Disabled on a very fixed income need help finding free or cheap ways for credit

[carsonallen77]

Hello all, my dream is to get a degree at COSC to prove to myself and family that I can still accomplish my life goal even though I am disabled. 

I have looked at straighteline, study.com, sophia, etc, but 199 a month at study or 99 a month is just not doable on my fixed income. 

I'm not sure about Saylor as allot of the classes there have expired and they will not answer my emails. 

Modern States is only free for the first few thousand, plus I live in a rural area to far from CLEP centers. Wish I could do some proctoring. 

I could afford 100 a month maximum. 

Any advice as to how I can start earning at least my general education credits toward COSC for around 100 a month would be very much appropriated. I wish straighterline would just let you take all the courses for the flat 99 a month without charging extra for the courses.

[udi]

https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Fr..._of_Credit

[Ideas]

OnlineDegree.com as much as possible.

StraighterLine with promo codes for classes you really need (that you can't get at OnlineDegree.com). With codes, you should be able to get two courses for about $80-$100 total.

Davar has two courses in a month for $99.

[dfrecore]

First, you didn't say what degree you wanted.

Second, you need a plan for how you're going to accomplish this. So that you don't spend a single penny more than you need to for anything. When money is tight, you need to make every credit count.

Third, if you don't make a lot of money, you probably qualify for financial aid, which you can use at an inexpensive school like NMJC to take courses. There may be money left over after each semester, which would allow you to put it in your "school fund" and save up for the more expensive things. Start saving your pennies - maybe put aside $100/mo while you're doing the free stuff, and then do the cheap stuff, and continue building your "school fund" while you're going.

As others on here have said, your best bet is going to be doing all the free courses first; this also happens to build momentum.

THESE EXPIRE 2/29/20, SO DO THESE FIRST
If you are fluent in a foreign language, do the ACTFL exams
- $105 for speaking exam, $105 for writing exam, up to 12cr depending on score (including 6cr of UL and 6cr of LL)
- $50 for listening exam, $50 for reading exam, up to 6cr depending on score

Do these next:
Start using Khan Academy (FREE) to learn your math - Do Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, and AP Stats (so you can take ALEKS courses later)
Ethics and the CPCU Code of Professional Conduct - FREE (3cr)
TEEX Cybersecurity courses - FREE (10cr)
Sophia Developing Effective Teams - FREE (1cr)
Sophia The Essentials of Managing Conflict - FREE (1cr)

Then start on these inexpensive courses
As many OnlineDegree courses as you can, $9 (3cr) each course
As many Saylor courses as you can, especially the 3 UL courses - many are not expired, so figure that out first, on the ACE Database: http://www2.acenet.edu/credit/?fuseactio...CE=1008220
CSMLearn Quantitative Reasoning $39 (3cr)
ALEKS College Algebra, Trig & Intro to Statistics $20/mo (3cr each = 9cr) - don't do until you've learned it thoroughly first, and can do just a single month

TEEX-0294 Basic Property Technician Online (FSA107) - $45 (3cr)
TEEX-0299 Basic Criminal Investigation Online (FSA113) - $75 (2cr)
TEEX-0300 Death Investigation Online (FSA114) - $75 (3cr UL)
TEEX-0301 Foundations of Fingerprint Comparison (FSA115) - $45 (3cr)
TEEX-0302 Foundations of Forensic Photography (FSA116 ) - $45 (1cr)
TEEX-0303 Foundations of Courtroom Testimony (FSA118) - $45 (1cr)
Coursera Google IT Support Professional Certificate - 7 day free trial, then $49/mo (12cr)

InstantCert Credit - use if not available as a less expensive option (Spanish 1, Environmental Science, and American Government)
- $49/mo for 1 course (3cr)
- $59/mo for 2 courses (6cr)

WGU Academy - $150/mo, no limit on number of courses
- looks like they have limited courses, good way to get Communications (Speech), Sociology, and CompTIA A+ Certs if you care to get those
- only do if you know you can finish 2+ courses in a month

After this, you should have some $$ saved up to take the more expensive options.

Good luck! And if you need a degree plan, we can help you with that, so that you don't waste a single dime or minute fulfilling your dream.

[HogwartsSchool]

Hello all, my dream is to get a degree at COSC to prove to myself and family that I can still accomplish my life goal even though I am disabled. 

I have looked at straighteline, study.com, sophia, etc, but 199 a month at study or 99 a month is just not doable on my fixed income. 

I'm not sure about Saylor as allot of the classes there have expired and they will not answer my emails. 

Modern States is only free for the first few thousand, plus I live in a rural area to far from CLEP centers. Wish I could do some proctoring. 

I could afford 100 a month maximum. 

Any advice as to how I can start earning at least my general education credits toward COSC for around 100 a month would be very much appropriated. I wish straighterline would just let you take all the courses for the flat 99 a month without charging extra for the courses.

What state are you located in?

Recommendation.
1. Fill out a FAFSA
2. Register for two courses at a community college (you will qualify for part-time enrollment).
3. The important part. Request COA (cost of attendance for room/board/travel/misc) at the CC. It varies, at WGU, its $600/month, while CC in California is $1500/month+ during the semester. You can still receive room/board/travel/misc even if you take the courses online.
4. You should qualify for a pell grant, part time at CC, $1500 per semester (don't have to pay back because its a grant).
5. Accept Federal Student Aid loan for COA during the semester at CC.
6. Use COA funds to take courses at SL, SDC, etc.
7. Create application at Big 3, transfer credit.
8. Repeat. FAFSA. Process again. Secure. COA, Pell Grant.
9. Graduate with a degree.
10. You will have a student loan, payable 6 months after you graduate.
11. Change to 20 / year repayment plan. Based on low income. Your payments will probably be less than $10/month.
12. File college education expenses when you file your taxes and receive $1,000 back from the IRS.

[davewill]

You might want to apply for some of the Study.com scholarships:
https://study.com/pages/Academic_Awards_Home.html

[Ideas]

Saylor is fine. Worst case you don't pass and try again. But from their practice exam you should have a good idea of how the real final exam will be. (Except for a couple of their tech courses which should be avoided.)

Also I know you said it's hard to get to a CLEP center, but I'd try to do that at least once (unless you get bad test anxiety), especially if your degree needs a certain subject covered by CLEP. Through Modern States it's literally free. You pay the test center fee then get reimbursed by check, but it's free, besides your travel costs. Some CLEP exams give 6 credits instead of just 3. So if you can possibly manage 2 exams on the same trip to the test center, you could get 9 or 12 credits total, for only the travel costs. (Modern States doesn't really teach the material. You have to have prior knowledge or get a book to self-study from.)

[carsonallen77]

First, you didn't say what degree you wanted.

I can't decide which degree I want to peruse yet. I wold like to knock out general education classes while I am deciding. 

GOALS
Get an associates in something that would allow me to apply for a position with the I.R.S., Social Security Administration, something in Federal or State Government as I could qualify for section A non competitive job offer. Hopefully, I could get some  kind of employer paid tuition and complete a bachelor degree. 

Then of course the ultimate goal would be a Masters from a B&M

Thank you for the detailed reply will use the info for sure. 

---

Thank You all for the help, will keep everyone updated. For some reason I did not get email notification of replies to my OP. Will have to check that out in the settings.

---

Hello all, my dream is to get a degree at COSC to prove to myself and family that I can still accomplish my life goal even though I am disabled. 

I have looked at straighteline, study.com, sophia, etc, but 199 a month at study or 99 a month is just not doable on my fixed income. 

I'm not sure about Saylor as allot of the classes there have expired and they will not answer my emails. 

Modern States is only free for the first few thousand, plus I live in a rural area to far from CLEP centers. Wish I could do some proctoring. 

I could afford 100 a month maximum. 

Any advice as to how I can start earning at least my general education credits toward COSC for around 100 a month would be very much appropriated. I wish straighterline would just let you take all the courses for the flat 99 a month without charging extra for the courses.

What state are you located in?

Recommendation.
1. Fill out a FAFSA
2. Register for two courses at a community college (you will qualify for part-time enrollment).
3. The important part. Request COA (cost of attendance for room/board/travel/misc) at the CC. It varies, at WGU, its $600/month, while CC in California is $1500/month+ during the semester. You can still receive room/board/travel/misc even if you take the courses online.
4. You should qualify for a pell grant, part time at CC, $1500 per semester (don't have to pay back because its a grant).
5. Accept Federal Student Aid loan for COA during the semester at CC.
6. Use COA funds to take courses at SL, SDC, etc.
7. Create application at Big 3, transfer credit.
8. Repeat. FAFSA. Process again. Secure. COA, Pell Grant.
9. Graduate with a degree.
10. You will have a student loan, payable 6 months after you graduate.
11. Change to 20 / year repayment plan. Based on low income. Your payments will probably be less than $10/month.
12. File college education expenses when you file your taxes and receive $1,000 back from the IRS.
 
Thank You, I am in the State of Utah. There is a JR College in my town called Snow College. I think I might be able to get Vocational Rehab to help pay for some education without FASFA.  I am all ready on an income based repayment plan for a few terms I took ten years ago. I only passed one class, but spent the money. However, I was diagnosed with learning issues and given federal accommodations such as extra testing time and such. 

I do prefer online work to classroom study, but I just noticed Snow has an all online Associates of Science in Business or Gen Ed that can be done all online. Going to set an appointment with the Voc Rehab ASAP. 

[davewill]

You may also want to check out New Mexico Junior College (https://www.nmjc.edu/community/distance_...index.aspx). The out of state tuition at NM colleges is lower than many states' in state tuition, and they will do federal student aid.

[armstrongsubero]

You can check out University of the People, Ashworth College, Penn Foster, California Coast University and Nations University.

They are nationally accredited and provide good payment plans for people like you on a budget. Between those you will find something you want to pursue.