as most program students come to TRU-OL to complete or continue a credential which they began elsewhere. Students are permitted to transfer up to 105 credits towards a TRU-OL degree. This is more than any other post-secondary institution in Canada. This is one of the distinguishing features of Open Learning at TRU. This contest is intended to make people aware that they are closer to a university degree than they may have thought,” Cameron Beddome, Chief Recruitment Officer, TRU-OL, said.

“This contest stands out because of its inherent honesty and transparency, aspects which encourage students to spread the word to their peers and make it a truly viral campaign. We are calling the contest exactly what it is ― Grow Your Education, Compete to Complete. The rules very clearly direct students to forward the contest information to friends, and market TRU-OL, in order to garner increased entries in the contest and thus chances to win. In exchange for this free viral advertising, we are giving them the chance to win up to $9,500 worth of education. We believe that when people find out about TRU-OL and what we offer, the opportunities to grow their educations will sell themselves,” Richard Baldelli, Acting Director, Marketing and Communications, TRU-OL, said.

To increase their chances of winning, contestants must then spread the word and invite friends to join both their Facebook TRU-OL contest group as well as Open Learning’s Facebook profile page. By the end of the contest period, every friend that each contestant’s Facebook TRU-OL contest group shares with TRU-OL’s Facebook profile page counts as one contest entry. The contestant with the best odds of winning is the individual who has the most friends in common between their Facebook TRU-OL contest group and TRU-OL’s Facebook profile page. Note however that the probability of wining will be dependent on the total number of entries TRU-OL receives.

The winner will be selected at random, within 30 days of the completion of the contest.

The contest opens on January 29, 2010 and ends on April 18, 2010.

*Further eligibility criteria apply. Please visit www.truopen.ca/contest for full contest rules and regulations.