When should I enroll at TESC?

[Craftypepper]

Hi everyone! I am brand new here and really excited. I am currently a student at American Public University and, while I have enjoyed my time there, have decided to leave at the end of my current semester and finish up my degree through testing in order to avoid more student loan debt.

My question for the moment is if I should go ahead and enroll in TESC while testing? I am wanting to take some TECEP exams, but will also CLEP, DSST, and ECE. The main issue I'm facing is that I don't have any idea what tests I need to take due to how varied my completed credits are...no clue how they will fall on TESC's degree plan (I'm just going for BA Liberal Studies with a Psychology focus).

Any advice? I'm still eligible for Pell Grants and it would be nice to hold off my loans from coming as well so that I can devote more money to testing (though I still plan on paying what I can on them while in school). Thanks so much in advance and I am happy to be here!

[cookderosa]

I thought APUS was almost as generous with testing credit as TESC, are you sure there is an advantage? TESC has an enrollment fee and with their new tuition options, I'm not sure you're going to save money.

EDIT: I stand corrected. I see that they are only allowing 30 for a bachelor's degree, the 91 transfer allowance is for traditional credit earned. I will make a suggestion since your goal is no debt, you can enroll in CHEAP community college classes online (there are many) and transfer to APUS using your Pell Grant money. With the exception of the APUS residency, I think you can do this for nothing out of pocket. What's Accepted-Undergraduate

[rebel100]

Not to upset the TESC fan club...but if your looking for a liberal studies degree save yourself a few grand and do it at Charter Oak State College....there are ways to stretch your PELL grant money over there too.

It would be helpful to know what courses you've completed too.

[anonymouse]

I have been wondering the same thing. From all the info I have found, it seems better to hold off until you are less than a year from graduation to enroll in TESC, seeing as the yearly enrollment is $3000. Here are charts to show how TESC will translate your credits and how the school classifies different classes:
http://degreeplanners.com/media/TESC_Equivalencies.pdf
General Education Courses
BA in Liberal Studies Degree at Thomas Edison State College

xx
Belle

[mrs.b]

A year or two ago, TESC was the go-to school for individuals who planned to test out of or transfer all credits, OR take a substantial number of courses from the school (comp tuition). They have significantly hiked the enrollment fee over the past two years, though, making it a less competitive choice for those looking to save money. (Still a great option for military or individuals where money is not a primary concern.)

If you're a NJ resident it may still be a competitive option, but if not, COSC, Excelsior in some cases, or the new option of North Arizona U's Competency-based program deserve hard looks before financially committing to TESC. While it is the alma mater of many on the forum, that's because many here got in prior to the price hikes and degree requirement changes.

[Craftypepper]

Thanks for the input, everyone! The downfall of APU is that they did not accept about 24 credits I received from an NCCRS-accredited program, but TESC will. I will check into COSC and Excelsior and see if they do the same. With the NCCRS credits I only need 35 more credits to finish, otherwise it would be a whole lot more.

[cookderosa]

So, here's what you need to calculate in order to see if this is cost effective- the 24 credits that TESC accepts may or may not actually be useful in your degree plan. For instance, lets say you hypothetically earned 120 credits in math from an accredited source, and TESC will accept all of those credits. The problem, is that there are no degree plans allowing for 120 credits of math. All degrees require an appropriate distribution (English, social science, science, etc) so while they are accepted, they won't be used. So, if your 24 credits are in an area that is considered a free elective, this is not a gain, because COSC and TESC will accept FEMA ($0) in that slot. If those credits are in your major, then this could be a huge cost-advantage for you. It depends on the specifics of what you have, and what you need for the degree you pursue.
People here can help you sort this out, you just need to provide a bit more info. What degree are you seeking? What are the NCCRS credits? What have you already taken?

[rebel100]

COSC definitely accepts NCCRS courses...though as cook said that may or may not help you...what are you trying to accomplish and what are you bringing in as credits?

[Craftypepper]

I am hoping for a BA in Liberal Arts. I have most of my gen ed classes done and a lot of Psychology Courses. The 24 other credits are Theatre. I have 95 credits total.

[Sterling Archer]

How many more CLEP/DSST are you planning to take? I have 96 credits atm and I'm planning on taking 4 more DSSTs to take me to 108. Then I will be registering for the September term to take my final 12 credits.

If you need some 300/400 level psych courses, Organizational behavior and Fundamentals of Counseling DSST are both Upper Level