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+--- Thread: Degree plan help needed! (/Thread-Degree-plan-help-needed--25255)
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Degree plan help needed! - MandolinMan - 11-15-2016
Hello all,
Hopefully I posted this in the correct place.
My name is Aaron, I'm 22 and working towards a BSBA in Accounting from TESU. After completing my degree from TESU, I would like to pursue the CPA certification. In my state ( Indiana), the requirement is a total of 150 credit hours with 24 credits in accounting COURSES, and 24 credits in business courses. I emphasized "courses" because this requirement rules out the credit by examination options.
I enrolled with Lumerit in July of this year ( then CollegePlus). Yes, I failed to do adequate research on my part. The cost of Lumerit has me looking at other options to meet the required courses.
I just discovered study.com today, and honestly, it looks too good to be true. This link Thomas Edison State University shows how the courses transfer to TESU. It appears that using study.com could save me up to $500 per month! I currently have several Lumerit courses already paid for, so I'll definitely be completing these first.
My main concern is making sure that the courses I complete meet the requirements necessary to sit for the CPA exam. The Lumerit courses do with the additional cost of a regional transcription. I have a degree plan already assembled by Lumerit, so I know exactly what courses I'll need to complete. So my main question is whether my state accounting board will accept the Study.com courses as fulfilling the requirement.
Hoping someone here might have some thoughts on this. Thanks!
Degree plan help needed! - MandolinMan - 11-15-2016
As I continue to think through this, I believe the issue is regional accreditation. So to clarify my question:
I can meet the 48 credits of regionally accredited business & accounting courses through Lumerit. Are there any others options ( study.com) that would meet this as well?
Degree plan help needed! - OakLakeNC - 11-15-2016
Before you start, don't take any chances. Contact them, ask and get the answer in writing. I contacted the American Society for Clinical Pathology about getting my medical lab tech certification- ACE credits are accepted, as long as they are on the official transcript from a RA college. However CPA might be have more stringent requirements. You are NOT going to get a letter grade for Study.com or Straighterline. It is Pass/Fail. But your credits are going to be on a transcript from a regionally accredited college. So I could see this going either way. Hopefully someone here will come along and know for sure.
If you do contact them, I wouldn't say "Study.com or Straighterline." Most people will not be familiar with them. I would say something about them being ACE credits. I would explain ACE as the organization that evaluates military training for college credit. Most people know that military training can get you college credit, so that might help them understand.
Degree plan help needed! - cookderosa - 11-15-2016
MandolinMan Wrote:Hello all,
Hopefully I posted this in the correct place.
My name is Aaron, I'm 22 and working towards a BSBA in Accounting from TESU. After completing my degree from TESU, I would like to pursue the CPA certification. In my state ( Indiana), the requirement is a total of 150 credit hours with 24 credits in accounting COURSES, and 24 credits in business courses. I emphasized "courses" because this requirement rules out the credit by examination options.
I enrolled with Lumerit in July of this year ( then CollegePlus). Yes, I failed to do adequate research on my part. The cost of Lumerit has me looking at other options to meet the required courses.
I just discovered study.com today, and honestly, it looks too good to be true. This link Thomas Edison State University shows how the courses transfer to TESU. It appears that using study.com could save me up to $500 per month! I currently have several Lumerit courses already paid for, so I'll definitely be completing these first.
My main concern is making sure that the courses I complete meet the requirements necessary to sit for the CPA exam. The Lumerit courses do with the additional cost of a regional transcription. I have a degree plan already assembled by Lumerit, so I know exactly what courses I'll need to complete. So my main question is whether my state accounting board will accept the Study.com courses as fulfilling the requirement.
Hoping someone here might have some thoughts on this. Thanks!
You should file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. That's the only way to stop predatory companies like Lumerit. There is no way they could have helped you obtain ANY degree from TESU that would have led to CPA.
Before I give you any advice, can I ask if you have earned any credit, and if so will you specify where it's from?
And if you get too antsy, know that Study.com is in the exact same credit type category (ACE) as Lumerit.
Degree plan help needed! - OakLakeNC - 11-15-2016
cookderosa Wrote:You should file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. That's the only way to stop predatory companies like Lumerit. There is no way they could have helped you obtain ANY degree from TESU that would have led to CPA.
And if you get too antsy, know that Study.com is in the exact same credit type category (ACE) as Lumerit.
I went to the Lumerit Facebook page. I was shocked to see they have a 4.8 out of 5 star rating. And 89 reviews. People saying they could have never afforded college or had the time for college without Lumerit. :p I don't think I could ever break it to them...
Degree plan help needed! - MandolinMan - 11-15-2016
Thanks for your willingness to help.
Currently I have 24 credits in CLEP's, 1 ALEKS course, and 2 completed Lumerit courses. I'm enrolled under the older CollegePlus billing structure, so the cost is $200 per month PLUS courses ( Lumerit's are $225 ea).
Degree plan help needed! - dfrecore - 11-15-2016
In reading the rules, it's unclear to me whether or not taking courses at SL or another course provider will work at all. Really difficult to tell, as they don't specifically address these types of courses.
I agree with OakLakeNC, you need to get more info from the State of Indiana on this.
Also, Lumerit shouldn't be offering a degree in Accounting/CPA (from TESU) if they can't advise you on this. It makes no sense for them to offer this as an option if they don't know with 100% certainty that it will work out for you.
Degree plan help needed! - cookderosa - 11-15-2016
MandolinMan Wrote:Thanks for your willingness to help.
Currently I have 24 credits in CLEP's, 1 ALEKS course, and 2 completed Lumerit courses. I'm enrolled under the older CollegePlus billing structure, so the cost is $200 per month PLUS courses ( Lumerit's are $225 ea).
OMG. Ok. I'm going to take a deep breath and eat another cookie. Ok.
Your ALEKS course should have cost you between $20-$60 depending on how long it took you to finish. ALEKS provides pass/fail ACE credit abd won't count toward 150 graded regionally accredited credits.
Lumerit Courses are pass/fail ACE credit and won't count toward your 150 graded regionally accredited credits. These courses are identical in utility to study.com and Straighterline. In my opinion, these are a complete waste of time and money. I would have advised you to take 0 of these. I know you spent at least $450 here.
Your CLEP exams (15 cr?) amount to 5 total? So, that's $100 each. Also, these won't count toward your 150 graded regionally accredited credits.
To date, you have exactly ZERO graded regionally accredited credits. I am sorry for the money you've spent so far.
So, you've invested somewhere in the neighborhood of $1000 before books or College Plus fees (6 months? Another $1200?)
They did not do what you hired them to do. You are actually backwards from where you started because you are out the money AND the time you've spent.
Now - it is possible that you can salvage some of this, but you need the advice of your state's accounting licensing body- I don't know who they are, but google them. Let me help you with some very specific questions.
(A) you need to know if you earn a regionally accredited bachelor's degree in accounting, if you can use CLEP exams for any part of that degree.
-if they say yes, you can follow the guidelines they instruct you on. It might be limited to certain subjects, etc. But at least you'll know.
(B) you need to know if you earn a regionally accredited bachelor's degree in accounting, if you can use American Council Education (ACE) courses that are pass/fail for any part of that degree.
-I'm guess they are going to say something like "well if your college awarded credit and it appears on your transcript then yes" or they'll simply say no.
© are there restrictions that limit you from using a distance learning college? (to rule in or rule out TESU)
(D) get a link to this information so you can look it up yourself in the future. This is all written down and you are not the first person to make a mistake. Get it in writing, read it, learn it, and follow it to the letter.
P.S. You can give your College Plus mentor a message from me: they are for profit frauds masquerading as advisors and hiding under the banner of Christian mentor-ship. They should be sued.
Degree plan help needed! - MandolinMan - 11-15-2016
First let me say that I didn't mean this as a rant against CollegePlus/Lumerit. I've had a number of friends go through the program and come out very satisfied. If I leave, its strictly due to the cost. I don't have a problem with them charging what they do; I certainly didn't have to choose them.
"Lumerit Courses are pass/fail ACE credit and won't count toward your 150 graded regionally accredited credits. These courses are identical in utility to study.com and Straighterline. In my opinion, these are a complete waste of time and money. I would have advised you to take 0 of these. I know you spent at least $450 here."
I don't believe that all of the 150 credits need to be from accredited courses. As far as I can tell ( I'm going to continue to research), the bachelors degree must be from an accredited school, and it appears the 48 credits in accounting & business courses must have accreditation. So I believe that credit by exam courses can be used in the bachelors degree, just not the UL accounting/business courses.
I'll continue to investigate, thanks again.
Degree plan help needed! - cookderosa - 11-16-2016
MandolinMan Wrote:First let me say that I didn't mean this as a rant against CollegePlus/Lumerit. I've had a number of friends go through the program and come out very satisfied. If I leave, its strictly due to the cost. I don't have a problem with them charging what they do; I certainly didn't have to choose them.
"Lumerit Courses are pass/fail ACE credit and won't count toward your 150 graded regionally accredited credits. These courses are identical in utility to study.com and Straighterline. In my opinion, these are a complete waste of time and money. I would have advised you to take 0 of these. I know you spent at least $450 here."
I don't believe that all of the 150 credits need to be from accredited courses. As far as I can tell ( I'm going to continue to research), the bachelors degree must be from an accredited school, and it appears the 48 credits in accounting & business courses must have accreditation. So I believe that credit by exam courses can be used in the bachelors degree, just not the UL accounting/business courses.
I'll continue to investigate, thanks again.
I rest my case. You don't know, and your VERY EXPENSIVE advisor is useless. You've come to a free internet forum to get advice from volunteers. I can help you, but from this point on, I'll need a monthly check for $1000.