40 and need a degree ... where to begin?

[cookderosa]

Sound Advice.

Jennifer, I appreciate your specifics. Sometimes I can't see the forest for the trees. That's why the sharing on this board is so great.

Based on your advice, I think I will offer to be the Next Step to those choosing to seek out first what a Community College has to offer. A 10-minute "Did you know" schpeal will at least give them enough info to know an online-lowcost-accelerated degree is possible.

So my next specific question is if one gets an AA/AS from a RA CC, are all lower level courses automatically fulfilled at all the Big 3? Do they simply start with their specific major requirements?

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No. This "automatic" filling is specific to CCs that have Articulation Agreements with 4 year colleges. For example, our local CC has 17 Articulation Agreements with Illinois and Iowa colleges/universities that are both private and public- for any student who completes an AA/AS with us, we "guarantee" that the articulation agreement will accept their credit as a giant block of credit (which can include CLEP since we accept it- even if the university normally doesn't!). This is a perk because it makes for a smooth transition. The big 3 don't have articulation agreements (or at least I don't think they do- you might find some in their local towns) but they evaluate all credit independently when it is submitted.
That said- if the RA CC issues credit- the big 3 absolutely accept it because it's RA Transfer Credit into RA Transfer Credit- but in order for it all to fit perfectly, the candidate needs to be sure it matches (somewhat) into the gen ed program. A simple example- your CC might take English Comp CLEP exam- and then you earn the AA degree. EC won't take it even wrapped inside a degree (where the state university would!).

If you have someone who wants a bachelor's degree, I'd talk to them about TESC and help them mesh a CC associates degree into a nice plan that won't waste any credit. For the CC, use what you can, but then they can really hit CLEP/DSSTs for the bachelor since TESC allows that. (remember TESC has a 90 credit cap on CC credit- but that doesn't include CLEP credit that is part of a community college degree- just the CC classes)

I hope that isn't all too confusing.