(06-10-2022, 09:23 AM)rachel83az Wrote: 4 classes in 3 months is very slow for UMPI. You'd need at least 10 classes from UMPI, which would mean it'll take you at least 4 sessions (8 months) to finish at UMPI. That would cost you at least $5600. If you're going even slower, you're potentially looking at 10-12 months ($7000-$8400) for a UMPI degree. Granted, that is still cheaper than a Penn Foster degree, but Vle045 is correct that this may not be the best approach for you.

And I really, really don't think you'll be able to finish a Penn Foster degree in only a few months. They estimate that it'll take at least 2 months per semester, but the average is 6 months per semester. If you look at the total cost breakdown, you'll need AT LEAST 4 semesters. But it could be more, depending on how many of your credits they'll actually accept as being valid towards the degree of your choice. (Looking at what you already have, I'm not sure there's a lot of overlap with what Penn Foster wants.) It looks like you'd also need to take 40-60 exams per semester. If you're not able to finish a WGU degree in one term, there's no way that you'll be able to finish a Penn Foster degree in less than several years.

With the pace you're going, I really think that Excelsior is going to be the right choice for you. You'll be able to fill out most of your credits with Sophia, Davar, and Coopersmith. Davar and Coopersmith are flat-rate: you pay the same amount whether it takes you 1 month to study their courses or 6 months. You could then finish up with courses from SDC.

Excelsior should be slightly cheaper than Penn Foster AND significantly faster. If you were to start from scratch right now, you could get an Excelsior degree with fewer than 40 exams. An entire Penn Foster degree apparently has several hundred exams! Plus an unknown amount of papers. If you're looking for a shortcut, Penn Foster isn't it.

(06-10-2022, 11:48 AM)bjcheung77 Wrote: @OP Sunnydaze, I repeat what I mentioned in post #4...  The template addendum has a few things that you should fill out in a reply, the reason is simple - the more we know your situation the better we can advise you.  From the info in the last few posts, you've come full circle back to "deciding the degree/school" to get you to the Masters.  What hasn't been concretely answered is - the info in the addendum.

For example, your budget is $10K for the Masters, but you have another budget for the Bachelors, we need to know "what that is" so we can either recommend one of the Big 3 such as Excelsior or one of the CBE's such as UMPI to get you that check the box Bachelors.  Depending on your "details", you may have different routes, example, have a "better, more expensive" undergrad and go for the WGU Data Analytics to finish faster.

Basically, you also need a back up plan, what if Eastern doesn't accept you? So, have a backup for your Bachelors and Masters just in case "something" goes wrong and not according to your current plans, by having more details and a backup, you'll be ready to tackle your courses according to that action plan!

(06-10-2022, 04:51 PM)Sunnydaze Wrote: My budget for the Bachelor's is literally as cheap as possible. I emailed WGU's finaid dept for confirmation, so I believe I have under $2000 left in loans - possibly less.  I have about $1000 that I have saved from my tax refund. That's about all I have to work with.

(06-10-2022, 04:51 PM)Sunnydaze Wrote: My budget for the Bachelor's is literally as cheap as possible. I emailed WGU's finaid dept for confirmation, so I believe I have under $2000 left in loans - possibly less.  I have about $1000 that I have saved from my tax refund. That's about all I have to work with. 

As for master's degrees: I did have a few backup plans. EU seems a bit easy to get into, with no math requirements, reference letters,etc.  Another on the list was the similarly priced Georgia Tech's MS in Data Analytics, which does require that stuff and a bit more pre-work. I have to get a bit better with Python. EU teaches that within the program.  

Side note: Purdue University Global's Bachelor's of Professional Studies looks good, too! I think have fallen down a rabbit hole. I wish I knew these things several years ago! (edit: nevermind, now that I look deeper into it. It is way out of my budget. $200/month plus fees for each test!)

Lastly, here are the answers from the link in your first post. (Sorry I missed it. The forum's experience isn't so good on my phone.)
Your Location: NY, USA
Your Age: 39
What kind of degree do you want?: BS.
Current Regional Accredited Credits:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SvQsofm6ho4N9ht8oHL_r-bXtHVxrfkrKIGBuXaPo7A/edit?usp=sharing
and pasted in my other thread.
Any certifications or military experience?
Business Analytics Nanodegree - I'm finishing this up now. I got a scholarship.

(06-10-2022, 06:40 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote:

(06-10-2022, 04:51 PM)Sunnydaze Wrote: My budget for the Bachelor's is literally as cheap as possible. I emailed WGU's finaid dept for confirmation, so I believe I have under $2000 left in loans - possibly less.  I have about $1000 that I have saved from my tax refund. That's about all I have to work with. 

As for master's degrees: I did have a few backup plans. EU seems a bit easy to get into, with no math requirements, reference letters,etc.  Another on the list was the similarly priced Georgia Tech's MS in Data Analytics, which does require that stuff and a bit more pre-work. I have to get a bit better with Python. EU teaches that within the program.  

Side note: Purdue University Global's Bachelor's of Professional Studies looks good, too! I think have fallen down a rabbit hole. I wish I knew these things several years ago! (edit: nevermind, now that I look deeper into it. It is way out of my budget. $200/month plus fees for each test!)

Lastly, here are the answers from the link in your first post. (Sorry I missed it. The forum's experience isn't so good on my phone.)
Your Location: NY, USA
Your Age: 39
What kind of degree do you want?: BS.
Current Regional Accredited Credits:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SvQsofm6ho4N9ht8oHL_r-bXtHVxrfkrKIGBuXaPo7A/edit?usp=sharing
and pasted in my other thread.
Any certifications or military experience?
Business Analytics Nanodegree - I'm finishing this up now. I got a scholarship.

That's great, you've provided about the same pieces of info as the previous page (not thread) as you only have one thread.  Anyways, what's still missing is or What hasn't been concretely answered is - the info in the addendum of the link.  All we pretty much know is your budget and your courses.  What about the commitments? Timeframe?  

Examples: If you have no time for school, then Excelsior may be your best option.  If you have no commitments and plenty of time, doing the UMPI Bachelors and WGU Masters is your "CHEAPEST, EASIEST, FASTEST" option.  With no money/time, how did you budget for Eastern?!  Again, by providing what's missing in the addendum, it'll give us a clearer picture of your situation.