Clarification on “free” add-on Associates degree

[Mccderm]

Location: Pa, USA
Age: 19
Desired Degree: Computer Science & Finance 
Budget/timeline: Cheapest as possible, >6months-1year
Current RA credits: None
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS credits: None
Situation: I find myself switching from the traditional school system to this concept of testing out of classes. I’m putting together a plan to double major at TESU. I found this forum and wiki that helped a lot. Though while researching, on the wiki I found a link titled “Free” add-on Associates degree plans.

I have a few questions about it, as follows:
1. Under “Note regarding the ASNSM degrees:” it states that ASNSM degrees count as 1 degree with multiple concentrations. As well as choose 2 concentrations in a single degree. Where and what are the concentrations areas?

2. Under “Note regarding the ASNSM degrees:” it gives an example of taking ASNSM in CS and ASNSM in mathematics it’ll count as 1 degree, leaving me the option to choose another associate’s degree. Does this mean I can choose any other associate degree counting as 1 and having a total of 2 Associates degrees?

3. Under “ASNSM, Computer Science” it says that this degree is automatically obtain by getting a Bachelor’s in CS. Question is it true that one who majors in CS will be able obtain an ASNSM in CS? If so isn’t like 2 CS degrees? Do you get these degrees in 2 separate degrees like BA in CS and ASNSM in CS? Or if you’re aiming at an BA in CS the ASNSM is an option to graduate with that ASNSM degree and graduate later with BA in CS? Will there be anymore credits I’ll need to take if I’m following the TESU credit distribution for CS?
https://www.tesu.edu/heavin/ba/computer-science

4. Under “ASNSM, Mathematics” to obtain this degree it seems like I need to earn more credits. The question arises of when do you earn these credits and type like ACE credits? Before enrolling or after enrolling into TESU? 

5. When i graduated since I’m aiming for bachelor’s in CS and financial and possibly 2 associates degrees. Will the degrees be in separate forms meaning I’ll be obtaining 4 degrees?

Please let me know if my questions needs to be clarified and advised me please. I appreciate the work this forum and the wiki has offer. 

[rachel83az]

1. For ASNSM degrees, you can see the concentrations here: https://tesu.smartcatalogiq.com/Current/...athematics They are Comp Sci, Math, and Biology. Biology would be the most difficult/expensive one to get, simply because of the Biology II requirement. There are places to get Biology II w/ Lab, but it's usually $500+. (Portage would be almost $900 for just Biology II, while some community colleges might have it for cheaper. But you probably have to take Biology I at the same CC, so the cost will be $500-1000 for the two classes if you go with a CC.) With Comp Sci and Math, it's easy to find the required classes at Study.com or Sophia.

2. Yes. If you want to choose one of the Associate degrees with a capstone (non-free), you can do that. Or you can pick a different degree from that page. For instance, you could get the AA or ASBA in addition to the ASNSM with Comp Sci & Math.

3. If you follow the degree plan for the BA Comp Sci, the ASNSM Comp Sci will automatically fill up as you go. You will need no additional credits. If you graduate with the ASNSM first, then the BACS, the Associate is no longer free. In order to get the degree for free, it is essential to graduate with all desired degrees at once. This also applies if you want to do the BACS and BSBA Computer Information System duel degree.

4. Considering your age, suggested order of events for TESU is: 

• Earn some credits (see next step)
  
• Apply to TESU (https://www.tesu.edu/admissions/undergrad-admissions). If you're a month or two away from turning 20, apply just after your birthday. If you've only recently turned 19, you may want to focus on your required RA credits. It's unclear whether you can take TECEPs as an underage visiting student and I can't remember their unstated policies. ASU Universal Learner, Finnish universities, and TEL Learning are possible places to get RA (or RA-equivalent) credit for TESU. You will need a total of at least 30 RA (equivalent) credits to get a degree.
  
• As soon as you are in applicant status, pay for the $52 Medical Terminology TECEP. You do not have to take the TECEP. Pay for it and forget about it.
  
• Continue to transfer in classes for your Associate and Bachelor degrees. If you hit ~12 months and you have not graduated nor taken a class from TESU yet, pay for the Medical Terminology TECEP again to remain fully enrolled.
  
• Take at least the capstone/cornerstone. If desired, do the flat-rate 16-credit term to avoid paying the residency waiver. (These 6 or 16 credits would count toward the required RA credits, so plan accordingly.)
  
• Assuming all classes passed, graduate.
  

5. As stated previously, you will graduate once you have completed all requirements for all degrees. Graduating early will cost extra money and they may not allow you to return for the other degree(s).

[Mccderm]

1. For ASNSM degrees, you can see the concentrations here: https://tesu.smartcatalogiq.com/Current/...athematics They are Comp Sci, Math, and Biology. Biology would be the most difficult/expensive one to get, simply because of the Biology II requirement. There are places to get Biology II w/ Lab, but it's usually $500+. (Portage would be almost $900 for just Biology II, while some community colleges might have it for cheaper. But you probably have to take Biology I at the same CC, so the cost will be $500-1000 for the two classes if you go with a CC.) With Comp Sci and Math, it's easy to find the required classes at Study.com or Sophia.

2. Yes. If you want to choose one of the Associate degrees with a capstone (non-free), you can do that. Or you can pick a different degree from that page. For instance, you could get the AA or ASBA in addition to the ASNSM with Comp Sci & Math.

3. If you follow the degree plan for the BA Comp Sci, the ASNSM Comp Sci will automatically fill up as you go. You will need no additional credits. If you graduate with the ASNSM first, then the BACS, the Associate is no longer free. In order to get the degree for free, it is essential to graduate with all desired degrees at once. This also applies if you want to do the BACS and BSBA Computer Information System duel degree.

4. Considering your age, suggested order of events for TESU is: 

• Earn some credits (see next step)
  
• Apply to TESU (https://www.tesu.edu/admissions/undergrad-admissions). If you're a month or two away from turning 20, apply just after your birthday. If you've only recently turned 19, you may want to focus on your required RA credits. It's unclear whether you can take TECEPs as an underage visiting student and I can't remember their unstated policies. ASU Universal Learner, Finnish universities, and TEL Learning are possible places to get RA (or RA-equivalent) credit for TESU. You will need a total of at least 30 RA (equivalent) credits to get a degree.
  
• As soon as you are in applicant status, pay for the $52 Medical Terminology TECEP. You do not have to take the TECEP. Pay for it and forget about it.
  
• Continue to transfer in classes for your Associate and Bachelor degrees. If you hit ~12 months and you have not graduated nor taken a class from TESU yet, pay for the Medical Terminology TECEP again to remain fully enrolled.
  
• Take at least the capstone/cornerstone. If desired, do the flat-rate 16-credit term to avoid paying the residency waiver. (These 6 or 16 credits would count toward the required RA credits, so plan accordingly.)
  
• Assuming all classes passed, graduate.
  

5. As stated previously, you will graduate once you have completed all requirements for all degrees. Graduating early will cost extra money and they may not allow you to return for the other degree(s).

Thank you for your response as it cleared up most of my confusion about the associates add on. I belive I'm going to obtain the add-ons for ASNSM in CS and business administration, 1 other Associates (can I get ASNSM in math and an another associates degree?) and 2 bachelors in CS and Finance. I do have a few more questions about the suggested plan as follows:

1. I'm currently enrolled into another college. I would like to attend the college I'm currently enrolled at, after I complete theses degrees at TESU. How should I go about this? Should i talk to an counselor at the school about this? 

2. Why would I apply to TESU 1st? Is it because when I earn credits from ACE credits (like study.com, etc), and I'm enrolled into TESU the credits would be accounted for?

3. About enrolling into TESU, I understand that after the application proccess I have the option of taking a course or TECEP as suggested to be considered fully enrolled. However, I'm having trouble understanding when to enroll. Do I consider the deadline as its on January 3, and register b4 so I won't be considered late for registrating? And/or my birthday as you've suggested as my birthday (turning 20) is after the deadline?

4. How should I plan for financial aid (Fasa) when I take the 30 RA credits? As some needs to be earned by taking TESU courses from my understanding.

[LevelUP]

As far as which, Associates degrees are recommended.

If you are doing BSBA (whatever concentration) & a BA Computer Science degree, then:
Associate in Math is highly recommended. All you need is the CLEP College Math to complete this degree.

If you are doing BSBA CIS, then:
Associates in Computer Science is highly recommended as you have almost all the courses needed with the BSBA CIS degree

If you are doing a BA in Computer Science, then:
The Associate in Math or an Associate in Business you could do. The logic behind doing the Associate in Business is that you need to take something in the electives for Computer Science so you could fill those up with business courses, including economics courses, so by the time you complete the Computer Science degree, you would have the Associates in Business without having to take any extra courses.

I wouldn't recommend doing the Associate in Liberal Arts as that degree doesn't help you much. I also wouldn't recommend doing any associate's degree that requires a capstone.

If you are doing a bachelor's in Computer Science, then an Associate's in Computer Science wouldn't help you much. However, your transcript will say "Associate in Natural Science and Math," and the following line will say "Area of Study Computer Science."

You get separate diplomas for the BA, BS, and Associates degrees. Therefore, these degrees are listed separately on your transcripts.

The courses listed on your transcript are all mixed in together, so nobody will know that you had to take zero extra courses to earn your associate's degree.

[rachel83az]

Thank you for your response as it cleared up most of my confusion about the associates add on. I belive I'm going to obtain the add-ons for ASNSM in CS and business administration, 1 other Associates (can I get ASNSM in math and an another associates degree?) and 2 bachelors in CS and Finance. I do have a few more questions about the suggested plan as follows:

ASNSM in Math & Computer Science + ASBA are fine.

1. I'm currently enrolled into another college. I would like to attend the college I'm currently enrolled at, after I complete theses degrees at TESU. How should I go about this? Should i talk to an counselor at the school about this? 

Most universities have kind of wacky rules about not allowing students to earn extra degrees after you've earned one (or more) at another school. If you want to go to another school after TESU, definitely find out what their award of extra degrees policies are.

2. Why would I apply to TESU 1st? Is it because when I earn credits from ACE credits (like study.com, etc), and I'm enrolled into TESU the credits would be accounted for?

If you don't apply & fully enroll at TESU, they could change the catalog and/or policies to make it more difficult to get a degree. Example: Once upon a time, you could get FEMA credits for free and transfer them to TESU. While it is still possible to get these credits, TESU no longer accepts them. Students who transferred in these credits before the change would have been able to use them for their degree.

3. About enrolling into TESU, I understand that after the application proccess I have the option of taking a course or TECEP as suggested to be considered fully enrolled. However, I'm having trouble understanding when to enroll. Do I consider the deadline as its on January 3, and register b4 so I won't be considered late for registrating? And/or my birthday as you've suggested as my birthday (turning 20) is after the deadline?

Unless you already have a bunch of RA credits, I'm not sure it's worth applying right now. Policy changes are usually announced at the beginning of the year and the beginning of July. Catalog changes are usually announced in July. If you're not going to be 20 before January, plan on enrolling by May/June at the latest.

4. How should I plan for financial aid (Fasa) when I take the 30 RA credits? As some needs to be earned by taking TESU courses from my understanding.

I can't help you with most of that, but since you qualify for FAFSA, you might be interested in earning FREE credits from XAMK and other Finnish universities. You can get a bunch of credits for free and then only pay for the evaluation fees. It'd be $200 for the first university transcript evaluation, $100 for each subsequent transcript evaluation. Each evaluation can, theoretically, have an unlimited number of credits on it. So you could possibly have 30+ credits at a cost of $200. (Most would probably be electives.) Way cheaper than most US credits. Saves the FAFSA money for TESU.

[Mccderm]

Thank you for your response as it cleared up most of my confusion about the associates add on. I belive I'm going to obtain the add-ons for ASNSM in CS and business administration, 1 other Associates (can I get ASNSM in math and an another associates degree?) and 2 bachelors in CS and Finance. I do have a few more questions about the suggested plan as follows:

ASNSM in Math & Computer Science + ASBA are fine.

1. I'm currently enrolled into another college. I would like to attend the college I'm currently enrolled at, after I complete theses degrees at TESU. How should I go about this? Should i talk to an counselor at the school about this? 

Most universities have kind of wacky rules about not allowing students to earn extra degrees after you've earned one (or more) at another school. If you want to go to another school after TESU, definitely find out what their award of extra degrees policies are.

2. Why would I apply to TESU 1st? Is it because when I earn credits from ACE credits (like study.com, etc), and I'm enrolled into TESU the credits would be accounted for?

If you don't apply & fully enroll at TESU, they could change the catalog and/or policies to make it more difficult to get a degree. Example: Once upon a time, you could get FEMA credits for free and transfer them to TESU. While it is still possible to get these credits, TESU no longer accepts them. Students who transferred in these credits before the change would have been able to use them for their degree.

3. About enrolling into TESU, I understand that after the application proccess I have the option of taking a course or TECEP as suggested to be considered fully enrolled. However, I'm having trouble understanding when to enroll. Do I consider the deadline as its on January 3, and register b4 so I won't be considered late for registrating? And/or my birthday as you've suggested as my birthday (turning 20) is after the deadline?

Unless you already have a bunch of RA credits, I'm not sure it's worth applying right now. Policy changes are usually announced at the beginning of the year and the beginning of July. Catalog changes are usually announced in July. If you're not going to be 20 before January, plan on enrolling by May/June at the latest.

4. How should I plan for financial aid (Fasa) when I take the 30 RA credits? As some needs to be earned by taking TESU courses from my understanding.

I can't help you with most of that, but since you qualify for FAFSA, you might be interested in earning FREE credits from XAMK and other Finnish universities. You can get a bunch of credits for free and then only pay for the evaluation fees. It'd be $200 for the first university transcript evaluation, $100 for each subsequent transcript evaluation. Each evaluation can, theoretically, have an unlimited number of credits on it. So you could possibly have 30+ credits at a cost of $200. (Most would probably be electives.) Way cheaper than most US credits. Saves the FAFSA money for TESU.

I see now why I need to enroll into TESU. Though I wonder about my high school transcript. Would I send it to TESU for them to evaluate and accredit some hs classes (I took) that would account for TESU course? Such as hs college algebra and precalculus, would be accounted as credit for those courses at TESU.

[jch]

TESU will not give you credit for high school courses. In my case, they didn't even ask for my transcript or diploma. 
Here are some ways that you might get credit related to things done in high school: 

• AP Classes: TESU will award credit for passing Advanced Placement exams based on ACE credit recommendations. Send your official score report to the registrar. Same deal for CLEP, DSST, etc. 
  
• IT Courses: add all of these to your Credly profile. Make sure they show the ACE credit endorsement if eligible. Then send TESU your Credly transcript. Some IT certifications must be sent directly to TESU because they rely on NCCRS or institutional reviews instead.  
  
• Transcripted credit: If your high school courses were part of a transcripted credit at a local community or technical college, have a transcript from that institution sent to TESU. 
  
• GED: This may get you some credits if you took this test. Potentially even more if you took the optional subject exams as well.  
  
• Use your knowledge and notes to speed through a self-paced online course (from Sophia or Saylor) or review for a CLEP exam.  
  

[dfrecore]

Thank you for your response as it cleared up most of my confusion about the associates add on. I belive I'm going to obtain the add-ons for ASNSM in CS and business administration, 1 other Associates (can I get ASNSM in math and an another associates degree?) and 2 bachelors in CS and Finance. I do have a few more questions about the suggested plan as follows:

ASNSM in Math & Computer Science + ASBA are fine.

1. I'm currently enrolled into another college. I would like to attend the college I'm currently enrolled at, after I complete theses degrees at TESU. How should I go about this? Should i talk to an counselor at the school about this? 

Most universities have kind of wacky rules about not allowing students to earn extra degrees after you've earned one (or more) at another school. If you want to go to another school after TESU, definitely find out what their award of extra degrees policies are.

2. Why would I apply to TESU 1st? Is it because when I earn credits from ACE credits (like study.com, etc), and I'm enrolled into TESU the credits would be accounted for?

If you don't apply & fully enroll at TESU, they could change the catalog and/or policies to make it more difficult to get a degree. Example: Once upon a time, you could get FEMA credits for free and transfer them to TESU. While it is still possible to get these credits, TESU no longer accepts them. Students who transferred in these credits before the change would have been able to use them for their degree.

3. About enrolling into TESU, I understand that after the application proccess I have the option of taking a course or TECEP as suggested to be considered fully enrolled. However, I'm having trouble understanding when to enroll. Do I consider the deadline as its on January 3, and register b4 so I won't be considered late for registrating? And/or my birthday as you've suggested as my birthday (turning 20) is after the deadline?

Unless you already have a bunch of RA credits, I'm not sure it's worth applying right now. Policy changes are usually announced at the beginning of the year and the beginning of July. Catalog changes are usually announced in July. If you're not going to be 20 before January, plan on enrolling by May/June at the latest.

4. How should I plan for financial aid (Fasa) when I take the 30 RA credits? As some needs to be earned by taking TESU courses from my understanding.

I can't help you with most of that, but since you qualify for FAFSA, you might be interested in earning FREE credits from XAMK and other Finnish universities. You can get a bunch of credits for free and then only pay for the evaluation fees. It'd be $200 for the first university transcript evaluation, $100 for each subsequent transcript evaluation. Each evaluation can, theoretically, have an unlimited number of credits on it. So you could possibly have 30+ credits at a cost of $200. (Most would probably be electives.) Way cheaper than most US credits. Saves the FAFSA money for TESU.

I see now why I need to enroll into TESU. Though I wonder about my high school transcript. Would I send it to TESU for them to evaluate and accredit some hs classes (I took) that would account for TESU course? Such as hs college algebra and precalculus, would be accounted as credit for those courses at TESU.

TESU will only look at your high school diploma to make sure you graduated, you don't even send them your high school transcripts.

They also will not count any actual high school courses for credit - nor will other colleges.  A school MAY use high school courses to make sure you meet pre-reqs or for placement purposes, but you won't normally get college credit for high-school level courses (this is not in any way talking about AP or Dual Enrollment at a college during high school).

AP Exams (not courses) can count for college credit, and some colleges will give an extra credit for a science lab IF you took the AP course (so for instance, if you took AP Biology as a course, and passed the AP Bio exam, they would give you 8cr for Bio I w/Lab and Bio II w/Lab, rather than just 6cr for Bio I & Bio II).

Dual Enrollment courses are different, since those come on a college transcript, which is what a school would evaluate, rather than your high school transcript for any courses this pertained to.

[Mccderm]

TESU will not give you credit for high school courses. In my case, they didn't even ask for my transcript or diploma. 
Here are some ways that you might get credit related to things done in high school: 

• AP Classes: TESU will award credit for passing Advanced Placement exams based on ACE credit recommendations. Send your official score report to the registrar. Same deal for CLEP, DSST, etc. 
  
• IT Courses: add all of these to your Credly profile. Make sure they show the ACE credit endorsement if eligible. Then send TESU your Credly transcript. Some IT certifications must be sent directly to TESU because they rely on NCCRS or institutional reviews instead.  
  
• Transcripted credit: If your high school courses were part of a transcripted credit at a local community or technical college, have a transcript from that institution sent to TESU. 
  
• GED: This may get you some credits if you took this test. Potentially even more if you took the optional subject exams as well.  
  
• Use your knowledge and notes to speed through a self-paced online course (from Sophia or Saylor) or review for a CLEP exam.  
  

Are you saying that even though I took college algebra and pre calculus in high school (CS major required maths), I will have to take those again when I go into TESU?

[rachel83az]

Yes. HS algebra and pre calc don't give credit. Thankfully, you can use your knowledge from HS to breeze through algebra and/or precalculus at Sophia.