At the end of the spring 25 semester, Ashland Center for English Studies (ACCESS) will no longer be offered at Ashland University. 

The program was created in 1974 and has been used to help international students that might need more help learning the language. 

International students can take four different tests: 2-15, TOEFL, Pearson or Duolingo. If the students get a high enough score, they are able to get directly admitted to AU.  

ACCESS was created to allow international students to take English classes.  If the students pass the test, they get admitted to the university. 

By learning English in a country where everyone speaks it, it makes it easier for international students to learn the language. 

Jenni Wininger, director of international student services and ACCESS said, “It’s a very intensive program. They have 20 hours of studies in the classroom per week and 20 hours of homework, so it’s a full-time job”. 

There is only one student in the ACCESS program this year. There were 100 students that applied for the program, but they were unable to get a visa to study at AU. 

“That’s the whole reason, otherwise the university is still 100% behind the program. And we have tried, like I’ve been the director the whole time. I’ve been trying to keep it alive” said Wininger. 

With the numbers in the program going down from the last couple of years, it has been hard to cover employees’ salaries. If the program was getting over 10 students, it would be able to stay running. 

Right now, visa offers are becoming stricter on who can study at universities. AU does not know when the program will be able to come back. 

“I’m hoping that we can open it again sometime in the future, if this situation ever changes, because we’ve still got three qualified former ACCESS teachers already working on campus” said Wininger.