After the scandal broke, Cohn said, employees became even more adamant that the company should do something to help students who couldn’t afford its classes. Varsity had charged $779 for the test-prep class it is now offering for free.

“We’re a mission-driven company,” Cohn said. “We hire people who are passionate about education, so there was an internal groundswell that had been going on for awhile. The college admissions scandal ultimately brought that conversation to a head.”

Some students might sign up for additional Varsity Tutors instruction after taking the free course, but Cohn acknowledged that many who would have paid for the class will now attend for free.

“Even if this costs us revenue, we think it’s important,” he said. “We want to make very clear to the world and our employees that we care about improving access to higher education.”

The company would like to reach 1 million high school students with the free classes. Cohn said Varsity hopes state officials and school districts in all 50 states will help publicize the initiative.

Varsity Tutors is the nation’s largest provider of online tutoring. The company has raised more than $100 million in capital since it was founded in 2007.

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