Cheapest path, starting from scratch

[calliemay]

Hello all! Long time lurker, I've really enjoyed perusing all the fantastic info here. I'm looking at starting from scratch, and I'd like advice on the absolute cheapest route to basically any degree. 

I'm 44, with severe chronic health issues. Basically, I'm too disabled to work full time, but not considered disabled enough for government assistance.

Worked for a home builder in purchasing for many years until they crashed in 2008. Finding decent part time work is hard enough, but then every job I tried to apply for had requirements of minimum bachelor's degree, they don't care what subject. It took more than 2 years for me to find a job, without kind relatives I would've been living under a bridge.
I've been at current job ever since, company is just me and my boss. I have a lot of downtime, I typically read about 200 books a year, plus coursera courses because I love to learn.
Boss is getting old, I'm worried when he dies I'll be out of work again, without even a reference. So I'd like to use my time towards earning a degree instead of other reading and non credit courses, but I'm barely making ends meet so money is a huge issue.
So. Please give me ideas on the absolute cheapest paths. I know I need to apply to fafsa. In Georgia, so I can join POAG. CLEP testing centers are open here and I'm fully vax'd, so modern states is an option, although with my health I'm still nervous.
Saylor, OnlineDegree.com, Sophia, Study.com.
Had brain surgery a few years ago and I swear they accidentally removed the math section because maths used to be easy and now I look at the CLEP practice and the algebra, trig, and calc may as well be Klingon. ? So that's going to be a challenge. Brain fog, balance issues, and tinnitus also make learning extra fun.
Looking at the big three, it gets confusing with various fees and tuition.  Or would another school be a better option?
About to begin a TESOL professional certificate course from Arizona State University, but I don't expect credit for that. I'm hoping for a TESL job online, but most will again require a bachelor's in SOMETHING. Teaching related would be great, but not vital.
Apologies for being far too wordy. Side effect of newest meds.
TLDR; zero credits, cheapest path to any degree, many thanks. 

[natshar]

Question what is POAG? Is that some kind of free college program in your state? Do you think you'd qualify for pell grant (low income)?

[Vle045]

Start with Sophia.  It’s the most cost effective.  And see how much you can get from there.  Then Saylor Academy.  The tests are $25 each.  Onlinedegree is not as widely accepted (although I like the video format).  After that, then see what Study.com and Straighterline can cover that you don’t already have.  Go for a business degree.  It’s the most versatile and I think has the most courses you can take from alternate sites.
I don’t know as much about the tests that some others around here mention.  But I know they are out there.  You might also want to see if you have a local community college that has low cost courses.  Sometimes those are a great option. I know ours is offering free tuition to people in the area that are financially effected by coronavirus.  Perhaps your area has something similar.

[rachel83az]

There is a bit of a difference between "cheapest" and "cheapest without any math". The first thing to do would be to sign up at Sophia.org to see if you can do stats and/or algebra. Either one would arguably be easier than the CLEP exam for Algebra. There are people here who thought that they'd never be able to complete a traditional math class but they managed to pass the Sophia courses. But there are other people who thought that they were impossible.

If you are able to pass either one of these, you can get a liberal studies degree from COSC.

If you are not able to pass either one, you can still get a degree from either Excelsior or TESU by using CSM Learn. https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...INCREDIBLE If you sign up for their newsletter, you can get the course for about $35 instead of $39.

TESU would be the most expensive (at around $8k) and Excelsior would be in the middle, with COSC being the cheapest. But this also depends on whether or not you're able to get a Pell Grant. If you can get a full Pell Grant, TESU actually becomes SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper and it's easier than either COSC or Excelsior because you don't have to get as much upper-level credit.

UMPI has the potential to be the cheapest of all, especially with a Pell Grant, but I think that they require 6 credits of math instead of just 3 credits.

---

Start with Sophia.  It’s the most cost effective.  And see how much you can get from there.  Then Saylor Academy.  The tests are $25 each.  Onlinedegree is not as widely accepted (although I like the video format).  After that, then see what Study.com and Straighterline can cover that you don’t already have.  Go for a business degree.  It’s the most versatile and I think has the most courses you can take from alternate sites.
I don’t know as much about the tests that some others around here mention.  But I know they are out there.  You might also want to see if you have a local community college that has low cost courses.  Sometimes those are a great option. I know ours is offering free tuition to people in the area that are financially effected by coronavirus.  Perhaps your area has something similar.

I would not recommend Saylor to most people, especially to someone suffering from brain fog. Their courses can be confusing enough without any added complications. They are also not universally accepted. 

Once OP knows what school they're going to go to, a plan can be formulated. A plan for TESU will NOT work for EC or vice versa. Until a school is chosen, the best and most widely accepted option is the advice to use Sophia.org.

[dfrecore]

First, ask your boss for a letter of reference for you to keep, just in case anything happens to him.

Second, COSC will be your very cheapest option, even with their 24cr of RA that you have to bring in (using ONU or TEL). I would probably skip CLEP's if you're worried about your health and go with Sophia for everything you can, then Study.com for your UL and math (there's easier options than Sophia for math at Study.com).

Also, not sure how much CC costs in GA, and if there's lottery tuition assistance programs or not, but check on that. If you can find courses for less than $50/cr (like if you qualify for Pell and it's all free), that's where I'd start.

You need a plan, but it definitely can't hurt to go to Sophia and start going crazy on the courses there. If you could do them ALL in a few months, that's probably your cheapest option. Even things that won't count for credit may help you (like Foundations courses).

For math, you're going to want to take something like "College Math" or "Applied Liberal Arts Math." Something like those that's lower than Intermediate Algebra. Study.com has MAT 102: College Mathematics that should work. But there's also the Liberal Arts Math DSST exam or TECEP exam (taken from home for $150). You may as well take College Math and Bio w/Lab at the same time to get that credit, since COSC requires a lab science.

Also, you need a concentration at COSC - I think the easiest is Psych and Business, since Study.com has 5 Psych courses and tons of Business courses that COSC considers UL.

If you need more help in planning a COSC degree, I can help you if you PM me.

[calliemay]

Question what is POAG? Is that some kind of free college program in your state? Do you think you'd qualify for pell grant (low income)?

Peace Officer Association of Georgia, for a $25 fee can join as an associate. Among the benefits, significant discounts at Excelsior.  No enrollment fee, tuition reduced from $510 per credit to $410, graduation fee reduced from $495 to $260.

https://poag.org/about-us/our-partners/

[dfrecore]

Question what is POAG? Is that some kind of free college program in your state? Do you think you'd qualify for pell grant (low income)?

Peace Officer Association of Georgia, for a $25 fee can join as an associate. Among the benefits, significant discounts at Excelsior.  No enrollment fee, tuition reduced from $510 per credit to $410, graduation fee reduced from $495 to $260.

https://poag.org/about-us/our-partners/

This is only the case if you take at least 12cr at EC - in which case you're already going to have that discount since you're going to take Study.com or Sophia courses (they both offer the same exact discount without paying $25).

[calliemay]

Start with Sophia.  It’s the most cost effective.  And see how much you can get from there.  Then Saylor Academy.  The tests are $25 each.  Onlinedegree is not as widely accepted (although I like the video format).  After that, then see what Study.com and Straighterline can cover that you don’t already have.  Go for a business degree.  It’s the most versatile and I think has the most courses you can take from alternate sites.
I don’t know as much about the tests that some others around here mention.  But I know they are out there.  You might also want to see if you have a local community college that has low cost courses.  Sometimes those are a great option. I know ours is offering free tuition to people in the area that are financially effected by coronavirus.  Perhaps your area has something similar.

Thank you for all the great advice, I'll look into local college options. Anything in person is not a great option, because it takes every bit of energy I can muster just to manage 4 days a week working a very undemanding job. But hopefully they've increased their online options since I last checked a few years ago.

[rachel83az]

For math, you're going to want to take something like "College Math" or "Applied Liberal Arts Math."  Something like those that's lower than Intermediate Algebra.  Study.com has MAT 102: College Mathematics that should work.  But there's also the Liberal Arts Math DSST exam or TECEP exam (taken from home for $150).  You may as well take College Math and Bio w/Lab at the same time to get that credit, since COSC requires a lab science.

According to https://www.charteroak.edu/catalog/curre...m-list.pdf the Liberal Arts Math TECEP does NOT count towards the math requirement. The DSST would work. And, according to the SDC page, College Math only counts as an elective at COSC, so I would not count on that working at all.

[calliemay]

There is a bit of a difference between "cheapest" and "cheapest without any math". The first thing to do would be to sign up at Sophia.org to see if you can do stats and/or algebra. Either one would arguably be easier than the CLEP exam for Algebra. There are people here who thought that they'd never be able to complete a traditional math class but they managed to pass the Sophia courses. But there are other people who thought that they were impossible.

If you are able to pass either one of these, you can get a liberal studies degree from COSC.

If you are not able to pass either one, you can still get a degree from either Excelsior or TESU by using CSM Learn. https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...INCREDIBLE If you sign up for their newsletter, you can get the course for about $35 instead of $39.

TESU would be the most expensive (at around $8k) and Excelsior would be in the middle, with COSC being the cheapest. But this also depends on whether or not you're able to get a Pell Grant. If you can get a full Pell Grant, TESU actually becomes SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper and it's easier than either COSC or Excelsior because you don't have to get as much upper-level credit.

UMPI has the potential to be the cheapest of all, especially with a Pell Grant, but I think that they require 6 credits of math instead of just 3 credits.

---

Start with Sophia.  It’s the most cost effective.  And see how much you can get from there.  Then Saylor Academy.  The tests are $25 each.  Onlinedegree is not as widely accepted (although I like the video format).  After that, then see what Study.com and Straighterline can cover that you don’t already have.  Go for a business degree.  It’s the most versatile and I think has the most courses you can take from alternate sites.
I don’t know as much about the tests that some others around here mention.  But I know they are out there.  You might also want to see if you have a local community college that has low cost courses.  Sometimes those are a great option. I know ours is offering free tuition to people in the area that are financially effected by coronavirus.  Perhaps your area has something similar.

I would not recommend Saylor to most people, especially to someone suffering from brain fog. Their courses can be confusing enough without any added complications. They are also not universally accepted. 

Once OP knows what school they're going to go to, a plan can be formulated. A plan for TESU will NOT work for EC or vice versa. Until a school is chosen, the best and most widely accepted option is the advice to use Sophia.org.

I have hope that I will be able to relearn math. It was just kind of shocking that I used to find this stuff easy, and now I look at the test and can't even remember what the terms mean. Stuff I actually use, like tips and sale percentages and gallons of paint needed to cover x square footage walls, I can still manage without a calculator. 

Had not heard of CSM, thank you! 

Should be able to get the Pell Grant, I think. Single and middle aged, so expected family contribution is nil. Definitely low income. I suppose FAFSA should be my starting point.