When to enroll at TESC?

[kb4ns1]

Hi all. I've really enjoyed all the good info/advice on this forum. I have a question that I haven't really been able to answer in my research on here. Can you enroll at TESC (on the "pay per credit" plan) and not actually start taking courses from TESC for a while? The reason I ask is because I have somewhat of a plan laid out that doesn't include a science lab (I'm terrible in science and want to avoid a lab if at all possible). Reading some posts, it seems that folks think TESC might make the move to requiring a science with a lab soon. If I enroll now (the way I understand it), I can lock into the current catalog and not have to worry about future changes. But I still have a handful of Gen Ed classes that I want to do before starting stuff with TESC. So can I enroll now to "lock in" to the current catalog and keep doing Straighterline/CLEP/DSST stuff for a few months? Or will they expect me to be actively doing something with TESC as soon as I apply?

(BTW, I'm aware that I'll likely end up having to pay ACE to send my current transcript now and then pay them again later if other courses [SL, etc.] are added after I apply with TESC.)

[kb4ns1]

I may have found an answer on TESC's website (under the Degree Programs FAQ). It says:

"How do I enroll? After you have applied and are accepted, select the tuition plan that fits your needs. Once you pay your tuition, you may register for courses at any time through our Online Student Services portal. Your application and fee is valid for six months from the date of your acceptance letter."

So, if I am reading that correctly, that means that I can apply now and I basically have 6 months that I can stall before picking a tuition package and register for TESC courses. But if I was to do that today, am I "locked in" to this current catalog? Or would I not be locked into anything util I select a tuition plan and register?

[dfrecore]

When you apply, you lock in the catalog that's current at that time. With TESC, the cutoff is July 1, so you can enroll before July 1 of 2016 and lock this catalog in. You are considered "enrolled" in the Per-Credit tuition plan 10 days after the start of the term in which you sign up for a TECEP.

If you're not ready to enroll yet, there's good news for the lab - there was just a post on here about at Human Nutrition lab at Rio Salado CC: http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...ourse.html. Perfect for those who need a lab but don't want to take Bio or Chem.

If I were you, I would enroll when you're a lot closer to the cutoff and have a lot of credits. You will want to see where you stand, but it's much easier to do that when you have a lot of credits for TESC to evaluate (plus it costs less if you don't have to keep sending updated transcripts). The only issue is that you can't take TECEP's until you enroll, so you can either put them off, or else enroll when you're ready to start taking them.

[kb4ns1]

Awesome. That is so helpful, thank you dfrecore! I think what made me nervous was seeing the change from 6 credits to 3 credits for the CLEP A&I Literature which happened rather abruptly (between catalogs) and with no notice. I was worried that they might would do the same thing for a lab requirement! I'm gonna go look at that other thread about the course w/ lab now!