Newbie Trying To Figure It Out - With Some Weird Issues

[lumdogg]

Hello – I've been lurking for awhile and doing a lot of searches. I'm learning a lot, but have some specifics that set my path in a slightly different direction. Here is my situation:

I am a widowed spouse of an active duty military member and because of that I am now granted those post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. I can also receive a monthly housing allowance while attending school with a couple of caveats.

To receive 100% of the BAH allowance:
- I must take a full course load of 12 credits minimum per semester
- I must take at least one class per semester in the classroom (not online)

I would like to complete a degree in 12-18 months max using a combination of testing, Learning Counts/SECO, online and live courses. I debated posting this in the Military Forum but I felt the General Forum was so active and creative, you would be the team to help me out.

I am basically starting from scratch. I took a few classes so long ago I don't believe anyone would give me credit for them (approx 20 years ago).

So I think I need to:
- figure out a degree plan where these limitations help me reach my goal rather than hinder it
- choose a program/school that I will eventually get my degree from (right?)
- choose one class per semester to take live - probably from a local community college
- choose classes to take online to get me to my 12 credits per semester - also from a local cc
- choose tests to slot in so I can stay on track for my 12-18 month goal

I don't care what my degree is in – my background is marketing/branding. I am fortunate to have a fantastic resume and experience – I know that will go much further in helping me to land a job when I am ready to return to the workforce. This is so that spot on my resume where it says Education will finally have a BA or BS and name of an institution listed.

Am I crazy to try this? Is it possible? Thank you so much for tackling this challenge. I appreciate it greatly.

[dfrecore]

First of all, I'm sorry for your loss. Secondly, I'm really glad you are taking advantage of the GI Bill and pursuing your education. Third, you can definitely use your old credits towards a degree; I took classes in 1988, and TESU accepted them with no problems at all (and when they didn't put a couple of the classes where I thought they should go, I just called the school and asked for the green sheets for those classes, they went back to 1988, pulled the sheets, and scanned and emailed them to me!! TESU put them where I wanted.).

I know nothing about using the GI Bill, so I can't help you with that part. But I can tell you a few things:
1) keep reading these forums; I know a LOT about getting a degree at TESU, and I STILL learn new things all the time
2) things are constantly changing - new sources of credit are found all the time, and people are so great here about letting the rest of us know
3) spending some time researching before making any final decisions about which degree you want to get is not only ok, it's a good idea. Better to spend a month or two up front gathering info to make an informed decision than making a hasty decision

Probably the easiest/fastest/cheapest degree you can get is the TESU BSBA in General Management degree. BUT, that does not mean that it's the best plan for YOU. Look at the degree and see if those classes actually interest you, and see if you still want to work in marketing/branding. If you do, you should really keep a BSBA (from any of the 3 schools) in mind. The only reason I prefer TESU over the others is cost; the capstone can be tested out of.

Anyway, good luck, and keep on reading. And ask as many questions as you need.

Others will pipe in with more info, including the GI Bill for you.

[Leherself]

First off, I'm very sorry for your loss. I hope you're doing well.


As far as being able to maximally leverage the GI Bill, I highly recommend Excelsior. For the purpose of VA certification, UExcel exams (if you take them as part of an approved degree program that you're admitted into) count as online courses. Here's their VA benefits faq: Excelsior College | Veterans FAQ

When I was still enrolled at Excelsior, for several semesters in a row I would enroll in 3-4 exams (9-12 credits), plus one approved course at a local school (sciences are a good one to take locally, but it really just depends on what you need). Then I also took additional CLEP & DSST exams to round out my other degree requirements - these you'd have to pay for out of pocket, and they don't count toward your enrollment for GI Bill purposes. You could also use Straighterline, Study.com, etc. - any of the other numerous options for credit talked about on this board.

The difficulty I found with Excelsior is that they use an 8 week online class format which I found very challenging to juggle with a full time work schedule. YMMV. Also, the only majors I'd really recommend if you want to finish quickly are the liberal arts major, and the general business major. Both require a capstone course taken from Excelsior.

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Alternatively, TESU is also a great option if you're interested in taking more online classes than exams. TESU in my experience has a better selection. They also have the Guided Study course options (no discussion boards, you're pretty much self-paced so long as you complete class requirements in the 12 week semester).

As far as I know, TECEPs can be paid for by the GI Bill, but I don't believe they count toward your rate of pursuit for the purposes of the housing stipend. (Anyone else? Correct me if I'm wrong here). TESU can be a little more difficult to communicate with in general also, which might be a factor for you if you want to take a decent number of local courses.

TESU has several majors that are quite a bit more flexible than Excelsior's (in that there are a lot more ways to test out of them or get alternative credit in other ways). Their BSBA in General Management capstone is available as a TECEP also, if you don't want to have to fiddle with taking a capstone course.

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I don't have any experience with COSC.

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You could also look into your local school - whichever that is. Some brick and mortar colleges are surprisingly flexible - many take exams for credit (not as much as one of the big three, but for instance my school will take as many as 90 CLEP/DSST credits), and lots of traditional colleges now offer online classes. Don't discount a traditional four year university without looking into it first.

Good luck!

[mastranios]

As far as I know, TECEPs can be paid for by the GI Bill, but I don't believe they count toward your rate of pursuit for the purposes of the housing stipend. (Anyone else? Correct me if I'm wrong here).
Good luck!

I confirmed this with a veteran advisor today, the GI bill will pay for them but they will not count towards housing.

[mednat]

I confirmed this with a veteran advisor today, the GI bill will pay for them but they will not count towards housing.

It may be worth looking at COSC. They are known to create articulation agreements with schools that would allow you to take classes locally to fullfill your BAH, while still testing out of other requirements.

[mastranios]

It may be worth looking at COSC. They are known to create articulation agreements with schools that would allow you to take classes locally to fullfill your BAH, while still testing out of other requirements.

I am going to have to confirm again, I think I may have been wrong in my last post.

Just now looking back at my old email and the advisor said the following.

TECEP courses do count as enrolled credit toward your BAH.

Sorry!

[GoodYellowDogs]

I used 40 year old credits to get my degree through Excelsior.

[davewill]

Mine were only slightly newer. Was that Mesa College in San Diego? (I don't actually think there's another) Same place I went!

[clep3705]

I used 40 year old credits to get my degree through Excelsior.

Lucky you! After all, things have changed since then. Pluto was still a planet. Avogadro's number was a different number. There were only two elemental forms of carbon - fullerenes and graphene were unknown. Freud was still revered by academicians. The periodic table had fewer elements. The tongue had different zones for different tastes. Humans had five senses.

[davewill]

Lucky you! After all, things have changed since then. ...

Don't forget that our computers were made of stone, and that everyone had pet dinosaurs...