2023-2024 Pell Grant Max: $7395 (Options to use this)

[bjcheung77]

For myself, I do not have tuition assistance or reimbursement, I do have a small stipend at work for learning (specific Business or IT exams too), so I like to take some courses here and there for enjoyment and to fill in some learning gaps I think I may have in these subjects. I'm taking Business or IT related courses I can get my hands on, even if there is no reimbursement, it's for learning or professional growth purposes.

Depending on the amount of Federal Pell Grant award you get, along with any subsidized or non-subsidized loans, your education budget/fund saved, you can pretty much get an undergrad degree without any debt at all with the recommended institutions we have degree plans for on the WIKI. You have choices from the Big 3 (COSC, Excelsior, TESU) to Competency Based Education options such as PUG, TAMUC, UMPI, WGU and several more such as SNHU, or ones that we on the WIKI that aren't as recommended as a whole.

PUG, if you take 3 terms to finish your degree after maxing your 90 credit transfer, it'll be $7500 plus any extra fees.  You would take the total from these and subtract your Pell Grant to reach your total out of pocket fees.  Pretend the subtotal for PUG is $7500, Pell Max Award $7395, in total out of pocket would be $105 (plus cost for the alternative transfer credits) for a Bachelors!
PUG Tuition Reference: https://www.purdueglobal.edu/tuition-fin...-and-fees/

Excelsior, if you take the minimum 7 credits with them, it'll be close $4K alone for the credits and fees combined.  You'll have left over a bit over 3K for other expenses you may have related to the 113 credits you transfer in. In essence, the entire degree plus the fees you paid for those 113 credits are paid for with this Pell Grant. You may want to get the Associates on route to that Bachelors with the extra money you saved.

UMPI, 3 sessions at $1500 each will only cost you $4500.  You have close to 3K as well for any expenses you needed to transfer the max of 90 credits from ACE sources such as Sophia.org/Study.com or whatever provider you wanted to take courses from.  This would be a great option to double major in something, such as BA Accounting & BA English or BA History & BABA Project Management/Info Systems and max the Pell Grant.

TESU, 15x545=$8175. You can go for a dual degree such as BACS/BABA CIS and add in a couple certs and/or Associates on route to that degree.  You'll be paying a little under 1 grand out of pocket if you get the max Pell, but in the end, you have two Bachelors of your choice.  If you go for two flat rate terms, it'll be $8598, and you can take the Bachelors to Masters option for graduate credits instead.  It depends on you...

WGU, an option here is the Accelerated Bachelors $3985/Masters degree $3,940 combo for $7925.  You're are paying out of pocket a few hundred dollars but you're getting both the Bachelors and Masters in IT/ITM from WGU.  I really like this option if you can and want to take this combo degree, certs are included so you're working on the trifecta - Certs, Degree, Experience.

Amounts can change yearly. The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $7,395 for the 2023–24 award year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024).
Reference: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell