If you're willing to put in more time, the cheapest is:
Use your federal aid and take at least 12 credits per term at NMJC (or some cheaper local school, if you are in a state with cheap community colleges). If you enroll soon, you can take credits this summer, which counts on 2017-2018 financial aid. Then you can use your full 2018-2019 aid for this fall and next spring (but then nothing for next summer).
NMJC will send you a check for the "overage" amount, which you can then use for some of the bigger fees. If you're attending TESU, use it for your residency waiver and graduation fee. Clovis Community College in NM is often recommended but the overage will be significantly less than at NMJC. (Don't compare only the tuition, the fees can add up.) To maximize your overage, you need to look at whether courses have expensive online access codes required, expensive books, or extra fees for that specific course. If you choose carefully, you can get classes that only need about $30 or less on average, for used books or rented books.
Then, you should probably do the BALS at TESU because it will cost you less in course fees, but a few other degrees might not cost much more, depending on what you take at NMJC, if you plan out your free Study.com courses well (assuming you get the scholarship), etc. If you do 3 terms at NMJC, you may be able to pay almost nothing out of pocket, although this depends on how much the Study.com affiliate discount ends up being after July 1st when the prices are expected to go up.
Keep in mind that NMJC courses will require a lot of work unless you're only looking to barely pass (C grades). You can take subjects you already know to make it easier, but most online courses need a lot of writing.
Use your federal aid and take at least 12 credits per term at NMJC (or some cheaper local school, if you are in a state with cheap community colleges). If you enroll soon, you can take credits this summer, which counts on 2017-2018 financial aid. Then you can use your full 2018-2019 aid for this fall and next spring (but then nothing for next summer).
NMJC will send you a check for the "overage" amount, which you can then use for some of the bigger fees. If you're attending TESU, use it for your residency waiver and graduation fee. Clovis Community College in NM is often recommended but the overage will be significantly less than at NMJC. (Don't compare only the tuition, the fees can add up.) To maximize your overage, you need to look at whether courses have expensive online access codes required, expensive books, or extra fees for that specific course. If you choose carefully, you can get classes that only need about $30 or less on average, for used books or rented books.
Then, you should probably do the BALS at TESU because it will cost you less in course fees, but a few other degrees might not cost much more, depending on what you take at NMJC, if you plan out your free Study.com courses well (assuming you get the scholarship), etc. If you do 3 terms at NMJC, you may be able to pay almost nothing out of pocket, although this depends on how much the Study.com affiliate discount ends up being after July 1st when the prices are expected to go up.
Keep in mind that NMJC courses will require a lot of work unless you're only looking to barely pass (C grades). You can take subjects you already know to make it easier, but most online courses need a lot of writing.
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