Paying for TEC or Big 3

[cookderosa]

I apologize if I missed the thread but I have not been able to find the direct answer after a considerable amount of lurking here and searching for days.
I am not understanding how people are paying what I calculate 2-3K to transfer credits for a degree at one of the Big 3? Is it just a matter of saving the cash or putting it on Credit Card. I am assuming its due all up front to get your credits and degree transferred.

Great question!
If you have never earned a bachelor's degree, you'll first want to find out if you qualify for a Pell Grant. This is FREE college money awarded to you if you meet income requirements. You'll automatically be checked for this when you fill out the FAFSA student aid information. Everyone should do this, it only takes a minute and it doesn't obligate you to anything! Home - FAFSA on the Web-Federal Student Aid

Your FAFSA will also set you up to take out a student loan if you want. I'll reserve all my motherly "debt-free" lectures, but it's there if you choose to have it. Everyone (except drug offenders) qualify.

If you take federal student aid, any overage is refunded to you. In my case, I used that to pay for my few remaining CLEPs and books. I put the rest in the bank.

I'll also say that we were on a TIGHT and I mean TIGHT budget when I found this site. I had 4 kids and there was no "extra" in the budget for testing. I (literally) would sell something on ebay or craigslist, and then that was my testing money. Want to take another test? Sell more stuff lol. That's exactly what I did for the 6 months that I tested before I enrolled. I funded all my CLEP/DSST exams with cash, through selling stuff, having a yard sale, I even collected cans. I wouldn't have said it at the time, but I'm proud of it now.

Since then, other ideas, including part time jobs, seem to be common here on this board among members. I waited tables and that cash paid for my CLEP fees. I always thought long and hard about signing up for extras like Peterson's tests, because frankly, at $20 per pop, that adds up. Additionally, I tried my hardest to be prepared. Nothing sets a person back like throwing money away (failing). It happened to me once, but never twice.

I didn't use a credit card, and again, I won't try and sound high-and-mighty saying you shouldn't either, but this is an AFFORDABLE path. A motivated person (and you are, or you wouldn't be here!) can find ways to raise bits and pieces of cash to pay for this degree out of pocket. I took out a student loan (I shared that story in another thread) but only because I was about $900 short, so I took the overage, paid my remaining exams/books, and opened a separate savings account. Student loans are not repaid until 6 months after graduation (or taking fewer than 6 credits) so during that 6 months I kept selling stuff and socking away change. On the DAY - literally- that my first payment was due I paid my student loan in full. I can't imagine the burden many carry for 5, 10+ years.

Anyway, I wouldn't enroll until you have a good plan to PAY for your degree. You can do it, it just takes more planning. I'm sure you can do it!!