Please help me map out a good degree path and navigate fin aid.

[rachel83az]

Although covered by multiple tuition reimbursement plans, PUG is a lot of writing. A LOT. Each credit that you take at PUG is at least one paper or project, sometimes multiple papers/projects. It's not for everyone. Some people like it, but it's important to go into the program with open eyes so you know what you're getting into. Not minding writing doesn't always mean that one is open to doing quite that many papers for their degree.

UMPI's Project Management degree could be a good choice for someone who is interested in IT. It's not strictly IT-related, but it's fast, cheap, and you can use TADA/Coursera to help show employers that you have sufficient IT knowledge. If you qualify for financial aid, a degree from UMPI can be free or you might even get money back. While financial aid doesn't normally cover Sophia, getting money back would help offset the cost of paying for Sophia out of pocket.

Finally, instead of TESU's IT or BSBA CIS degrees, what about their BA Comp Sci? Comp Sci and IT aren't the same, but a Comp Sci degree could certainly be carried over into a career in IT. Assuming that the "Golden State Guarantee" program will still be active next year, I would say that you can spend the next 6 months or so accumulating credits from Sophia and Coursera so that you qualify for it in the spring.

If you do want to go this route, I would apply for TESU ASAP ($50 application fee) so that you aren't hit by any unfortunate changes if they decide to change the catalog on July 1st.

In the meantime, you can get the FREE Pierpont BOG AAS. 3 credits in Communications - take Visual Communications from Sophia. 6 credits in math/science - take College Algebra and/or Environmental Science and/or Human Biology (it looks like you have 6 credits of Statistics, but I'm not sure if Pierpont will count them all). 3 credits in Social Sciences - covered with Psych 101 and/or Sociology 101. 3 credits in Computer Literacy - Should be more than covered.

At Pierpont, the IT Support Professional Certificate should be worth either 12 or 15 credits (depends on if they've updated since the certificate was renewed). Google Data Analytics should be worth another 12. Assuming the worst (12 credits for IT Support Professional + 12 credits for Data Analytics + no transfer of Basic Statistics), that's 51 credits. Add 3 credits from Visual Communications + 6 credits of math/science and you're at 60 total credits. Maybe snag the free IBM Cybersecurity certificate from TADA to 100% be sure that you've got at least 60 credits. Collect your BOG AAS for $99 (for Sophia) plus the cost of your existing college transcripts.

[davewill]

...
If you do want to go this route, I would apply for TESU ASAP ($50 application fee) so that you aren't hit by any unfortunate changes if they decide to change the catalog on July 1st.
...

I'll say that even if you THINK you might want to do TESU, go ahead and apply. It's worth the $50 to lock everything down. As far as choosing IT vs CS, I'd say that depends on your own strengths. If you feel that the CS curriculum will be easy for you, then it's a good path. One nice thing is that it leaves the door open to be a developer, or an IT guy who is able to develop scripts or other tools as part of the job.

The TESU IT degree isn't alt-credit friendly, you'll have to take more courses at TESU, which usually means that it simply costs too much. If that NJ resident program can pay for those courses, that might make it affordable, but it will still take longer than alt-credits.

[LevelUP]

If you do BSBA CIS, do the AS Computer Science since it's free and easy to get.

I would do a BA in Computer Science versus IT because it's probably quicker to get at TESU and costs much less.

[teerockus]

Thank for all for your brilliant advise! It's really helping me on my way to almost carving out a path.

I think I will pursue the Comp Sci degree from TESU. Is there any way to tag on an "easy" minor/concentration with that? What are my choices? Could it be IT/Business/Cyber security?

Finally, I really like the idea of WGU because it will give me a more streamlined path and process and then I can transfer to TESU.

Can I apply one semester to WGU, use fafsa funds and earn all the certificates I am confident in getting quickly then transferring all of that to TESU and use the state funds for TESU? Would I be allowed to do that? Or fafsa only covers one school per calendar year?

---

In the meantime, you can get the FREE Pierpont BOG AAS. 3 credits in Communications - take Visual Communications from Sophia. 6 credits in math/science - take College Algebra and/or Environmental Science and/or Human Biology (it looks like you have 6 credits of Statistics, but I'm not sure if Pierpont will count them all). 3 credits in Social Sciences - covered with Psych 101 and/or Sociology 101. 3 credits in Computer Literacy - Should be more than covered.

At Pierpont, the IT Support Professional Certificate should be worth either 12 or 15 credits (depends on if they've updated since the certificate was renewed). Google Data Analytics should be worth another 12. Assuming the worst (12 credits for IT Support Professional + 12 credits for Data Analytics + no transfer of Basic Statistics), that's 51 credits. Add 3 credits from Visual Communications + 6 credits of math/science and you're at 60 total credits. Maybe snag the free IBM Cybersecurity certificate from TADA to 100% be sure that you've got at least 60 credits. Collect your BOG AAS for $99 (for Sophia) plus the cost of your existing college transcripts.

Thanks Rachel. I am reluctant to do pierpont. First, how "reputable" would this aas be? I might as well go right for the BA, no? Would it hurt me in any way in so far as collecting financial aid? Can I transfer that aas into TESU without penalty? By that I mean perhaps TESU not allowing me to pick up a concentration/minor because I already have an AAS? Or financial aid not covering me as much as I need in other schools?

[ss20ts]

In my experience at WGU, you don't get to pick and choose which courses you take. There are degree plans for each degree. No courses outside of the degree plan are allowed. You don't choose which order you take courses either. Your mentor has to approve your courses. WGU has been tightening the reigns in terms of students veering off the path especially on newer students. During your first term, you must complete the 4 courses assigned to you before you can add anymore. WGU is a 6 month term not a semester. Yes, they accept financial aid. If you start a WGU degree, why not just finish it? Seems odd to transfer to TESU where you'll have to complete at least 3 courses (7 credits) including a Capstone. At TESU, financial aid can't be used for the fee waiver so you're stuck paying that out of pocket.

[dfrecore]

Seems odd to transfer to TESU where you'll have to complete at least 3 courses (7 credits) including a Capstone. At TESU, financial aid can't be used for the fee waiver so you're stuck paying that out of pocket.

TESU is 2 courses for 6cr (cornerstone and capstone).  Perhaps you're thinking of Excelsior, which requires 3 courses for 7cr?

---

Thank for all for your brilliant advise! It's really helping me on my way to almost carving out a path.

I think I will pursue the Comp Sci degree from TESU. Is there any way to tag on an "easy" minor/concentration with that? What are my choices? Could it be IT/Business/Cyber security?

Finally, I really like the idea of WGU because it will give me a more streamlined path and process and then I can transfer to TESU.

Can I apply one semester to WGU, use fafsa funds and earn all the certificates I am confident in getting quickly then transferring all of that to TESU and use the state funds for TESU? Would I be allowed to do that? Or fafsa only covers one school per calendar year?

---

Thanks Rachel. I am reluctant to do pierpont. First, how "reputable" would this aas be? I might as well go right for the BA, no? Would it hurt me in any way in so far as collecting financial aid? Can I transfer that aas into TESU without penalty? By that I mean perhaps TESU not allowing me to pick up a concentration/minor because I already have an AAS? Or financial aid not covering me as much as I need in other schools?

Lots of questions:

1) There is no other minor/concentration in the CompSci degree at TESU - CompSci IS the major (or Area of Study = AoS as TESU refers to it).

2) There is zero reason to go to WGU and then switch to TESU - you'd want to do one or the other, as they don't have the same requirements.

3) FAFSA will cover more than one school per year, but it just doesn't make sense to do this.

4) Pierpont is fine, perfectly reputable.  There is no downside to doing this, and you actually wouldn't use FAFSA because the degree is free.  TESU wouldn't change anything because of the Pierpont degree.

So, to sum it all up - there is literally zero reason to do WGU AND TESU.  Choose which school you want to go to and then do that.  If you want to use financial aid at WGU, you can. If you want to use it at TESU, you can do that - and you'll get more bang for your buck and probably have it fully covered if you do the single 16-cr term there.

[teerockus]

Ok thank you guys, I think you are all right. There is no reason to complicate things, I was doing the math on the certificates and they come out to about 900-1000usd out of pocket. Plus I wouldn't be able to choose the order of things at WGU so it's pointless.

TESU told me no fee waiver for me just have to take 6 credits minimum.

If there is no downside to the Pierpont AAS I think I will go for that first then transfer everything over to TESU.

Any idea if fin aid can be used for study.com or sophia?

[dfrecore]

Ok thank you guys, I think you are all right. There is no reason to complicate things, I was doing the math on the certificates and they come out to about 900-1000usd out of pocket. Plus I wouldn't be able to choose the order of things at WGU so it's pointless.

TESU told me no fee waiver for me just have to take 6 credits minimum.

If there is no downside to the Pierpont AAS I think I will go for that first then transfer everything over to TESU.

Any idea if fin aid can be used for study.com or sophia?

There is absolutely a fee for the residency waiver if you don't take at least 16cr at TESU - it's $3,288!  And can't be paid for with Financial Aid.  You also have to be a FT student to get the full amount of Financial Aid IIRC - so 6cr won't get you the full amount.

And no, you can't use financial aid at SDC or Sophia.  Only at schools.

[teerockus]

Ok thank you guys, I think you are all right. There is no reason to complicate things, I was doing the math on the certificates and they come out to about 900-1000usd out of pocket. Plus I wouldn't be able to choose the order of things at WGU so it's pointless.

TESU told me no fee waiver for me just have to take 6 credits minimum.

If there is no downside to the Pierpont AAS I think I will go for that first then transfer everything over to TESU.

Any idea if fin aid can be used for study.com or sophia?

There is absolutely a fee for the residency waiver if you don't take at least 16cr at TESU - it's $3,288!  And can't be paid for with Financial Aid.  You also have to be a FT student to get the full amount of Financial Aid IIRC - so 6cr won't get you the full amount.

And no, you can't use financial aid at SDC or Sophia.  Only at schools.

Interesting, so the fee waiver is essentially a whole semester at WGU! 16 credit in one semester is going to be tough. Is there a list of recommended classes to take at tesu that are not too overwhelming along with capstone

[rachel83az]

16 credits in a single term isn't as bad as it initially sounds. Instead of "real" classes, you can take e-Packs. These are exams that cost as much as a real class and that do count toward residency (unlike TECEP exams, which are inexpensive and DO NOT count). You can see ePacks here: https://www2.tesu.edu/listallc.php?type=EP

There are also some suggested classes on this wiki page: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Th...University CIS-351/CIS-3510 is reported to be especially fast/easy for an UL class.

You can also pay $243 to extend the capstone course, if needed. This would be out of pocket, no financial aid, but could be worth it if you need it.