Cost comparison/ TESU vs Excelsior

[amberwalk]

Is there a post somewhere that can give me the total cost of attending each school if all you need is the capstone and maybe one course?   My employer will reimburse up to $5000 of my tuition but I don't think it will cover admin fees or whatever they call the fees to offset transferring in max credits.  So I'm trying to compare my actual out of pocket compared to what my employer pays.

[ss20ts]

The fees change annually so any comparison on here would be out of date. You need to look at the big picture not just the cost of the courses. There's the enrollment fees and residency waiver fees. Every school has different names for these things.

EC requires 7 credits and TESU is 6 credits. There's no way around these course requirements.

[amberwalk]

That's what I'm asking. Both schools call it something different and those fees are more than the 6-7 credit capstone. I don't think my employer will cover any costs except those for the actual course credits and books if required.
No graduation fees, application fees, residency waiver, etc.
So those costs come out of my pocket and that is the most important factor for me.

[rachel83az]

I did a basic breakdown somewhere, but I can't remember if it used the updated TESU fees or not. But this will depend greatly on the degree that you're getting and what credits you'll be transferring in.

EC has discounted costs if you bring in Sophia credits (easy right now, since Sophia is free until the end of the month). https://www.excelsior.edu/partner/sophia/
$410 per credit x 12 credits = $4920. Tech fee x 4 courses = $80. Graduation fee = $260. No enrollment or application fee and you can avoid the annual fee by taking at least 6 credits at EC per year. Total fees at EC = $5260.

If you only complete the minimum 7 credits at EC, they charge you an enrollment fee of $1098.

Assuming you're not in NJ, TESU costs are as follows: $4639 for 16 credits that must be taken in ONE semester (flat-rate tuition) or 6 credits @ $519 per credit = $3114 PLUS residency waiver of $3192 = $6306. Graduation fee = $298.

EC lets you space your credits out over time, unlike TESU where to get the best price you have to take them all at once.

[ss20ts]

I did a basic breakdown somewhere, but I can't remember if it used the updated TESU fees or not. But this will depend greatly on the degree that you're getting and what credits you'll be transferring in.

EC has discounted costs if you bring in Sophia credits (easy right now, since Sophia is free until the end of the month). https://www.excelsior.edu/partner/sophia/
$410 per credit x 12 credits = $4920. Tech fee x 4 courses = $80. Graduation fee = $260. No enrollment or application fee and you can avoid the annual fee by taking at least 6 credits at EC per year. Total fees at EC = $5260.

If you only complete the minimum 7 credits at EC, they charge you an enrollment fee of $1098.

Assuming you're not in NJ, TESU costs are as follows: $4639 for 16 credits that must be taken in ONE semester (flat-rate tuition) or 6 credits @ $519 per credit = $3114 PLUS residency waiver of $3192 = $6306. Graduation fee = $298.

EC lets you space your credits out over time, unlike TESU where to get the best price you have to take them all at once.

EC has an annual Student Services fee. There's also the Enrollment Fee which is $0 if you take 12 credits a year and there's a fee if you take fewer than 12 credits a year at EC. 

There's an application fee at EC as well. Tuition is also $510 not $410. There's a graduation fee also. Looks like your figures are old figures. This is the current fee structure at EC:

https://www.excelsior.edu/costs-and-fina...rgraduate/

[rachel83az]

EC has an annual Student Services fee. There's also the Enrollment Fee which is $0 if you take 12 credits a year and there's a fee if you take fewer than 12 credits a year at EC. 

There's an application fee at EC as well. Tuition is also $510 not $410. There's a graduation fee also. Looks like your figures are old figures. This is the current fee structure at EC:

https://www.excelsior.edu/costs-and-fina...rgraduate/

As I said, and if you click on the link in my post, you'll see that the fees are accurate for Sophia students. "Students who have completed at least two Sophia courses are eligible for partnership benefits at Excelsior College."

[amberwalk]

I did a basic breakdown somewhere, but I can't remember if it used the updated TESU fees or not. But this will depend greatly on the degree that you're getting and what credits you'll be transferring in.

EC has discounted costs if you bring in Sophia credits (easy right now, since Sophia is free until the end of the month). https://www.excelsior.edu/partner/sophia/
$410 per credit x 12 credits = $4920. Tech fee x 4 courses = $80. Graduation fee = $260. No enrollment or application fee and you can avoid the annual fee by taking at least 6 credits at EC per year. Total fees at EC = $5260.

If you only complete the minimum 7 credits at EC, they charge you an enrollment fee of $1098.

Assuming you're not in NJ, TESU costs are as follows: $4639 for 16 credits that must be taken in ONE semester (flat-rate tuition) or 6 credits @ $519 per credit = $3114 PLUS residency waiver of $3192 = $6306. Graduation fee = $298.

EC lets you space your credits out over time, unlike TESU where to get the best price you have to take them all at once.

Thank you, it appears that EC will cost me less out of pocket if I'm responsible for everything other than the actual course/credit costs.  I estimated at least $4000 in just fees for TESU according to their new prices (graduation, credit banking, residency waiver, etc)

[ss20ts]

EC has an annual Student Services fee. There's also the Enrollment Fee which is $0 if you take 12 credits a year and there's a fee if you take fewer than 12 credits a year at EC. 

There's an application fee at EC as well. Tuition is also $510 not $410. There's a graduation fee also. Looks like your figures are old figures. This is the current fee structure at EC:

https://www.excelsior.edu/costs-and-fina...rgraduate/

As I said, and if you click on the link in my post, you'll see that the fees are accurate for Sophia students. "Students who have completed at least two Sophia courses are eligible for partnership benefits at Excelsior College."

Weird. I wasn't offered a Sophia discount. This may be something you specifically have to ask for. Excelsior isn't great about offering info. Even after you've applied, been accepted and enrolled, they aren't great with info. Been there done that. I had a question for my academic advisor and it took a week and a half to get an answer. 

[TwinMom]

EC has an annual Student Services fee. There's also the Enrollment Fee which is $0 if you take 12 credits a year and there's a fee if you take fewer than 12 credits a year at EC. 

There's an application fee at EC as well. Tuition is also $510 not $410. There's a graduation fee also. Looks like your figures are old figures. This is the current fee structure at EC:

https://www.excelsior.edu/costs-and-fina...rgraduate/

As I said, and if you click on the link in my post, you'll see that the fees are accurate for Sophia students. "Students who have completed at least two Sophia courses are eligible for partnership benefits at Excelsior College."

Sophia does offer a partnership discount on tuition but ONLY if you take 12 credits with them:
 $410*

Non-Partner Price $510

Partners save $100 per credit

*Tuition per credit reverts to the non-partner rate if the student does not complete a minimum of twelve (12) Excelsior College online course credits.

Also, the Enrollment fee is $0 with partnership but ONLY with the 12 cr.: Students who do not complete the required number of Excelsior course credits before graduation will be switched to the Multi-Source option and charged the Multi-Source enrollment fee of $1095.

The Graduation Fee is $130* But ONLY with the 12 cr.

Non-Partner Price $495

Partners save $365

*$260 for students approved for conferral on or after August 26, 2019.

*The Enrollment and Graduation Fees revert to the non-partner rate if the student does not complete a minimum of twelve (12) Excelsior College online course credits prior to completion of a degree program.

So if you don't take the 12 cr. through EC the only discount you get is free application fee (normally $50)

To see the breakdown, go here and click on Tuition & Fees then Associates & Bachelors: https://www.excelsior.edu/partner/sophia/

[dfrecore]

COSC will be the cheapest, then EC if you take 12cr there - TESU will cost too much I think (unless you take 16cr with them).

COSC (w/SL or Study.com discount)
Application Fee                                $50
Student Services Fee (Per-term fee)  $266
Technology Fee (Per-term fee)          $68
Cornerstone (3cr)                            $1,131
Capstone (3cr)                                $1,131
Graduation Fee                               $203
TOTAL                                           $2,848 (1 term) or $3182 (2 terms)
Work pays $2,262
You pay $586 or $920

EC (taking 12cr through them, and using SL or Study.com partner pricing)
Application Fee                                   $0  
Enrollment Fee                                   $0
Information Literacy (1cr)                    $410
- Technology Fee                                $20  
Cornerstone (3cr)                               $1,230
 - Technology Fee                               $60  
Capstone (3cr)                                   $1,230
- Technology Fee                                $60  
Any course (3cr)                                 $1,230
- Technology Fee                                $60  
Any course (3cr)                                 $1,230
- Technology Fee                                $60  
Graduation Fee                                  $260  
TOTAL                                              $5,850
Work pays $5,590
You pay $260

TESU (no discounts available)
Application Fee                                 $ 50
Cornerstone (3cr)                           $1,527

Capstone (3cr)                                 $1,527

Residency Waiver                             $3,192

Graduation Fee                                $298

TOTAL                                            $6,594
Work pays $3,054
You pay $3,540

TESU (taking 16cr at the school)

Application Fee                                 $ 50

Cornerstone (3cr)                           $1,527

Capstone (3cr)                             $1,527
Any course (3cr)                           $1,527
Any course (3cr)                           $1,527
Any course (3cr)                           $1,527
Any course (1cr)                           $509

Residency Waiver                         $0

Graduation Fee                                $298

TOTAL                                            $8,492
Work pays $8,144
You pay $348

GGU has a program with Study.com called Aspire, and it's $300/cr to take courses at GGU.  There's a discounted quarterly rate at Study.com.  So your company would end up paying all of the GGU tuition ($300/cr x 30cr) and I don't think there are many fees besides that, but you'd have to check.

There are other schools where this is similar - almost all of the costs are tuition, no fees, and so your company would foot the bill.  They take ACE credits, most of them up to 90cr worth, and then you have to take 30cr at the school.  I know of like 10 of them.