Cost, Financial Aid, Fees...

[Taxandria]

What am I missing? Can the OP finish an associate degree with 4 TECEPs and a few CLEPs for $1000 out of pocket at TESC?

That would be cool. I can probably swing up to $1000 out of pocket if they give me a payment plan of some kind, like half and half or 3 payments or something like that. BY the time I'm done with CLEPs maybe I'll have more saved up. It's rough. I want the degree to make more money and don't have the money because I don't have the degree Well, one goal would be to work one full time job and not a full one and a part time one. That would be really cool.

In any case, I applied at the Alamo colleges, like all 5 of them I'll talk to the advisors and see what they say but I don't trust advisors very much. Plus if it turns out they won't take a lot of my credits (I don't see why but it could happen) then I'm probably better off going to TESC or COSC and sucking up the cost.

All in all I will keep studying for the US History I CLEP because either way I need that one for Gen Ed as I have no US history courses under my belt at all.

I was just really hoping to test out a lot of the remaining 19 credits for the Associate's and just get it done.

[sanantone]

The OP could finish an associate's at TESC for about $1,400, but there is no payment plan. Honestly, one is not needed. You just pay $111 per TECEP when you're ready to take one. You pay $80 plus the test center's fee when you're ready to take a CLEP or DSST.

[NAP]

The OP could finish an associate's at TESC for about $1,400, but there is no payment plan. Honestly, one is not needed. You just pay $111 per TECEP when you're ready to take one. You pay $80 plus the test center's fee when you're ready to take a CLEP or DSST.

Thank you for confirming that. It may not be the best fit for the OP's long-term plans (possible bachelor's degree at COSC) or financial aid concerns, but I wanted to make sure the OP knows how close a college degree really could be.

[Westerner]

There is no enrollment fee for the Comprehensive Tuition Plan. There is only an enrollment fee for the Enrolled Options Plan.

Right. Sorry, was posting late at night and didn't read carefully enough :p

[Taxandria]

The OP could finish an associate's at TESC for about $1,400, but there is no payment plan. Honestly, one is not needed. You just pay $111 per TECEP when you're ready to take one. You pay $80 plus the test center's fee when you're ready to take a CLEP or DSST.

OK so you mean I can just knock this out myself, out of pocket by just studying independently and taking the tests for $111 each plus CLEP etc. and I can get the AA from TESC? What I'm not understanding (sorry, I'm really not this "stupid" but I've got a big sleep debt at the moment) is the steps to take after the tests are taken and the credit is earned. At that point I then enroll in the school?

I'm just not connecting the steps. I take CLEPs, I guess I could also take a Saylor if credit would be granted at TESC... Can I take TECEPS without being enrolled and paying a fee? That's what I'm not getting. And then when I have the credits I need, do I apply and just say hi, here's my 60 credits (or whatever I have), I'd like an AA?

Seriously can you explain it like you're talking to a turnip?

---

OK I checked and it says you don't have to be enrolled to take the TECEPs. Woot! So I guess what I could do if I want to knock out that AA is CLEP and TECEP and Saylor my way along, getting all those Gen Ed credits finished, and then enroll? (If I accumulate the needed would TESC force me to pay for a course at their school? I am assuming the...cornerstone would have to be taken the long way around? (I mean paying for it and doing the so many week course instead of just a test.)

Thanks all

[EI2HCB]

OK so you mean I can just knock this out myself, out of pocket by just studying independently and taking the tests for $111 each plus CLEP etc. and I can get the AA from TESC? What I'm not understanding (sorry, I'm really not this "stupid" but I've got a big sleep debt at the moment) is the steps to take after the tests are taken and the credit is earned. At that point I then enroll in the school?

I'm just not connecting the steps. I take CLEPs, I guess I could also take a Saylor if credit would be granted at TESC... Can I take TECEPS without being enrolled and paying a fee? That's what I'm not getting. And then when I have the credits I need, do I apply and just say hi, here's my 60 credits (or whatever I have), I'd like an AA?

Seriously can you explain it like you're talking to a turnip?

---

OK I checked and it says you don't have to be enrolled to take the TECEPs. Woot! So I guess what I could do if I want to knock out that AA is CLEP and TECEP and Saylor my way along, getting all those Gen Ed credits finished, and then enroll? (If I accumulate the needed would TESC force me to pay for a course at their school? I am assuming the...cornerstone would have to be taken the long way around? (I mean paying for it and doing the so many week course instead of just a test.)

Thanks all

There are advantages to enrolling, you have your credits analyzed based on the current degree catalog along with future updates complying to your enrollment catalog not the one that will exist in six or eight months. This locks in your credits on your transcript now not hopefully in the future. It doesn't address the financial section of your question of course but since you only have about 20 credit to accomplish an AA you should be able to knock them out fairly quickly while taking TECP exams that ensure that your enrollment is maintained.

[sanantone]

OK so you mean I can just knock this out myself, out of pocket by just studying independently and taking the tests for $111 each plus CLEP etc. and I can get the AA from TESC? What I'm not understanding (sorry, I'm really not this "stupid" but I've got a big sleep debt at the moment) is the steps to take after the tests are taken and the credit is earned. At that point I then enroll in the school?

I'm just not connecting the steps. I take CLEPs, I guess I could also take a Saylor if credit would be granted at TESC... Can I take TECEPS without being enrolled and paying a fee? That's what I'm not getting. And then when I have the credits I need, do I apply and just say hi, here's my 60 credits (or whatever I have), I'd like an AA?

Seriously can you explain it like you're talking to a turnip?

---

OK I checked and it says you don't have to be enrolled to take the TECEPs. Woot! So I guess what I could do if I want to knock out that AA is CLEP and TECEP and Saylor my way along, getting all those Gen Ed credits finished, and then enroll? (If I accumulate the needed would TESC force me to pay for a course at their school? I am assuming the...cornerstone would have to be taken the long way around? (I mean paying for it and doing the so many week course instead of just a test.)

Thanks all

This is how you enroll under the Per Credit Tuition Plan.

1. Apply to TESC and pay the $75 application fee. TESC will send an acceptance letter within 5 business days.
2. Send all of your transcripts to TESC. You can do this before they even send your acceptance letter. It will take them about 20 business days to do your evaluation after receiving your transcripts.
3. In order to enroll under the Per Credit Tuition Plan, all you have to do is sign up for a course, portfolio assessment, e-Pack, or TECEP. There are no additional fees. Just register for your TECEP and pay the $111. You'll be considered enrolled 10 days into the term in which you'll be taking your TECEP. To maintain enrollment, take a TECEP or course at least every rolling 12 months.

[Taxandria]

This is how you enroll under the Per Credit Tuition Plan.

1. Apply to TESC and pay the $75 application fee. TESC will send an acceptance letter within 5 business days.
2. Send all of your transcripts to TESC. You can do this before they even send your acceptance letter. It will take them about 20 business days to do your evaluation after receiving your transcripts.
3. In order to enroll under the Per Credit Tuition Plan, all you have to do is sign up for a course, portfolio assessment, e-Pack, or TECEP. There are no additional fees. Just register for your TECEP and pay the $111. You'll be considered enrolled 10 days into the term in which you'll be taking your TECEP. To maintain enrollment, take a TECEP or course at least every rolling 12 months.

Ahhhh! Thank you. That sounds doable. As long as I do one TECEP every 12 (rolling?) months, I don't incur more fees and I just keep testing until I have what I need. That seems the most simple and quick way to do it, though I will be paying a bit for the testing. It might be worth it rather than doing months of coursework, though. It's a trade off. At least with that plan I can also do Saylor tests and CLEP, too.

[mednat]

Someone more knowledgeable on financial aid may be able to help but do you qualify for any grants, or when you say financial aid do you mean loans? If grants, it may make sense to take a class or two (even at a high rate) to qualify. I have no clue how financial aid works, but I would assume it would cover the application fee if you take a class.

[sanantone]

Someone more knowledgeable on financial aid may be able to help but do you qualify for any grants, or when you say financial aid do you mean loans? If grants, it may make sense to take a class or two (even at a high rate) to qualify. I have no clue how financial aid works, but I would assume it would cover the application fee if you take a class.

Financial aid can't be used for the application fee, but it can be used for the enrollment fee. The problem is that, with the number of credits required to receive financial aid, the Pell Grant is not enough to cover tuition and the enrollment fee. The OP qualifies for a $5700 grant.