Not sure, but old information may no longer be valid. TESC just went up from 27 to 32 for bachelor degrees, not sure about the associate level. Have you checked the TESC policy book?
FYI generally if you ask TESC questions that are answered in the book, the TESC staff will tell you that you are an adult and they expect you to read the book.
(not being rude, just letting you know what you may run into)
And yeah, it can be very confusing sometimes. I spent 8 hours one Saturday putting my degree plan together. That was after 2-3 weeks of several-hours-a-night studying this forum, other sites, and the TESC catalog and policies, trying to piece it all together.
Those of us testing out are like trapeze artists operating without a net. Exhilirating, but you're kind of on your own...
This forum is the net.