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+--- Thread: Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" (/Thread-Excelsior-UExcel-Exam-Fees-Rise-but-Now-There-s-a-Value-Plan)
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - KayV - 07-22-2016
It's a fairly good deal when you need those credits specifically- it's one of the exams that New York State uses for pedagogical core credits, and you can use it in Ohio for part of your long-term sub license, for example. If you just need 6 UL credits though, two DSSTs or TECEPs can be had for ~$250.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - Exfactor - 07-22-2016
dfrecore Wrote:I didn't realize that test in particular is 6cr - so that would equate to $265 for a 3-cr course/exam. Still not as cheap as other options, but less than PF now.
But the regular 3-cr course fees are high, and you can find most of those courses for less, so unless you really need that course, or a grade, I think EC priced themselves out.
It's not showing on their books yet. Matter of fact the college is still seeing growth, which is why they keep adding more courses because their currently is a high demand for them at the school. Which in comparison to TESU who have cheaper courses and exams; yet still have to be saved by NJ taxpayers to keep the lights on.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - KayV - 07-22-2016
Literacy Instruction seems to be very popular among elementary teachers, so I suspect that price is what the market will bear.
And it is nice that Excelsior is offering a second chance at taking exams with the value package.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - dhillbilly - 07-22-2016
bluebooger Wrote:6 upper level credits for $530 ?
I don't think that's such a bad deal
one multiple choice exam, no papers to write, no forums to post on, no group projects
still sounds like a deal to me
I guess you are right. It's not a bad deal, but increases always just frustrate. I chose to go to Excelsior, so I am guilty of paying more than I had to. I paid for the shorter track and the convenience. I was very happy with Excelsior and their UExcel Exams. That doesn't mean I didn't gripe about the price
Sometimes you just have to pay the money to get it done.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - sanantone - 07-22-2016
Exfactor Wrote:It's not showing on their books yet. Matter of fact the college is still seeing growth, which is why they keep adding more courses because their currently is a high demand for them at the school. Which in comparison to TESU who have cheaper courses and exams; yet still have to be saved by NJ taxpayers to keep the lights on.
I believe Dfrecore was referring to Uexcels and not Excelsior's courses.
TESU is definitely not being saved by NJ taxpayers due to a lack of enrollment. Even though they don't have as many students as Excelsior, they do have more than enough. They have to be saved because of the low tuition rates, especially for in-state students. But, the point of subsidizing colleges and universities is to make them cheaper. Plus, public universities are supposed to have part of their costs covered by taxpayers; otherwise, they wouldn't really be public.
When it comes to courses, Excelsior has not priced themselves out for a number of reasons.
1. They have a lot of military students who pay a discounted rate and have their tuition paid for by the government.
2. They have the only nursing program of its kind, and the total cost is not that bad if you can afford to pay out of pocket. You can't use federal financial aid for the exams and CPE.
3. Excelsior, just like for-profit colleges, attracts students who will pay more than $500 per credit hour because they don't know any better. They see massive advertising campaigns and don't bother with looking for cheaper options.
In the end, Excelsior is not worth $510 per credit hour, but a lot of people don't know that. I'd rather pay less than $300 per credit hour in an online program at an in-state, public university with more name recognition and possibly a higher ranking. I would only utilize Excelsior for testing out.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - dfrecore - 07-22-2016
sanantone Wrote:I believe Dfrecore was referring to Uexcels and not Excelsior's courses.
I was talking specifically about the UExcel's, especially the ones that can be found elsewhere for less. Abnormal Psych is $415 ($355 + $60 testing fee at PearsonVue). You can take it as a TECEP for $114, a Study.com course (plus an additional course) for $199 - coupons, and at TCC for ~ $220.
The only reason you would want to take it through UExcel is to get a grade. Otherwise, it's just not worth the price.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - Exfactor - 07-24-2016
sanantone Wrote:I believe Dfrecore was referring to Uexcels and not Excelsior's courses.
TESU is definitely not being saved by NJ taxpayers due to a lack of enrollment. Even though they don't have as many students as Excelsior, they do have more than enough. They have to be saved because of the low tuition rates, especially for in-state students. But, the point of subsidizing colleges and universities is to make them cheaper. Plus, public universities are supposed to have part of their costs covered by taxpayers; otherwise, they wouldn't really be public.
It doesn't matter under which element TESU is not being "saved" by NJ taxpayers. At the end of the day, the school nets a negative profit, where NJ taxpayers pay the rest of the bill to keep the lights on.
sanantone Wrote:1. They have a lot of military students who pay a discounted rate and have their tuition paid for by the government.
TESU also has a significant military population.
sanantone Wrote:2. They have the only nursing program of its kind, and the total cost is not that bad if you can afford to pay out of pocket. You can't use federal financial aid for the exams and CPE.
This is a logical position.
sanantone Wrote:3. Excelsior, just like for-profit colleges, attracts students who will pay more than $500 per credit hour because they don't know any better. They see massive advertising campaigns and don't bother with looking for cheaper options.
I have seen no massive advertising campaigns projected by Excelsior College; however, I have seen TESU and COSC massive advertising commercials here in Florida, which runs in parts with commercials from the University of Phenoix and Grand Canyon University; which are both For-Profits.
EC which is an online Non-Profit, with a brick and mortar campus in Washington D.C, and soon to be NYC, and is actually priced equivalent, lower and sometimes higher than many private colleges that offer online courses and degrees.
So you honestly think all consumers are stupid, since they "don't know any better," and don't know what they are purchasing? Sure. lol
sanantone Wrote:In the end, Excelsior is not worth $510 per credit hour, but a lot of people don't know that. I'd rather pay less than $300 per credit hour in an online program at an in-state, public university with more name recognition and possibly a higher ranking. I would only utilize Excelsior for testing out.
This is a moot point; considering the fact that the main reason most public institutions offer online degrees and courses is primarily to lower the tuition rates of students who attend courses on-campus. Most of these schools do not care about online education, or other systems of distance learning. Many also separate their online campus from their on-campus and treat them as such. Just looking at your signature, and the degree you earned I can see you received that also online. So can employers.
However, in life you get what you pay for, which is why on this very forum a previous TESC/TESU student was denied entrance into a nursing program; due to a lack of a GPA, and grades on a transcript.
If I had it my way, I would have finished at a brick and mortar institution; and would have avoided the "Big 3" all together.
However, my degree from EC isn't so bad, as it did allow me to get accepted into the clinical psychology program at the University of Florida.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - jsd - 07-24-2016
I can't speak to the other points, but to say that EC doesn't have a massive advertising campaign is disingenuous.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - Exfactor - 07-24-2016
jsd Wrote:I can't speak to the other points, but to say that EC doesn't have a massive advertising campaign is disingenuous.
...And the other schools don't? I have seen TESU and COSC commercial's here in Florida, running back to back with the University of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University, SNHU, and ITT Tech. I have yet to see one EC commercial. The last time I seen one was in 2008/2009 before I even knew or thought I would ever be an alumni of the school.
Excelsior UExcel Exam Fees Rise, but Now There's a "Value Plan" - sanantone - 07-24-2016
Exfactor Wrote:It doesn't matter under which element TESU is not being "saved" by NJ taxpayers. At the end of the day, the school nets a negative profit, where NJ taxpayers pay the rest of the bill to keep the lights on.
Public universities are not supposed to profit. They are designed to take in less money than they need to operate. That is the whole point of having public schools. They are subsidized by taxpayers to keep tuition costs low. The only public universities that could survive without taxpayers are the ones with huge endowments and popular sports teams.
Quote:TESU also has a significant military population.
It does, but I doubt it makes up as much of the student body as it does at Excelsior.
Quote:I have seen no massive advertising campaigns projected by Excelsior College; however, I have seen TESU and COSC massive advertising commercials here in Florida, which runs in parts with commercials from the University of Phenoix and Grand Canyon University; which are both For-Profits.
Before I downloaded an ad-blocker, I saw Excelsior ads everywhere.
Quote:EC which is an online Non-Profit, with a brick and mortar campus in Washington D.C, and soon to be NYC, and is actually priced equivalent, lower and sometimes higher than many private colleges that offer online courses and degrees.
So you honestly think all consumers are stupid, since they "don't know any better," and don't know what they are purchasing? Sure. lol
Yes, they are stupid. Most of the people you hear complaining about large amounts of debt either attended a for-profit or a no-name, non-profit with high tuition rates. If you're going to pay more, there should be a good reason for doing so. It makes sense to pay more at a school that is highly ranked. It does not make sense to pay over $500 per credit hour at some no-name school. Also, at some private colleges and universities, hardly any of their students pay the sticker price due to generous financial aid packages. Excelsior offers some scholarships and discounts, but most of their students aren't getting 50-100% off their tuition as they would at the private schools with huge endowments.
Quote:This is a moot point; considering the fact that the main reason most public institutions offer online degrees and courses is primarily to lower the tuition rates of students who attend courses on-campus. Most of these schools do not care about online education, or other systems of distance learning. Many also separate their online campus from their on-campus and treat them as such. Just looking at your signature, and the degree you earned I can see you received that also online. So can employers.
This whole paragraph is a moot point because it has nothing to do with what I said. No one has come to the conclusion that my masters was earned online. They can tell with TESU if they know I never lived in New Jersey, but I specifically said an "in-state," public university. If I had earned my degree online at Texas State University, no one would be able to tell either. I attended all of my classes on campus, but they do offer online degree programs. There would be absolutely no way an employer could tell the difference since I live down the street from the school. I even commuted 45 minutes to school my first year. However, none of this matters because it was not my point. It makes more sense to pay less at a higher-ranked (or even unranked) school with more name recognition in your area than to pay more than $500 per credit hour at some online, no-name school over 20 hours away. Heck, it makes more sense to pay less at a school like WGU or the for-profit Patten University. It just makes more sense to pay less when your other choice is an unranked school with no local name recognition outside of the military. I'll reiterate that Excelsior is only good for transferring massive amounts of credit, testing out, and their unique nursing program.
Quote:However, in life you get what you pay for, which is why on this very forum a previous TESC/TESU student was denied entrance into a nursing program; due to a lack of a GPA, and grades on a transcript.
That is that person's fault for not looking at the entrance requirements. Taking one course at TESU for a GPA is no different from taking one course at Excelsior for a GPA, so I don't get your point. I have a GPA and needed one to get into my masters and PhD program. Of course, with my PhD, my masters GPA is what was important. If I had completely tested out at Excelsior (Excelsior does not award grades for the revised DSSTs and I try to avoid Uexcels), I would only have a GPA for the capstone just like I would at TESU. If someone chooses to test out of the Strategic Management capstone for TESU's business degree (I believe this is the only bachelor's degree left in which you can graduate without taking any graded courses), then that person will have to deal with any potential consequences of having no graded credits. Also, if a TESU student does decide to take Uexcels, that student generates a GPA on an Excelsior transcript. I had no GPA on my TESU transcript; the overwhelming majority of graduate programs only care about the cumulative GPA and not solely the GPA at the institution awarding the degree.
Quote:If I had it my way, I would have finished at a brick and mortar institution; and would have avoided the "Big 3" all together.
However, my degree from EC isn't so bad, as it did allow me to get accepted into the clinical psychology program at the University of Florida.
Mine isn't so bad either since I also got into a PhD program. But, let's be honest. We both have master's degrees from traditional schools. My reasoning for applying at the Big 3 was to save time and money. If I had to take several courses at any of them, especially Excelsior, it would have defeated that purpose. I could have finished online at a public university in Texas for much less with the exception of TESU's Comprehensive Tuition Program. At the time, and probably still now, TESU's Comprehensive Tuition Plan was not much more expensive than the average, annual tuition at public universities for in-state students.
I haven't seen one television commercial from any of the Big 3, so COSC and TESU obviously don't have a nationwide campaign. You also don't know if Excelsior is advertising on TV in another state. All in all, TESU could turn into a private university like Excelsior did, charge over $500 per credit hour to everyone except for military, and wouldn't need to be bailed out by New Jersey taxpayers. The State of New Jersey has decided to have public colleges and universities so that their residents don't have to pay that much money.