Biology BS from Excelsior

[wow]

Hi. Does anyone have any advice or steps for obtaining a Bachelors of Science in Biology as cheaply as possible, perhaps through challenging exams, etc, starting as a high school grad?

Thanks

I have been looking at this for myself, and right now it looks like the cheapest way *for me* to get a biology-related degree is from Charter Oak by getting a satisfactory score on the GRE Biology subject exam and take two upper-level biology labs, at least one additional biology course, and the capstone. This is based on https://www.charteroak.edu/catalog/curre...iology.php. Three caveats:

• This would fit the major requirements for a Bachelor of science degree with a General Studies major with Biology concentration. It is not, technically speaking, a biology major. I really don't think the difference between a major and a concentration is significant; Charter Oak actually requires *more* biology and science credits for the concentration than Excelsior does for a natural sciences major with a biology focus, and the number of credits is similar to the biology major at TESU, with the main difference being that TESU requires two semesters of organic chem and Charter Oak only recommends organic chem. HOWEVER, employers and grad schools may not agree with me.
  
• The credits from the GRE are graded as Pass/Fail on your Charter Oak transcript. If you are planning on grad studies in biology or related field, this might not look great. On the other hand, if you explain the huge amount of independent study and inititiative it took to complete a degree this way in your grad school application, it might come out in your favor. Really depends on the school and the department chairs.
  
• I already have a bachelor's degree and have met virtually all of Charter Oak's general ed requirements, so I don't need to worry about those costs. I am only considering costs for the major and no-exceptions requirements (like the Cornerstone) in my plan.
  

Finally, getting an acceptable grade on the GRE subject test is not a sure thing. You will need to study A LOT and retain most of your knowledge—2-4 semester's worth—until you take the exam. Take every biology course you can on Coursera and EdX, using the free options, and study like you are paying for them. Use flashcards (I recommend the Anki) app to retain important information once the class is over. If you love studying for and excel at taking standardized tests, you could save additional money by taking another GRE subject exam (or more) to rack up general education credits. But again—not easy if you are starting out with a high school education and no relevant work experience in the subject area.

Honestly, if I were you, I'd look at getting scholarships before trying the test-out approach. Other options are an inexpensive school like Fort Hays that offer in-state tuition to all online students. They don't have Biology major, but they have health sciences degrees. Or doing two years at a local community college (local or New Mexico Junior College online, or at Eastern Gateway Community College for free if you or one of your immediate family members is in a participating trade union) followed by two years at a state school might be your best bet. Also, you have many more opportunities than I would for undergrad scholarships. You could get a job at Starbucks and have them pay for your tuition to Arizona State University. Have a look at those.

My 2¢.