15 or 16 credits needed for residency?

[help8]

Hello everyone.

I am new here. I will be starting TESU in January, hopefully (I am waiting for my financial aid to be applied to that term).

I have a question about the residency requirement. I intend to take 15-16 credits in one term to avoid paying a residency waiver. I always see people on this forum say that 16 credits at TESU are needed to meet the residency requirement, but I see on TESU's website it says only 15 credits are required?

What is the credit residency?

In order to satisfy the credit hour residency requirement for the Per Credit Tuition Plan, students pursuing an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree must earn 15 semester hours of Thomas Edison State University credit via the University’s Online, Nursing Online, Guided Study or e-Pack courses.

https://www.tesu.edu/admissions/faqs/cre...24ca06a4-2

I don't want to not take enough credits, but I don't want to take an extra 1 credit class if I don't need to. 15 credits will be more than enough. 

I have to take 12 non-epack credits to max out my financial aid, so I will be doing that. And I will take one epack, and if necessary, a 1 credit course, either medical terminology (already took it before and it would be a good review for me, or the Jane Austen one).

I am scheduling a meeting with an advisor, but I wanted to check with this forum as to why it commonly says 16 credits are needed.

Thank you!

I intend to make another post with more details about my degree plan but just quickly I have 98 credits transferred in for math BA. I might want to also get a CS BA - without the 9 credit AOS overlap rule I would need to take about 5 extra SDC courses - but it would be much easier for me to just finish math, so I probably won't. I have all the math courses completed from long ago, and only need some electives and the capstone and other necessary class now.

[Jonathan Whatley]

The requirement is now 15 credits (15 semester hours). It used to be 16 credits (16 semester hours). The posts you're seeing referring to a 16 credit minimum are surely from years ago.

[help8]

Ok. Thank you! That makes my life a tiny bit easier. I just wanted to make sure.

[natshar]

There used to be a 1 credit required class you had to take at TESU. So the 16 credits made sense and was easy to do. But when they dropped the 1 credit required class (replacing it the current 3 credit SOS-1010) it makes a whole lot of sense for it to be 15 now.

[LevelUP]

The most credits you can take using the flat-rate term rate is 16 credits.

[bjcheung77]

That's 15 credits for residency requirements.... And I highly suggest just one flat rate term of 15 credits, cornerstone/capstone and 3 e-packs.

[help8]

Thank you. I have around $3700 financial aid per term, if I take 12 credits. But epacks don't count. I am thinking of doing 4 actual courses, including the capstone and cornerstone, and one epack (sociology 101 - I still need to fill that requirement).

[bjcheung77]

If you're interested in reading the Beginner's Guide, I have a few posts in regards to getting the residency credits by taking 5 classes and also hitting the double associates and double bachelors... If you have the energy, time to get things done, you can do the associates capstone, cornerstone, business capstone, liberal arts capstone and a class of your choice. You get two associates, two bachelors at the end of the day...

[help8]

If you're interested in reading the Beginner's Guide, I have a few posts in regards to getting the residency credits by taking 5 classes and also hitting the double associates and double bachelors... If you have the energy, time to get things done, you can do the associates capstone, cornerstone, business capstone, liberal arts capstone and a class of your choice.  You get two associates, two bachelors at the end of the day...

Hi. Yes. I am interested in reading the beginner's guide. Where can I find it? I was considering also getting the CS degree. I would have to take like 6 courses on SDC. 

I have 2 associates degrees already (math and general science). But no harm in getting another 1, or 2, I suppose. The degree progress tool says I qualify for the associates in CS with the courses I have already, but I have read elsewhere that if you already have an associates, you are required to take 12 more credits or something like that. It might not be the best use of my time. Same with getting a 2nd degree in CS. I kind of want my math degree asap. I was thinking if I want a CS degree, I can get my math BA asap and wait until UMPI has an online CS degree and do that later, or take the prereqs later later and apply for a masters. But it also would be good to just do it now. I might have to graduate in September instead of June.

Actually I could use this AS, and only need to do the capstone plus maybe 2 "new" courses if they have some additional reqs if you already have an AS.

https://www.tesu.edu/degrees-programs/as...tudies.php

Are there any suggestions on the easiest epacks? I was going to do SOS 101 because I need that course and it is available as an epack, but if it's easier to do sociology in a day on sophia and there is an easier epack, maybe I should do that. I already transferred in CIS 1070. Maybe I can take it again. I also already transferred in American Govt. 

Just fyi, I signed up for the medical terminology tecep for December to get any benefits I can from being registered. TESU advising called me and said they would drop the course since it doesn't contribute to my degree. I said I wanted to take it for my own reasons and they said they won't drop it in that case. I don't know if that's what happens to everyone who signs up for the medical terminology tecep. I already received credit for the medical terminology course in my evaluation though from taking it at community college before.

[bjcheung77]

Here's the Beginner's Guide, specifically this post in the thread, it's got the links to the Credits/Courses vs Residency waiver, and also the Transfer Credit Explained threads linked, there are a few more threads linked if you want to review the PLA, sample spreadsheets of degree plans from 2021 that should still work, etc. Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid335188