COSC no longer one of the 'big 3'

[sanantone]

When schools award credit for alternative sources, they have to either evaluate the sources or have some other authority evaluate them and be able to justify to their accrediting body that those alternative sources are college-level.

[cookderosa]

When schools award credit for alternative sources, they have to either evaluate the sources or have some other authority evaluate them and be able to justify to their accrediting body that those alternative sources are college-level.

yes, and I think they were just being slow. FEMA has been a no go at the other 2 for a while now. Taking three is a gift imo.

[Life Long Learning]

After reading the replies I agree COSC is still one of the 'big 3' but losing an entire free year of college is noteworthy.

Given that FEMA credits weren't ACE or NCCRS approved, I would say that it was just a matter of time before they went away (TESU stopped accepting those years ago); the main thing to think is that COSC was MORE than generous accepting these credits in the first place.  You're not losing anything so much as you were getting something for free for too long.

COSC has a different Regional Accreditation Agency.

Excelsior College, TESU, and FCC (buy FEMA credits) all have the same Regional Accreditation Agency.  All three have different FEMA credit policies.

---

When schools award credit for alternative sources, they have to either evaluate the sources or have some other authority evaluate them and be able to justify to their accrediting body that those alternative sources are college-level.

The fact that FCC (accrediting body) has allowed them to sell FEMA credits for 30-years tells me that their RA is OK with it.  It is time tested.

[sanantone]

After reading the replies I agree COSC is still one of the 'big 3' but losing an entire free year of college is noteworthy.

Given that FEMA credits weren't ACE or NCCRS approved, I would say that it was just a matter of time before they went away (TESU stopped accepting those years ago); the main thing to think is that COSC was MORE than generous accepting these credits in the first place.  You're not losing anything so much as you were getting something for free for too long.

COSC has a different Regional Accreditation Agency.

Excelsior College, TESU, and FCC (buy FEMA credits) all have the same Regional Accreditation Agency.  All three have different FEMA credit policies.

---

When schools award credit for alternative sources, they have to either evaluate the sources or have some other authority evaluate them and be able to justify to their accrediting body that those alternative sources are college-level.

The fact that FCC (accrediting body) has allowed them to sell FEMA credits for 30-years tells me that their RA is OK with it.  It is time tested.

Excelsior will only accept FEMA laundered through another college. That's a way of deflecting responsibility. FCC will not let you use FEMA IS courses, alone, toward their degree and certificate in emergency management. They make you complete more work to complement the FEMA courses.

[Life Long Learning]

After reading the replies I agree COSC is still one of the 'big 3' but losing an entire free year of college is noteworthy.

Given that FEMA credits weren't ACE or NCCRS approved, I would say that it was just a matter of time before they went away (TESU stopped accepting those years ago); the main thing to think is that COSC was MORE than generous accepting these credits in the first place.  You're not losing anything so much as you were getting something for free for too long.

COSC has a different Regional Accreditation Agency.

Excelsior College, TESU, and FCC (buy FEMA credits) all have the same Regional Accreditation Agency.  All three have different FEMA credit policies.

---

When schools award credit for alternative sources, they have to either evaluate the sources or have some other authority evaluate them and be able to justify to their accrediting body that those alternative sources are college-level.

The fact that FCC (accrediting body) has allowed them to sell FEMA credits for 30-years tells me that their RA is OK with it.  It is time tested.

Excelsior will only accept FEMA laundered through another college. That's a way of deflecting responsibility. FCC will not let you use FEMA IS courses, alone, toward their degree and certificate in emergency management. They make you complete more work to complement the FEMA courses.

Fact is all three have different policies on FEMA credits with the same RA.  

FCC allows you to use 35 SH of FEMA credits towards an AAS.  That is a lot. 
https://www.frederick.edu/programs/publi...nline.aspx

Colleges can almost do whatever they want.  My son got to choose from 20 universities for 7-9 SH for hiking in Alaska (NOLS).  I was given 3 SH Grad credit for 5 days of a FEMA class by JSU.   I have about 5 SH of Grad credit for taking a few online coaching courses from a third party.  It depends on who is in bed with who.

[sanantone]

After reading the replies I agree COSC is still one of the 'big 3' but losing an entire free year of college is noteworthy.

Given that FEMA credits weren't ACE or NCCRS approved, I would say that it was just a matter of time before they went away (TESU stopped accepting those years ago); the main thing to think is that COSC was MORE than generous accepting these credits in the first place.  You're not losing anything so much as you were getting something for free for too long.

COSC has a different Regional Accreditation Agency.

Excelsior College, TESU, and FCC (buy FEMA credits) all have the same Regional Accreditation Agency.  All three have different FEMA credit policies.

---

When schools award credit for alternative sources, they have to either evaluate the sources or have some other authority evaluate them and be able to justify to their accrediting body that those alternative sources are college-level.

The fact that FCC (accrediting body) has allowed them to sell FEMA credits for 30-years tells me that their RA is OK with it.  It is time tested.

Excelsior will only accept FEMA laundered through another college. That's a way of deflecting responsibility. FCC will not let you use FEMA IS courses, alone, toward their degree and certificate in emergency management. They make you complete more work to complement the FEMA courses.

Fact is all three have different policies on FEMA credits with the same RA.  

FCC allows you to use 35 SH of FEMA credits towards an AAS.  That is a lot. 
https://www.frederick.edu/programs/publi...nline.aspx

Colleges can almost do whatever they want.  My son got to choose from 20 universities for 7-9 SH for hiking in Alaska (NOLS).  I was given 3 SH Grad credit for 5 days of a FEMA class by JSU.   I have about 5 SH of Grad credit for taking a few online coaching courses from a third party.  It depends on who is in bed with who.

No, FCC doesn't really let you use 35 FEMA credits. They are supplementing their coursework with FEMA material. FCC will sell you FEMA credits even though they have nothing to do with the EMI courses, but they won't even let you use them toward one of their degrees without completing additional modules. In reality, they will only accept seven FEMA credits toward electives without additional coursework. In other words, not even FCC believes that FEMA IS courses are really college-level.

[jsd]

Anyone have more information about COSC not accepting FEMA? Is that confirmed by anyone else, or could it be a case of a confused advisor?

And if it's true they're only accepting 3, do we know WHICH three they are accepting, or is it just any 3 cr?

[cookderosa]

Anyone have more information about COSC not accepting FEMA? Is that confirmed by anyone else, or could it be a case of a confused advisor?

And if it's true they're only accepting 3, do we know WHICH three they are accepting, or is it just any 3 cr?

good question. I'd also like to know.... "They also are now only accepting 3 FEMA credits." bnm, do you have an email from your advisor? How did you find this out?

[alram]

This a reply to my question about limiting the use of FEMA credits this afternoon. I don't know how I missed copying the whole conversation but Bob said that 9 is the new limit for FEMA credits before he wrote the statement below.

"Not sure we had an established limit in the past, but a new policy went into effect that limits the use of such credits in a Charter Oak degree plan. If you have ACE evaluated credit from FEMA (ie. National Fire Academy), you can still use those to their full degree applicability. Just the Independent Study credits are limited."

[jsd]

So it is a possibly 6 or possibly 9 credit cap, and we don't know if there is a specific 6-9 to be used, or just any 6-9 cr. Ugh.