How to deal with FA

[sambam0812]

Anyone who is a COSC vet/alum please help me!

I'm not sure if this is standard practice, but according to my financial aid package, the COA is based on part-time attendance, not full time. They indicated my TOTAL costs for the year would be about $9k which is so far off from what the actual website has for an out-of-state COA--the website says 20k for full time.

My EFC is $400, so its not like I'm swimming in money. They gave me my Pell grant and maxed out my subsidized loan---but because of their messed up COA will only give me $1k of the unsubsidized loan, when I really need the full $6k because I'm a full time student.

Of course, I have been to college before and know how unsubsidized funding works. The girl I spoke with in the FA office told me that the unsubsidized funds have nothing to do with COA (wrong) and that there's only so much money the college is given for them and when they run out, that's it (also wrong) and I would just have to make up the difference--a whopping 10k-12k per year depending on books.


Can someone please tell me who I need to speak to or how I can fix this?

[ss20ts]

How many classes are you taking for $20K?

[sambam0812]

How many classes are you taking for $20K?

That’s full time; so 24 credits per year, or 12 credits per semester. It’ll be slightly less with my SL discount, but only by a couple hundred bucks.

[sambam0812]

Update: Apparently the evaluate for FA each semester rather than once per year; so this semester I’m a part time student so they only allotted me part time funds—next semester when I enroll full time they’ll increase my aid as long as I have extra funds (I do).

[ss20ts]

Why take so many credits at COSC?

[sambam0812]

Why take so many credits at COSC?

The degree I am seeking--Health Information Management--needs to be accredited by a specific body in order for me to obtain certification after I graduate. I can't take the specific major courses anywhere else to transfer unless *that* program is also accredited.

I've transferred in all of my gen ed and most of my free electives, so I am literally only taking the major courses.

[ss20ts]

Oh that's a bummer. Tuition there is not cheap. Did you check out WGU's HIM program?

https://www.wgu.edu/online-nursing-healt...ogram.html

[bjcheung77]

Oh that's a bummer. Tuition there is not cheap. Did you check out WGU's HIM program?

https://www.wgu.edu/online-nursing-healt...ogram.html

*Ding ding* This is what I was going to suggest as well... there are other providers such as TESU/Rutgers BSHIM, I would look into the other competency based degree providers as well such as Capella. There are a few others that are cheaper/easier/faster than COSC if you can do a search and then review/research their requirements/tuition...

[sambam0812]

Oh that's a bummer. Tuition there is not cheap. Did you check out WGU's HIM program?

https://www.wgu.edu/online-nursing-healt...ogram.html

*Ding ding* This is what I was going to suggest as well... there are other providers such as TESU/Rutgers BSHIM, I would look into the other competency based degree providers as well such as Capella.  There are a few others that are cheaper/easier/faster than COSC if you can do a search and then review/research their requirements/tuition...

Yes, I have been researching this for almost a year.

I chose COSC because they offer credits for certifications—-so although WGU (and I looked at Herzing also) may be cheaper per credit hour, I would literally have to take 6-8 more classes than at COSC at either school, making the actual cost difference super small.

[ss20ts]

Oh that's a bummer. Tuition there is not cheap. Did you check out WGU's HIM program?

https://www.wgu.edu/online-nursing-healt...ogram.html

*Ding ding* This is what I was going to suggest as well... there are other providers such as TESU/Rutgers BSHIM, I would look into the other competency based degree providers as well such as Capella.  There are a few others that are cheaper/easier/faster than COSC if you can do a search and then review/research their requirements/tuition...

Yes, I have been researching this for almost a year.

I chose COSC because they offer credits for certifications—-so although WGU (and I looked at Herzing also) may be cheaper per credit hour, I would literally have to take 6-8 more classes than at COSC at either school, making the actual cost difference super small.

Here's the thing though. WGU is competency based which means you don't pay per class. You pay a term fee and you complete as many classes as you want and can during the term. I'm in a competency based program in another school and wish I knew about these types of programs back in February when I started at CSU Global. I have completed 4 courses in 5 weeks at UMPI. At CSU I would be 5 weeks into 8 week courses. And I could only take 2 at a time. I couldn't go at my speed. I had deadlines to meet and a class schedule to follow based on a semester program. Oh and to take 4 classes at CSU was $4,200. My 4 classes at UMPI has cost me $1,400. I will be adding a 5th class before the term ends. A fifth class at CSU would have raised my tuition to $5,250. There will not be a price increase in my tuition at UMPI. That's how competency based programs work. It's freaking AMAZING!