Associate's to Bachelor's - Timeline at TESU (Residency Waiver + Capstone)

[Silly_Me]

In order to save money & not miss out on the Study.com affiliate pricing, I'm considering the following timeline.  Please let me know if you see any problems with my plan.  


May, 2018 - Finish community college courses for associate's degree in biology
June, 2018 - Pay *residency waiver* for associate's degree & apply for Sept. graduation
August, 2018 - Begin community college courses to be applied to BALS (pre-req classes for Vet Tech school)
January, 2019 - *Capstone*
March/April, 2018 - Apply for June graduation (after Capstone is complete)


Question about Capstone:  Can I pay for my capstone in June, 2018 (for Study.com pricing) with the intention of taking it in January, 2019?  Also, does this look like a safe timeline for a one-time residency waiver, or am I pushing it?  



Thanks for the input, everyone!!!

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Helpful link for Capstone/ Graduation timing - TESU - Graduation Information

[dfrecore]

You pay for the capstone when you register for it, so your timeline won't work.

If you want to get the Study.com discount, you need to register for the capstone for the August Term, by 6/30/18. I also would not cut it that close, but would register a few days early. Then, take the capstone and complete it at the end of October. You will have plenty of time to finish your CC courses including finals without the capstone in the way.

I also can't tell if you are going to be doing CC courses after the August 2018 term to transfer into the BALS, in which case they probably won't be done in time to apply for June graduation. So you need to figure that part out as well.

I would say that if you intend to get the most bang for your buck, that you need to complete all of your credits to be transferred into the BALS by May 1, but you have to apply by April 1, so you're cutting it close. I would try to have it all done by application date.

Your worst case scenario is that you apply June 30 (or a few days before) for the September graduation, thus having that year timeframe in which the RW should be (but is not guaranteed to be) good. But honestly, if I were in your place, I would do it the way I outlined it here.

[davewill]

No, you can't pay in June for the January term, it would have to be the July term. However, there's really nothing stopping you from taking the Capstone in the July term. I know they say you should be nearly done with your degree, but there is no enforcement of the provision. Other than that, your timeline works.

I would note that you are taking a chance doing it this way. One illness or other life event that delays your graduation and you will end up paying another residency waiver. There are others here that won't agree, but if it were me, I'd skip the AA at TESU, and get a BOG AAS instead. Then forgo the Study.com discount on the residency waiver expiring in June and wait until I was actually ready to graduate to pay it. There will likely still be a Study.com discount then, it just won't be as big.

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You pay for the capstone when you register for it, so your timeline won't work.

If you want to get the Study.com discount, you need to register for the capstone for the August Term, by 6/30/18.  I also would not cut it that close, but would register a few days early.  Then, take the capstone and complete it at the end of October.  You will have plenty of time to finish your CC courses including finals without the capstone in the way.

I also can't tell if you are going to be doing CC courses after the August 2018 term to transfer into the BALS, in which case they probably won't be done in time to apply for June graduation.  So you need to figure that part out as well.

I would say that if you intend to get the most bang for your buck, that you need to complete all of your credits to be transferred into the BALS by May 1, but you have to apply by April 1, so you're cutting it close.  I would try to have it all done by application date.

Your worst case scenario is that you apply June 30 (or a few days before) for the September graduation, thus having that year timeframe in which the RW should be (but is not guaranteed to be) good.  But honestly, if I were in your place, I would do it the way I outlined it here.

I'm not able to understand this post. 

Registration in June would be for the July term, not the August term. 

Why would CC courses started in August not be done in time for a graduation the next June?

How could the poster apply the residency waiver to Sept graduation which would be 15 months after paying the residency waiver?

[dfrecore]

No, you can't pay in June for the January term, it would have to be the July term. However, there's really nothing stopping you from taking the Capstone in the July term. I know they say you should be nearly done with your degree, but there is no enforcement of the provision. Other than that, your timeline works.

I would note that you are taking a chance doing it this way. One illness or other life event that delays your graduation and you will end up paying another residency waiver. There are others here that won't agree, but if it were me, I'd skip the AA at TESU, and get a BOG AAS instead. Then forgo the Study.com discount on the residency waiver expiring in June and wait until I was actually ready to graduate to pay it. There will likely still be a Study.com discount then, it just won't be as big.

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You pay for the capstone when you register for it, so your timeline won't work.

If you want to get the Study.com discount, you need to register for the capstone for the August Term, by 6/30/18.  I also would not cut it that close, but would register a few days early.  Then, take the capstone and complete it at the end of October.  You will have plenty of time to finish your CC courses including finals without the capstone in the way.

I also can't tell if you are going to be doing CC courses after the August 2018 term to transfer into the BALS, in which case they probably won't be done in time to apply for June graduation.  So you need to figure that part out as well.

I would say that if you intend to get the most bang for your buck, that you need to complete all of your credits to be transferred into the BALS by May 1, but you have to apply by April 1, so you're cutting it close.  I would try to have it all done by application date.

Your worst case scenario is that you apply June 30 (or a few days before) for the September graduation, thus having that year timeframe in which the RW should be (but is not guaranteed to be) good.  But honestly, if I were in your place, I would do it the way I outlined it here.

I'm not able to understand this post. 

Registration in June would be for the July term, not the August term. 

Why would CC courses started in August not be done in time for a graduation the next June?

How could the poster apply the residency waiver to Sept graduation which would be 15 months after paying the residency waiver?

1) Since the calendar for next year stops before June, I guessed from this year.  For this year, if you wanted to register for a term June 30, it would be for the August term, or July if you wanted to pay extra for Late Registration.

2) I was asking if the OP was going to take more courses in the spring term or if he/she was going to be finished in just the fall term (it said "Begin community college courses to be applied to BALS").

3) It made sense to me that if you paid it in June for Sept graduation, then it should apply for a year from graduation rather than a year from when it was paid.  But with TESU, who in the heck knows.  Personally, I wouldn't do it this way, but the OP can ask TESU if it will work out that way.  I personally wouldn't pay the RW until I was ready to graduate with my BA at all, but that's me.

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Then forgo the Study.com discount on the residency waiver expiring in June and wait until I was actually ready to graduate to pay it. There will likely still be a Study.com discount then, it just won't be as big.

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I would not take a chance on this one!  If TESU increases their prices a lot, and then reduces the discount, you could be looking at a much larger RW.  I guess it just depends on the person and how much money they have.  This would make me very nervous if I was close to graduation.  But I suppose the OP can make the decision as he/she gets closer to the end of June to see how far they've gotten in their plan before deciding.

[Silly_Me]

I would not take a chance on this one!  If TESU increases their prices a lot, and then reduces the discount, you could be looking at a much larger RW.  I guess it just depends on the person and how much money they have.  This would make me very nervous if I was close to graduation.  But I suppose the OP can make the decision as he/she gets closer to the end of June to see how far they've gotten in their plan before deciding.

So, you're saying that TESU is *increasing* their prices while Study.com is *decreasing* their discount at the same time?  Yikes!  That sounds like a double whammy to me!  

I'm wondering if I can pay the residency waiver in June ($1800) & then wait to apply for graduation when I'm done with everything (AA + BA) so I only have to pay the graduation fee once.  I'm assuming from this wording on TESU's website that I don't necessarily have to apply for graduation right after I pay for the residency waiver, right?


"If a student pays the fee, and does not apply for graduation within 12 months, they will be required to pay additional residency waiver fees."  https://www.tesu.edu/tuition/fees.cfm



So, are you guys saying that this looks like a better timeline?

May, 2018 - Finish community college courses for associate's degree in biology
June, 2018 - Pay *residency waiver* and register for capstone
August, 2018 - Begin community college courses + take *capstone*
January, 2018 - Apply for June graduation (AA + BA at same time)

Should that residency waiver paid in June, 2018 hold me over to graduation in June, 2019?  Also, I'm worried about that capstone.  Originally, I wanted to take it separately from my community college courses because I don't want to be overwhelmed with work.  I had hoped that if I took the capstone in Jan-Mar 2019, I'd be good to graduate in June, 2019.  But, it sound like you guys think that might be a risky gamble...?




Thanks again for the wealth of information!!!

[dfrecore]

So, you're saying that TESU is *increasing* their prices while Study.com is *decreasing* their discount at the same time?  Yikes!  That sounds like a double whammy to me!  

I said TESU MAY increase their prices (they usually do once a year, or change their structure, or make other changes).
Regarding Study.com decreasing their discount, no.  Study.com does not get to decide what TESU's discount is going to be - TESU decides that.
Originally, TESU gave a discount for being an affiliate member with Study.com.  They said it would be a percentage discount, but then actually put the dollar amount in there instead of only the percentage discount (so the RW was $2000, the discount was 10%, so $200 off, so the amount was $1800).  Then, they raised the price of the RW to $2500, and it should have been $2250 with the 10% discount.  BUT, because they had published that the price was $1800, they had to stick with that price.  So, I imagine that when the current contract with Study.com expires, TESU will fix their mistake.  I also think they will raise their price again, but I could be wrong on that.
BTW - they did the same "mistake" of publishing the price with the per-credit tuition cost of a course, and the comprehensive tution plan cost, which is a huge discount right now (they gave a discount, plus gave it off of in-state tuition even if you were an out-of-state student).

[davewill]

...
So, are you guys saying that this looks like a better timeline?

May, 2018 - Finish community college courses for associate's degree in biology
June, 2018 - Pay *residency waiver* and register for capstone
August, 2018 - Begin community college courses + take *capstone*
January, 2018 - Apply for June graduation (AA + BA at same time)

Should that residency waiver paid in June, 2018 hold me over to graduation in June, 2019?  Also, I'm worried about that capstone.  Originally, I wanted to take it separately from my community college courses because I don't want to be overwhelmed with work.  I had hoped that if I took the capstone in Jan-Mar 2019, I'd be good to graduate in June, 2019.  But, it sound like you guys think that might be a risky gamble...?




Thanks again for the wealth of information!!!

Taking the capstone in Jan 2019 isn't a gamble at all, it's just that you won't get the current study.com discount on it. Otherwise, the timeline looks ok. However, if want the big discount, and don't want to do the capstone at the same time as your CC classes, you could start it in May or June depending on your CC schedule.

[Silly_Me]

[Taking the capstone in Jan 2019 isn't a gamble at all, it's just that you won't get the current study.com discount on it. Otherwise, the timeline looks ok. However, if want the big discount, and don't want to do the capstone at the same time as your CC classes, you could start it in May or June depending on your CC schedule.]


Out of curiosity, what are we speculating will happen with the capstone pricing after June, 2018?

[dfrecore]

[Taking the capstone in Jan 2019 isn't a gamble at all, it's just that you won't get the current study.com discount on it. Otherwise, the timeline looks ok. However, if want the big discount, and don't want to do the capstone at the same time as your CC classes, you could start it in May or June depending on your CC schedule.]


Out of curiosity, what are we speculating will happen with the capstone pricing after June, 2018?

In the college world, prices usually go up once a year.  TESU is no different.  I'm guessing their prices will go up next year (they did this year).  I'm also guessing the discount will be less.