Why does it seem to me that EC is all about the money?

[bat21]

I appreciate all the comments so far. No matter how much I try to search these forums, it seems like I still manage to miss something. I guess I can't always figure out the best terms to search for. I either get tons of results or no results. :confused:

I probably just would have applied to EC, gotten my eval, and matriculated without another thought if the eval looked good, but when I saw some people had had changes in the official evaluation it kind of gave me the creeps. I think that made all the other costs look suspicious, too.

I will check into the Penn Foster course and search around a bit more. Has anyone handled the written English requirement for a low cost?

Thanks again!

I did the Penn Foster Route with ENG100 and passed it, I did for all under 200 smackers with books included.

I did have an issue with how they graded my essays, they use different people with their initials only, and they one guy was just a plain a**hole, accusing me of plagiarism, telling me he found a essay on a website that looked like mine.He gave me 3 months to redo it and turn it in, I told him thanks, but no thanks and paid my fees and got my B.

That was my major issue with them, beside them not being consistent with how they grade, all the essays.

[bat21]

I appreciate all the comments so far. No matter how much I try to search these forums, it seems like I still manage to miss something. I guess I can't always figure out the best terms to search for. I either get tons of results or no results. :confused:

I probably just would have applied to EC, gotten my eval, and matriculated without another thought if the eval looked good, but when I saw some people had had changes in the official evaluation it kind of gave me the creeps. I think that made all the other costs look suspicious, too.

I will check into the Penn Foster course and search around a bit more. Has anyone handled the written English requirement for a low cost?

Thanks again!

I did the Penn Foster Route with ENG100 and passed it, I did for all under 200 smackers with books included.

I did have an issue with how they graded my essays, they use different people with their initials only, and they one guy was just a plain a**hole, accusing me of plagiarism, telling me he found a essay on a website that looked like mine.He gave me 3 months to redo it and turn it in, I told him thanks, but no thanks and paid my fees and got my B.

That was my major issue with them, beside them not being consistent with how they grade, all the essays.

[cookderosa]

Cookderossa and others have written about TESC, financial aid and how to best utilize financial aid to pay for eveything. Do some searches or PM her...she is a good one to ask.

BTW your test scores look outstanding

Good luck to you!

>>

If it makes you feel better, I work for a non-profit college and it's STILL ALL ABOUT THE MONEY! (although we call it retention ) Anyway, college is expensive, no doubt about it. I think using CLEPs is a gem. My son's friend just passed a 6 credit clep. At his school, this comes in as a $3000 savings!?!? :eek: Yes, some people pay $500 per credit and more for each of those 120 credits!

Anyway, about the loans.

I took out a student loan, but I also qualified for a PELL Grant. I'm not sure why EVERYONE doesn't try for a PELL grant, apparently everyone except for me is rich hilarious
Really people, a PELL is free money! You get $4500. Free. That covers almost all of the cost at TESC! I won't go on and on about the 6 credit rule and such (especially since you are not attending TESC) but my $ got kicked back to me as a refund since my pell + student loan exceeded my tuition costs. It worked out very nicely, I had enough to pay all my books, all my cleps, 6 credits per semester, two graduation fees, my TECEP exam, a local class, and still a little left over. (which I'm going to use to order a kickin' expensive double diploma frame for my two new degrees)

[jkfuss]

Thanks bat21, I'm a fan of your posts btw.

cookderosa, I wish I qualified for a Pell grant. I have tried over and over. But my gross income is "too high." And it doesn't matter that I spend about 40% of my net income :eek: on health care. There's no allowance for that. That's also the ironic twist to why I don't qualify for need-based scholarships. I've long since stopped being bitter about all the inequities in the world of money, but it still gets momentarily frustrating sometimes.

I'm glad that at least some of the people who qualify for Pell grants and need-based scholarships are making good use of them.

[cederic824]

I understand your frustration, but I think it is important to look at the big picture and the bottom line. When you compare the requirements and costs of a RA BS degree from EC to those of other colleges, I think EC is very reasonable.
Also, regarding the WER...It is true that EC College Writing was discontinued at the end of 2007, but it has been revised and updated and is now back available as of June 08. Another option is the AP English Comp tests. They fulfill the WER as well.
Good Luck!

[PeteDude]

The Big Three schools are all for-profit institutions if I'm not mistaken. I guess I expected those kinds of fees in exchange for excellent customer service and the expedited path my degree took (things my previous non-profit school severely lacked!) Would I do it all over again? Oh yeah.

. . .

Go with the school that will suit your needs best. The financial aspects are just as important as the number of courses left to take, liking the degree and school names, good customer service, etc. etc. Good luck!

I view the Big 3 differently. My understanding is that COSC and TESC are actual non-profit state-run institutions, whereas Excelsior is a private former state institution.

If my assertion's correct, EC has to make up for not having state money to back it. They may also operate with higher overhead given that they do not have the same public scrutiny over their costs. Given all that, it's somewhat natural they would look to obtain maximum revenue.

As others have posted, it's important for a big 3 student to evaluate their situation relative to what these schools have to offer. Cost (and related philosophy) is just one aspect that needs to be considered.

[jkfuss]

Thanks cederic824, I will look into the newly available College Writing exam.

I appreciate the fact that everyone has been so willing to help me out with this obstacle. I think EC is probably the right fit for me overall, if I can only work around the issues I listed, and it seems that I should be able to.

Thanks again everyone.

[Wax51]

>>
I won't go on and on about the 6 credit rule and such (especially since you are not attending TESC) but my $ got kicked back to me as a refund since my pell + student loan exceeded my tuition costs. It worked out very nicely, I had enough to pay all my books, all my cleps, 6 credits per semester, two graduation fees, my TECEP exam, a local class, and still a little left over. (which I'm going to use to order a kickin' expensive double diploma frame for my two new degrees)

If I ask real nice and say PLEASE, will you go on and on about it?
It would be a big help to know what you did/went through.

[jkfuss]

I just checked out the new ECE College Writing. Guess what? It's being retired September 30, 2008. What is up with these people?

[Epiphany]

I just checked out the new ECE College Writing. Guess what? It's being retired September 30, 2008. What is up with these people?

I think a lot of people have already pointed you in the direction of some alternatives. Go back and read through them.

Rather then accentuating the negative, try to compare EC, TESC, or COSC with other schools, and see what you are paying for. Go ahead and open up excel and add up the costs of every college you can find. When you find a more flexible, faster, and cheaper option for a Bachelors, let me know please so I can enroll.