Easiest and cheapest way to complete core curriculum?

[Kajkulahi]

Hello there, I need advice.

I need to complete my core curriculum before transferring into junior year (3rd year) at a university. The community college I intend on going to has a 42-core curriculum requirement that replaces your core curriculum requirement at the university.

Would it be a good idea to give some courses from the community college along with some CLEP courses to complete the overall requirement? I mean the per credit amount is insane, $361. Which is a lot! Whereas, a 3-credit course from CLEP would cost $100 give or take. I know I won't be able to 'CLEP' the entire curriculum, but doing some courses would save me some money.

The core curriculum has the usual American History, state government, Foreign Language, English composition, Mathematics, Social Science courses etc.

Thanks in advance!

[JohnnyHeck]

Search your intended CCs Academic Catalog for their policy on CLEP and other credit-by-exam, (CBE) options. In their catalog you will find which courses in which you can test-out, the credit earning test out scores, and the total number of tested-out credits you can use for your Associates degree. Also double check that this CC has the transfer articulation agreement that you believe it has with your follow-on senior institution. Alternatively, check the CBE policy of your intended senior institution and use it's rules at your CC if more restrictive. If your situation is in the state of California, be especially careful about interpreting the rules on your own. See your CC's academic counselor to be sure you have the right skinny. E.g. CA CCs will grant the Associates degree for certain fields with the use of DSSTs, but none of the state's public schools will accept them last time I checked in 2013. The articulation agreements among the CA senior schools are extremely complex. Beware!

[sanantone]

Why do you intend on attending a CC that charges $361 per credit hour? My guess is that you're a non-resident.

[Kajkulahi]

Search your intended CCs Academic Catalog for their policy on CLEP and other credit-by-exam, (CBE) options. In their catalog you will find which courses in which you can test-out, the credit earning test out scores, and the total number of tested-out credits you can use for your Associates degree. Also double check that this CC has the transfer articulation agreement that you believe it has with your follow-on senior institution. Alternatively, check the CBE policy of your intended senior institution and use it's rules at your CC if more restrictive. If your situation is in the state of California, be especially careful about interpreting the rules on your own. See your CC's academic counselor to be sure you have the right skinny. E.g. CA CCs will grant the Associates degree for certain fields with the use of DSSTs, but none of the state's public schools will accept them last time I checked in 2013. The articulation agreements among the CA senior schools are extremely complex. Beware!

Wow, thank you so much so this detailed reply. The CC guarantees a transfer into the university if I am to take the 42-credits. The CC does have a list of courses of which CLEP's they accept. Will go through it. It's not California, it's Texas. Why don't California public schools accept DSST courses for a bachelors? That sucks!

Thanks once again!

Why do you intend on attending a CC that charges $361 per credit hour? My guess is that you're a non-resident.

Exactly. I am a non-resident hence the insane per credit fee.

[sanantone]

Since it's Texas, you only have to worry about the CC's CBE policy. Public colleges/universities in Texas are required to accept all of the core courses that were accepted by another public college/university in Texas. For example, this is just hypothetical, Texas A&M might not accept DSST Fundamentals of Algebra for their College Algebra requirement, but if Lone Star College accepted it for that requirement, then Texas A&M will have to accept it off of your Lone Star College transcript. Texas also has this same policy for certain courses in certain majors areas of study such as nursing and criminal justice.

[laughter]

Since it's Texas, you only have to worry about the CC's CBE policy. Public colleges/universities in Texas are required to accept all of the core courses that were accepted by another public college/university in Texas. For example, this is just hypothetical, Texas A&M might not accept DSST Fundamentals of Algebra for their College Algebra requirement, but if Lone Star College accepted it for that requirement, then Texas A&M will have to accept it off of your Lone Star College transcript. Texas also has this same policy for certain courses in certain majors areas of study such as nursing and criminal justice.

I think this explains the puzzling reply I got from a Texas college! :p But that was a private institution...
Will a public college/university in Texas accept the credits if the transcript is from TESC? Or are they compelled to do so only if the credits are on a Texas institution's transcript?

[sanantone]

If it's not from a Texas institution's transcript, then you're subject that school's CBE policy unless there is some kind of articulation agreement. Some Texas schools have articulation agreements with CCs in neighboring states.

[Kajkulahi]

Since it's Texas, you only have to worry about the CC's CBE policy. Public colleges/universities in Texas are required to accept all of the core courses that were accepted by another public college/university in Texas. For example, this is just hypothetical, Texas A&M might not accept DSST Fundamentals of Algebra for their College Algebra requirement, but if Lone Star College accepted it for that requirement, then Texas A&M will have to accept it off of your Lone Star College transcript. Texas also has this same policy for certain courses in certain majors areas of study such as nursing and criminal justice.

I see, can you shed some light on the CBE policy? The community college in question has mentioned that after completing the 42-credit curriculum, they guarantee a transfer over to UT. Which I guess can be done within three semester if one really works hard on it.

Sad thing is, there is no DSST examination I can take which matches the courses in the curriculum. However some CLEP examinations do match. I guess doing CLEP side-by-side would be a better approach.

[Kintsukuroi]

I am doing this right now in Texas. I am doing an Associate's degree at my local community college which also covers the 42 credit general education core. I am doing this via in person and online classes at my CC as well as CLEPs. I will then transfer that 42 credit core block to a UT or A&M university. Each CC has their own institutional requirements of which CBEs you can take for credit and what percentage must be CC credits versus CBE credits. My CC only requires 12 institutional credits for the core. The rest can be institutional or CBE. I took 3 CLEPs this summer and earned 14 credits (my CC awards 8 credits for the Biology CLEP, not 6 as they award the lab credits also with a CLEP pass). The CLEP exam is $80 plus $25 for the testing fee at my college. $315/14 credits=$22.50/credit. I get in-state tuition of $128/credit at my CC but $22.50 just can't be beat. I wish I had known about CLEPs sooner as I had already taken some classes that I could have CLEPed out of. Look at your CC of choice's core requirements and credit by exam policies and then move forward from there. Since the core will transfer as a block you don't need to worry about UT's requirements regarding their core.

[sanantone]

When I say CBE policy, I mean which credit-by-exam the school accepts (CLEP, DSST, etc.), how many they accept, and what scores you need to earn credits. This can usually be found on the school's website. Every regionally accredited school in the Southern Association, which includes Texas, will have a 25% residency requirement. That means that at least a quarter of your degree has to be completed by taking the school's courses online, on ground, through satellite, etc.