Cheapest/Fastest way to get 12 CR?

[FireMedic_Philosopher]

Hi all! 

I've been perusing the forum a bit today after just stumbling across the site and it feels like a great source of information. But I'll cut to the chase here (hopefully; I have a tendency to be a bit long-winded)...

I am wanting to pursue an MSW with the long-term goal of achieving LCSW licensure. 
I do already have a BA in Psychology and Counseling, but it was about 10 years ago and my undergrad GPA was rather poor - approximately 2.4 I believe. This is of course below the threshold that most MSW programs will accept. 

Currently I work in a social work/case work type role on the inpatient psychiatric unit of a hospital. I had entertained the idea of a more counseling-focused degree path (leading to LPC/LCPC, etc) but in short I think in a clinical setting an LCSW will open far more doors. Additionally, my owner offers specific advancement-paths for persons seeking their MSW/LCSW and a sign-on bonus once you have completed your LCSW. They also have generally been pretty flexible in working with schools to accommodate their internship/placement requirements.

Initially I had applied for Liberty University's online MSW program. I have met all the requirements except for GPA. 
I inquired about "conditional admission," academic probation, etc but no luck. I was given three alternative options:
1. Apply as a "non-degree seeking" student, complete 12 credit hours, and "obtain at least a minimum GPA required for good academic standing in, and graduation GPA from your desired program"
2. Reapply to a different program (no luck) or a lower-level (undergrad) program
3. I was also told that if I obtained 12 "graduate level" credit hours that would meet GPA requirements then I would be able to be admitted. 

Option 1 is difficult as "non-degree-seeking" students are not eligible for any financial aid, so you pay the entire thing out of pocket. I have also received some conflicting information but in speaking with a few folks they made it sound like for a graduate-level program these would need to be graduate-level credits as well. That would be close to $7000 out of pocket by my count which is not really feasible for me. 

So of course that leaves options 2 or 3. 

I tried applying to a few different graduate level programs, and ran into the same thing - met all the requirements except GPA too low. However, I did get accepted into their BSW program, and was able to transfer in 60 credits, putting me at roughly halfway to completing a BSW. From here, assuming I do well enough, I'd be able to then enter the advanced-standing MSW program, which is only 31 credit hours. In roughly mapping out the credits, I don't think it would be huge difference (time-wise) to complete half a BSW then an advanced-standing MSW vs going straight to a non-advanced-standing MSW. So I am considering that route, though trying to see if there are any additional transfer credits I'd be able to bring in quickly to shorten the time to achieve a BSW as well.  I know they allow you to transfer up to 90 credits, so I'm still trying to hash that out. 

For #3, I'm pretty much open to any option. I didn't know if anyone had any ideas for strictly graduate-level credits that I'd be able to obtain quickly (and ideally at minimum cost) to pump up my GPA to gain admission directly to the MSW program.

Of course, I should caveat all this by saying that I'm not strictly married to LU, it's just who I've been most familiar with and have had the most correspondence with. I would certainly be open to other options if anyone can think of anything that would be a better fit, perhaps. 

I'll try and outline my existing/transfer credits in a post below, as I'm already going a bit long here (told you)

Your Location: IL, USA
Your Age: 33
What kind of degree do you want?: MSW, either directly/"traditional" or by way of BSW > advanced standing MSW
Current Degree, Credits ( of any sort): BA in Psychology and Counseling from Ozark Christian College
Budget: I don't really know. I'm open to taking out loan/aid. 
Commitments: Full-time employment. Married with two kids both under 4y.o. 
Dedicated time to study: I can put away a few hours in the evening and my weekends are generally fairly open. Can sometimes squeeze in some extra studies at work from time to time.
Timeline: ASAP! 
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: My employer provides up to $10,000 in tuition assistance/loan for employees of 5 years or less (I have worked here for ~2 years). At 6 years or more this increases to a max of $20,000. Post-LCSW, there is an additional $10,000 in forgiveness available. 

Joben,

Small world. I am also from Illinois. A small Christian school near me recently closed. It was called Lincoln Christian University and it will be very much missed. It fell on hard times during COVID and closed its doors this last summer. 

It merged with your alma mater Ozark, and many of the faculty relocated to Missouri... in fact Ozark now hosts the Lincoln Seminary.

My point is this, LCU used to have an MSW/LCSW program. Despite being located at a Christian University, the program was fully certified, though I believe they did offer a specialization in Christian Counseling. You might check to see if the program survives at Ozark and if so, do you qualify for the alumni discount.

Worth a shot.