There are drawbacks for education outside of the "classroom" but there are also many advantages, besides financial, e.g., more time available and less "college life" distractions for those who really care about education rather than developing social ties aka "networking."
And as Klinsky noted in his article, "< snip > ..... it's possible to create a new and affordable life path forward for capable, highly motivated individuals seeking a higher education. Access to the American Dream would be strengthened, and taxpayers could save billions. ..... < snip >"
In the end, it's really all about individual. I would surmise that those who spend their time taking classes online are more interested in education than those who go to college because they can [afford it], such as "legacy" students. At least now the opportunity to learn becomes somewhat democratized - the rest is up to those who want to take it - no more "can't afford it, not equal field" excuses.
Yes, the educrats, especially in and of the public sector will not take this lying down, but they are being undermined from above, by the people who see the unsustainability (to borrow the "environmentalist" term) and the divergence of the current quality of education and its cost - to the individuals, the economy and, ultimately, the society.