Are there any non-profit distance learning programs

Or is the case that even if it is affiliated with a non profit school, it's still a for profit subsidiary?

 

There are many that are run by not-for-profit universities. You may find some that are subsidiaries that are for-profit but that would not be the rule.

For example, Regis University www.regis.edu is a private, not-for-profit; Western Governors University www.wgu.edu is a quasi-governmental school; many state schools (Washington State University, University of Wisconsin Whitewater and University of Texas immediately come to mind) have DL programs for undergrad and grad. There are many business programs (WSU and Whitewater I know off the top of my head) that are AACSB accredited, a real plus for business degree programs. Thousands of community colleges have DL programs-- www.bcc.ctc.edu for example.

IMO, some of these schools may be the best bet, especially if you can get in-state tuition and get the name recoginition of a state school close to your home or where you would like to live in the future.