Asher is the founder of American World University, a postsecondary distance learning institution which is commonly considered to be a diploma mill. The school, which was founded in 1990, awards course credits for life experiences and does not require fluency in English. Foreign students comprise more than 90% of the "student body", which consists of approximately 7,000 people. Tuition costs vary by country, and international students are attracted through local representatives, who handle regional advertising and in return receive half of the money they generated as a finder's fee.