easiest way to earn a degree from home...?

[gingermama]

I have 6 or 9 credits that will most likely transfer as electives from around 20 years ago, so idk if they'll even still transfer. I am looking to get my bachelors in business with either a marketing, management, communications, or even possibly computer concentration. The issue is that I have 6 children and homeschool so taking CLEP or DSST exams or other out of the house exams is very difficult.  I also keep putting off just getting started and need to just START but I need to figure out a solid plan and do it. I'm wondering what the easiest and most cost effective way to start is... preferably taking courses through Saylor/study dot com/davar/etc where I can take as many tests at home and earn credit that way.  Can anyone help me figure this out? And I was wondering if the $200 a month for study dot com allows me to take tests for credit on multiple courses each month or only one...? same with Davar?  And does anyone have multiple degree plans to let me download and peruse?

ETA I think I posted this in the wrong sub thread... going to post in the correct one

[allvia]

Welcome, you're in the right place for guidance and a business degree is one of the most common degrees here.  The forum wiki is a great place to start - https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Degree_Forum_Wiki

[PrettyFlyforaChiGuy]

I'm going to recommend knocking out some of the free, relatively simple credits out of the way first, so you can get a feel for online learning while still working toward your degree.

1. Register at Sophia.org and take one of their two free 1-credit courses. Should only take you a few hours to complete.
2. Take the other free Sophia course. You will get a $50-off coupon in your e-mail for another Sophia.org course. Use it to complete their 1-credit Student Success course for free, completing three credits totally for free.
3. Begin work on the free TEEX course(s) in cyber security for nonprofessionals/professionals.
4. Take the free Institutes 2-credit course in Ethics.
5. Register a free account on ACE, and transfer in any completed credits. This can be done at any step in the process, actually.
6. For your first paid course, maybe consider the 3-credit, $39 CSM "everyday math" course. It should also be done in 5-10 hours.
7. At this point, you should have at least 10 credits already done for free, and depending on your transfers/how deep you go into TEEX coursework, maybe up to 25ish. If you find that you may have access to CLEP after all, you can do several exams for free through Modern States exam vouchers.
8. Either way, using your degree plan as a guide, begin branching out further into Study.com, Sophia, Saylor, etc. to complete the courses you need and get rolling.

You can mix up these steps any way you want, really, but the process is meant to help you accumulate credits for free and wean into online learning. Consider what might work in your circumstances.

[dfrecore]

Some other tips:

1. The Institutes course is now 3cr
2. Don't get bogged down with the TEEX courses - if they are too difficult to get through, move on and pass up those "free" but tedious credits. I have zero because it was dragging me down too much.
3. If you're good at math, do ALEKS instead of CMS learn. It's $20/mo, and you can conceivably complete 3 courses in a month (College Algebra, Trig, and Statistics).
4. If you're not good at math, you might want to get better by doing Khan Academy first.
5. Consider doing Modern States for the free CLEP-prep, and then taking multiple exams in a day
6. Consider doing MS and then taking Saylor exams ($25/course) - some Saylor courses are a drag, but you aren't required to actually take them to take the proctored exams for credit.
7. Take OnlineDegree courses, they are free, and then it's $9/final exam - although WGU won't take these
8. Consider spending a bit more on courses that aren't given a monthly deadline. Ed4Credit, Sophia are 2 that will work, if you can get coupons for them especially.
9. Save your "timed" membership monthly courses for when you've gotten some credits under your belt and have proven to yourself that you can get courses done in a timely manner. I personally am not great with the month thing, and have overpaid for things because of it. I'd wait to do those.

Last but not least, almost any school in the country will take 20yo credits, that's not a problem. The only issue may be if your credits are in your major, but I'm guessing these are going to be gen ed courses. If you list them, we can tell you what they'll come in as.

[gingermama]

Some other tips:

1. The Institutes course is now 3cr
2. Don't get bogged down with the TEEX courses - if they are too difficult to get through, move on and pass up those "free" but tedious credits.  I have zero because it was dragging me down too much.
3. If you're good at math, do ALEKS instead of CMS learn.  It's $20/mo, and you can conceivably complete 3 courses in a month (College Algebra, Trig, and Statistics).
4. If you're not good at math, you might want to get better by doing Khan Academy first.
5. Consider doing Modern States for the free CLEP-prep, and then taking multiple exams in a day
6. Consider doing MS and then taking Saylor exams ($25/course) - some Saylor courses are a drag, but you aren't required to actually take them to take the proctored exams for credit.
7. Take OnlineDegree courses, they are free, and then it's $9/final exam - although WGU won't take these
8. Consider spending a bit more on courses that aren't given a monthly deadline.  Ed4Credit, Sophia are 2 that will work, if you can get coupons for them especially.
9. Save your "timed" membership monthly courses for when you've gotten some credits under your belt and have proven to yourself that you can get courses done in a timely manner.  I personally am not great with the month thing, and have overpaid for things because of it.  I'd wait to do those.

Last but not least, almost any school in the country will take 20yo credits, that's not a problem.  The only issue may be if your credits are in your major, but I'm guessing these are going to be gen ed courses.  If you list them, we can tell you what they'll come in as.

Thank you! I appreciate those tips! I think I downloaded a marketing degree plan from you that has helped me lay out a few things in my own spreadsheet. I will look into online degree, I haven't yet. I can't recall what the courses are called, but they were awarded during training for a job with Discover Card in their call center years ago.  A few years ago I looked into going to school at Capella online and they said they would transfer as gen ed electives

[dfrecore]

Some other tips:

1. The Institutes course is now 3cr
2. Don't get bogged down with the TEEX courses - if they are too difficult to get through, move on and pass up those "free" but tedious credits.  I have zero because it was dragging me down too much.
3. If you're good at math, do ALEKS instead of CMS learn.  It's $20/mo, and you can conceivably complete 3 courses in a month (College Algebra, Trig, and Statistics).
4. If you're not good at math, you might want to get better by doing Khan Academy first.
5. Consider doing Modern States for the free CLEP-prep, and then taking multiple exams in a day
6. Consider doing MS and then taking Saylor exams ($25/course) - some Saylor courses are a drag, but you aren't required to actually take them to take the proctored exams for credit.
7. Take OnlineDegree courses, they are free, and then it's $9/final exam - although WGU won't take these
8. Consider spending a bit more on courses that aren't given a monthly deadline.  Ed4Credit, Sophia are 2 that will work, if you can get coupons for them especially.
9. Save your "timed" membership monthly courses for when you've gotten some credits under your belt and have proven to yourself that you can get courses done in a timely manner.  I personally am not great with the month thing, and have overpaid for things because of it.  I'd wait to do those.

Last but not least, almost any school in the country will take 20yo credits, that's not a problem.  The only issue may be if your credits are in your major, but I'm guessing these are going to be gen ed courses.  If you list them, we can tell you what they'll come in as.

Thank you! I appreciate those tips! I think I downloaded a marketing degree plan from you that has helped me lay out a few things in my own spreadsheet. I will look into online degree, I haven't yet. I can't recall what the courses are called, but they were awarded during training for a job with Discover Card in their call center years ago.  A few years ago I looked into going to school at Capella online and they said they would transfer as gen ed electives

If they're ACE, then they will probably work in Free Electives at TESU, Non-Liberal-Arts at COSC/EC, and probably won't work at all at WGU (they don't have electives).

[cookderosa]

I breastfed my youngest in my lap while studying for the Human Growth and Development CLEP. I had 4 littles, we were homeschooling, so I understand your situation well. Further, CLEPs weren't free when I did it, so I had to also budget them in - I did that by saving coins in a jar. When I hit $60 (the cost at that time) I took a test. Had a yard sale, sold stuff on Craigslist, etc. I moved at the speed of budget. But you can absolutely do it. The ACE options available now make it possible to earn at least your first 90 credits for about $3000 or less. You can do it as fast or as slowly as you want- and you can for sure do it at home. I would still encourage you to think about CLEP for the simple fact that the cost is $0 and they are exceptionally more passable than Saylor. DSST shouldn't be ruled out (not free) because it's another pass/fail opportunity for upper-level credit.

I would say to request your old transcript - and to start earning a little credit. The likelihood of it "not" fitting into any degree you choose is almost zero- take time to try a few and see what you like. For me, it was CLEP. I felt like I found a hidden doorway - but it might be something else for you- might be Studycom or something else. Get a little taste of how it will be, earning credit, and get a little traction with a few credits under your belt- all the while being a student here. Reading the archives, and you'll be on track in no time.

PS the investment in LEARNING THE PROCESS has the potential for you to usher each of your children through the path of a debt-free college degree. That's what my initial motivation was, and it snowballed into a little more, but if you can get 6 kids through college this way, you've saved your family over a million dollars and given your kids an exceptional gift.

[gingermama]

Some other tips:

1. The Institutes course is now 3cr

When I go to the website to sign up, which course do I take?  they offer:
Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals or 
Ethics and the CPCU Code of Professional Conduct

[Ssorck]

Some other tips:

1. The Institutes course is now 3cr

When I go to the website to sign up, which course do I take?  they offer:
Ethical Guidelines for Insurance Professionals or 
Ethics and the CPCU Code of Professional Conduct

I'm new here too - first post! And have the same question as gingermama - I assume it is the CPCU course?

Also curious if anyone knows if this course is transferable and fulfills the Ethics requirement at Excelsior & COSC?

[gingermama]

I breastfed my youngest in my lap while studying for the Human Growth and Development CLEP.  I had 4 littles, we were homeschooling, so I understand your situation well.  Further, CLEPs weren't free when I did it, so I had to also budget them in - I did that by saving coins in a jar.  When I hit $60 (the cost at that time) I took a test.  Had a yard sale, sold stuff on Craigslist, etc.  I moved at the speed of budget.  But you can absolutely do it.  The ACE options available now make it possible to earn at least your first 90 credits for about $3000 or less.  You can do it as fast or as slowly as you want- and you can for sure do it at home.  I would still encourage you to think about CLEP for the simple fact that the cost is $0 and they are exceptionally more passable than Saylor.  DSST shouldn't be ruled out (not free) because it's another pass/fail opportunity for upper-level credit.

I would say to request your old transcript - and to start earning a little credit.  The likelihood of it "not" fitting into any degree you choose is almost zero- take time to try a few and see what you like. For me, it was CLEP. I felt like I found a hidden doorway - but it might be something else for you- might be Studycom or something else.  Get a little taste of how it will be, earning credit, and get a little traction with a few credits under your belt- all the while being a student here. Reading the archives, and you'll be on track in no time.

PS the investment in LEARNING THE PROCESS has the potential for you to usher each of your children through the path of a debt-free college degree.  That's what my initial motivation was, and it snowballed into a little more, but if you can get 6 kids through college this way, you've saved your family over a million dollars and given your kids an exceptional gift.  

Thank you!  This is actually one of the things I'm planning to do. i'm in your homeschooling for college credit facebook groups!  

I did get an unofficial transcript and here is what they say, from Rio Salado College in AZ
They were earned during training for a job in the Discover Card call center in 2002

CSI148: Credit Card Balance Transfer 3.00cr B
CSI149: Credit Card Bal Tran Lab 3.00cr B