Four years after its inception, BYU's FlexGE program continues to provide the BYU experience for students looking to get admitted to the school.
This program, part of BYU Continuing Education, allows for students who are not admitted to BYU to take in-person general education classes and still enjoy what the university has to offer. For many FlexGE students, their goal is to ultimately be admitted full-time to BYU.
Clint Payne, the program manager for BYU FlexGE, explained that the program came about after three different programs at BYU, administered by three different offices, allowed students not admitted to BYU to come and take classes.
“There was the idea to bring those three programs together and administer them under one office,” Payne said.
Those programs included the Salt Lake Center program, the evening class program and the spring and summer visiting student program.
“We brought all three of those together and that's how the FlexGE program was formed,” Payne said.
A video titled “What is BYU FlexGE?” states that students can customize their schedule through BYU Salt Lake Center, evening classes, spring/summer classes and BYU independent study.
Being able to commute to the Salt Lake Center is a benefit for students like Alana Deceuster, a FlexGE student.
“You can just hop on the UVX, the Utah Valley Express bus and most of the UTA buses go to the train station,” Deceuster said. “The train drops you off a block away from Salt Lake Center, and that also gives you more time to relax on the train, like commuting or do your homework.”
Deceuster first heard of the BYU FlexGE program after not getting accepted to BYU originally. She said BYU emailed her about the option to participate and called it a really great experience.
“Everyone's very welcoming and kind," Deceuster said. "That extends towards FlexGE program as well.”
The BYU FlexGE website states that the mission of the program is to extend the opportunity of a BYU education and experience to more students as they begin their higher education.
“I can go to the football games, I get my BYU ID and so I can come here on campus whenever I want,” Rachael Mounteer, a FlexGE student, said. “I feel like I experience a lot of the same things.”
Her shared experiences also include getting stressed over tests and going to the testing center.
However, there are also several differences between FlexGE and BYU students. FlexGE students do not have access to daytime classes in the fall and winter semesters.
They also cannot play on official BYU intercollegiate teams.
Harrison Stewart, a FlexGE student, described that being in the program sometimes comes with a feeling of imposter syndrome.
“I look around them like, wait, these are all BYU students. I'm just kind of like a non-interloper,” Stewart said.
Despite this, Stewart said he has been able to overcome this by interacting with his peers.
“At the end of the day, no one really cares,” Stewart said. “We're all here to achieve the same thing basically and that's all just in my head.”
FlexGE peers have also been able to help Deceuster as she prepares to apply for BYU in the future.
“To see other people's perspectives on specifically essays and such, it's very interesting,” Deceuster said.
It helps her to brainstorm, analyze and critically think a little more about her approach to the application process, she added.
The blessings of working for the FlexGE program are something Payne said he continues to see through working in the program.
“Experiencing being a student at BYU is such a transformative experience for students and we want to make that available to as many students as possible,” Payne said.
He also shared a success story about one of his student employees who started out as FlexGE student before getting accepted to BYU. Payne said he was able to watch her flourish.
“FlexGE was probably the greatest blessing that I have had in the last couple of years,” Deceuster said. “I was definitely inspired to come to this program and I'm glad ... because I've met the greatest people I think I ever met.”