Need help getting started... ready to get a degree

[rachel83az]

COSC: capstone & cornerstone - $2514, 24 credits from TEL/ONU/ASU - approx $1800. Total: (not counting Sophia or Study.com), technology fee - $75 per semester, student services fee per semester - $295, graduation fee - $225: $4909

Excelsior (7 credits): capstone/cornerstone/whatever the other one is - $3570, per credit technology fees - $140, enrollment fee - $1095, graduation fee - $495. Total: $5300. If enrolled longer than 1 year, add $495.

Excelsior (13 credits - partner pricing): 13 credits - $5330, per credit technology fees - $140, enrollment fee - $0, graduation fee - $260. Total: $5730. If enrolled for longer than 1 year and take fewer than 6 credits at Excelsior, add $225.

TESU: capstone & cornerstone - $3114, residency waiver fee - $3192, 24 credits from TEL/ONU/ASU - approx. $1800, graduation fee - $298. Total (not counting Sophia or Study.com): about $8500.

Both COSC and TESU require that you have at least 30 credits from a non-alternate credit source. This can be a community college, a university, TECEPs, or UExcel exams. The capstone and cornerstone count towards this, so you only need a total of 24 credits from another collegiate source. Excelsior does not have this requirement.

[LevelUP]

If you do the TESU flat-rate tuition, that reduces your costs a bunch:
$4636 TESU flat rate (16 credits)
$600 (9 credits TEL or 9 credits TECEP)
$288 graduation fee

$5524 Total

The CLEP's people usually do with very little if any studying are the English Comp (6cr) and the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature.  

The other CLEPs it's a matter of taking the practice test for free at Modern States and if you can score around 70% or better, you should pass them NP.  These tests you can pass if you have previous knowledge of the subjects.  You can check to see if there is any low-hanging fruit.

[dfrecore]

In addition to all of the above, I also like Saylor Academy. Not all courses are eligible for college credit, but they are clearly labeled.  They could fill in some of he gaps that Sophia doesn’t cover.  Tests are $25 each.

Saylor is pretty unpopular here - lots of bad results (my husband is one).  I don't recommend these unless you KNOW you can pass an exam without studying, and even then, depending on the exam, it's iffy.  Some of their exams and materials are just plain terrible.

There is not anything they cover that count be found elsewhere for less hassle.

Not trying to slap you down, just letting you know.  If this was a great option, after all these years, people would be recommending them left and right.  Instead, we pretty much ignore them.

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OP, since you're in CA, CC courses are $46/cr, so that's a great option if you opt for COSC or TESU.

If you want an AA at one of the Big 3, then your only good choice is COSC; they only require the cornerstone +12cr of RA, then 45cr from alternative credit. Then you'd go onto the BA. EC's AA costs the same as a BA, so way too expensive. TESU charges the Residency Waiver of $3200 for an AA or BA, so that's not a great option.

I would probably do the [Sophia (all)] and [Study.com Bio + Lab plus an additional course] >> UMPI route with the BLS w/Management minor (or whatever minor you want). That will probably be the cheapest and fastest option. One nice thing is that you can do Sophia quickly to test yourself and make sure that you are up for the competency-based program. If you find that you're going fairly slowly through Sophia, it's very easy to switch to one of the Big 3 instead.

[Poetic light]

Ricke95126 - I also do better with goals and reaching each milestone before moving onto the next one!  We're probably the same age (I'm in my mid 40's now) and we probably like to do things step by step, in orderly fashion.  I recommended to do an Associates and Bachelors from the Big 3 and then move onto a competency based Masters afterwards... the main reason is, if "life" happens, you don't have to worry about paying by a flat-rate "semester or term" and cramming your courses into weeks.

I agree with collecting credits from different ACE/NCCRS sources as well, that is where I usually recommend Sophia.org for Lower Level and Study.com for Upper Level requirements for the Big 3.  Depending on the college/university, I would recommend Coopersmith, Davar, Onlinedegree, for Excelsior/TESU, but for COSC, they no longer accept NCCRS sources, so skip these if you're going for COSC.

I love learning using various providers, CLEP are now available FREE using ModernStates, if you have an open test center somewhere nearby, this is a great option.  But Sophia.org would be my go to for lower level as they recently leapfrogged both StraighterLine and Study.com to be my number 1 recommendation, for the cost, ease, and speed to finish - $79/month for two courses at a time - all you can cram into that month subscription!

I was curious, do you have tuition assistance/reimbursement from work?  Are you more into taking courses or exams?  If you don't have a limited budget, I would suggest TESU.  If you're strapped for cash, COSC.  If you want the least amount of work, then Excelsior College..

I do much better with online courses with exams at the end of each section, or knowledge check. I hate proctored exams. Yes we're about the same age and I'm guessing same stage in life,  I believe there is a c l e p testing center nearby that's open but if Sophia is the better deal and faster I'm all about that. I understood Sophia was just under lower division course work? 

What is the cost difference between the three schools?

I've also heard about the option of transferring into a traditional State School, University of Arizona UMass Amherst, enter school name here. etc online programs to finish the last 30 units aside from cost are there any other benefits to the big three? 

Thanks in advance

If you want lots of knowledge checks, then do study.com.  They have a quiz at the end of lessons and practice exams for each chapter.

[gods6monkeys]

Does anyone know the cost to transfer the Olivet Nazarene University credits to another school?

[rachel83az]

Does anyone know the cost to transfer the Olivet Nazarene University credits to another school?

You can order transcripts here: https://www.olivet.edu/transcript-requests
Transcripts themselves appear to be $5: https://catalog.olivet.edu/content.php?c...ranscripts

[MrPanda]

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