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2 degrees
#1
I wasn't able to find answer to this on a previous thread. I am using student loans (I know it's not ideal) to finish my degree at TESC. I have 2 classes to take to be done with a Liberal Arts degree, and I would like to get it conferred as soon as possible. My question is would I have to pay a second enrollment fee to work on a second degree (Political Science) after the first is conferred? What if I sign up for the comprehensive tuition plan? Any help would be appreciated!
#2
I believe TESC will let you use the one fee for multiple degrees within the same year....however they require 24 "new" credits for the second degree which I believe have to be earned after the original degree.

You might get a loan for the second part...but Federal Regs will stop you from using grant money for a second bachelors.

I don't see much point to what your trying to do. Take a few Poly Sci courses within your lib arts degree, you can honestly tell employers you studied poly sci while in school. I don't see how you or a potential employer would benefit from poly sci over lib arts....they are to similar. Bust out your lib arts bachelors and go get a poly sci masters or a grad certificate instead...it will be worth more to you in the end.
MBA, Western Governors University February 2014
BS Charter Oak State College November 2011
AS in EMS August 2010

I'm always happy to complete the free application waiver for those applying to WGU (I get a free gift from WGU for this).  Just PM me your first/last name and a valid email so I can complete their form.

Thread; COSC AS using FEMA http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...total.html
#3
Insights | Thomas Edison State College
MBA, Western Governors University February 2014
BS Charter Oak State College November 2011
AS in EMS August 2010

I'm always happy to complete the free application waiver for those applying to WGU (I get a free gift from WGU for this).  Just PM me your first/last name and a valid email so I can complete their form.

Thread; COSC AS using FEMA http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...total.html
#4
This was partially answered in your Financial Aid thread. You have two options if this is the route you really want to go with TESC. To make sure we come at this from the right angle, let me confirm what I've read from this and your other posts? You're wanting to cover all costs using Financial Aid, with no out of pocket expenses...right? But since you only have six credits remaining for your current degree and must meet the credit-per-term minimum, you're trying to add additional courses to fill terms so the enrollment fees and all are covered. With TESC, most people break even on Fin Aid around the third term.

First, you can choose to complete one bachelors, graduate, then start a second bachelors. In this instance, the college does not place many restrictions on the choice of majors BUT you cannot begin earning credits towards the second degree until the first is conferred. In other words, you would need to complete those two courses in the first term of your enrollment, submit your graduation form and sit out the next term (relinquishing 1/4 of your Financial Aid package due to not taking classses) while your degree is conferred, then start classes for the second bachelors in the third and fourth term of your enrollment period. During those last two terms, you must complete 24 NEW credits not applied on your previously-conferred degree to finish before an additional enrollment period is required, putting you in a similar bind at how the enrollment fee would be covered. Also, as rebel pointed out, once your first 4-year degree is conferred, Fed regulations say you are no longer eligible for grant money so your second degree would have to be funded purely from student loans. If I were in your shoes, I'm not sure this wold be the ideal plan. That's a lot of debt to take on a second degree you only marginally need, just to fully cover your enrollment fee without taking funds out of pocket. In the long run, those funds will still come out of pocket plus interest since you'll be using student loans to cover them, and putting yourself in a HUGE time crunch to complete 24 credits in two terms, where at least 12 of those credits must come from OL or GS courses and could not be transferred from CBE or other time-flexible options.

Your second option, and possibly preferable given your described situation, you can earn a DUAL MAJOR bachelors. In other words, you'll be working towards two bachelor degrees simultaneously. You will not be able to graduate with one before you complete the other; both would need to confer at the same time on the same graduation form. But, this means you remain eligible for Pell grant funds throughout, becuase you have not yet had a 4-year degree conferred. The college has restrictions on what types of degrees can be combined in this way, so you would need to run your choices by them to determine which options could be combined. If you find two degrees that the college agrees can be earned as dual degrees, you only need to earn a minimum of 12 new credits (confirm that number with the school, but I think that's what my requirement was when I briefly added a dual major...the TESC website is down for me to research it quickly), which you could take through the school to get you two more terms of grant coverage to help spread the cost of that enrollment fee.

With option one, you will need to earn 6 credits towards your current degree goal, then 24 credits towards your secondary degree, for a total of 30 credits. If choosing this route, Comprehensive Tuition would be your best bet IF you were going to take all 30 credits through the school, BUT if you're only taking the minimum required to qualify for financial aid (6 per term for 3 terms, 18 credits) then transfer the rest from CBE, SL, PF, or somewhere else, Enrolled Tuition is still your best bet. One of the four terms would need to be sat out while the first degree confers, putting your timeline for earning and your funding timeline like this:
Term 1 - Complete 6 credits towards first bachelors in OL or GS, funded with Pell and/or student loans
Term 2 - wait, cannot earn any credits while first degree confers; this terms' Fin Aid package award is relinquished
Term 3 - Complete 12 credits towards second bachelors where at least 6 are in OL or GS, funded with only student loans
Term 4 - Complete 12 credits towards second bachelors where at least 6 are in OL or GS, funded with only student loans
*Make sure all transfers completed in terms 3 and 4 are updated by the close of the 4th term or pay out of pocket for an enrollment extension while your transcripts update to graduate.

With option two, you only need to complete 6 credits to finish the requirements of the first degree then 12 credits to finish the second set of requirements, for a total of 18. There are no time-wasting wait periods mid-way through. Your timeline and funding would look like this
Term 1 - Complete 6 credits towards either degree in OL or GS, funded with Pell and/or student loans
Term 2 - Complete 6 credits towards either degree in OL or GS, funded with Pell and/or student loans
Term 3 - Complete 6 credits towards either degree in OL or GS, funded with Pell and/or student loans
Term 4 - graduate (relinquish 1/4 of your Fin Aid BUT since you're taking the Enrolled Options plan for less than the Comp Tuition plan break-even, you should be paid up by about the third term)


Aside from those options...have you taken a serious look at Charter Oak or Excelsior? Though I hate to steer anyone away from my alma mater, in your particular situation, I can't help but wonder if you might be a better fit for one of those, given how few credits you have left compared to the TESC enrollment fee. They are reputedly more budget-friendly in terms of both fees and payment options if you're looking to spread costs out a bit...without neeting to add an unnecessary second degree just to qualify for Aid packages.

P.S. - TESC's website started working again. You can find the requirements for each of the options above here: Award of Degrees Option one detailed above is a "Second Bachelor's Degree." Option two detailed above is "Two Areas of Study Within One Degree."
BSBA, HR / Organizational Mgmt - Thomas Edison State College, December 2012
- TESC Chapter of Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society for Business, Management and Administration
- Arnold Fletcher Award

AAS, Environmental, Safety, & Security Technologies - Thomas Edison State College, December 2012
AS, Business Administration - Thomas Edison State College, March 2012


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