graceface33 Wrote:Hey guys, I'm new here and have been searching the threads for a couple of days now. I still have a question that I have not been able to get a definitive answer to. I am enrolling in TESC to complete the last 12 hours that I have (all other credits come from a B&M school). I will start in July and I absolutely have to use financial aid to enroll. I really only need 2 quarters to complete my degree, but in order for FA to pay for my enrollment fee, I will have to use the comprehensive plan.
My questions are:
1.) Can I just NOT accept the monies for the last 2 quarters?
2.) If that is not an option, Would I be able to use those 2 quarters to begin graduate course work?
3.) OR a second bachelor's degree?
Obviously, I just want to finish the last 9 hours and be done with it. Is that going to be possible without having to pay the other 2 quarters that I didn't use? Are they going to bill me if I've already graduated or will they not allow me to graduate?
Thanks for your help!
1) You can choose to not accept the distributed financial award for the last 2 quarters, but be aware this does not mean you'll receive the entirety of your annual award package during the first two. It means you'll get half of your annual award package. This is generally not enough to cover your costs, so you'll still probably have some out-of-pocket expense. Most people break even around the third term.
2) You would need to check with TESC's Fin Aid department, but my gut says that will not be an option.
3) So long as you do not graduate with the first one (thereby changing your eligibility status), you can use the Fin Aid monies to work on a second (in this case, AKA dual-major) Bachelor OR Associates (both are undergrad; your eligibility simply changes once you've received the first Bachelor, and that is driven by Fed standards, not TESC being difficult...even though they are difficult to work with). Be careful, though, and speak with Advising on what is permitted to add as a dual-major, because they do get very picky with these. The requirements are on the website, but they're a bit fuzzy to interpret.
Some things to note if you haven't already seen them mentioned elsewhere:
1) TESC Financial Aid distributes your total annual award package over four terms in a given year, through your enrollment period. You can choose to forego one or more of those terms, but it does not change the distribution division, it merely means you choose not to accept part of your award package. For instance, if your total award package is $10,000...your per-term award is $2,500. If you finish in two terms, you will receive $5,000 total.
2) You must take online or guided study courses to qualify for disbursement each term, and you must take a minimum of six credits (usually two courses) each term to be considered full-time to receive that term's award. TECEPs, ePack, or any other form other than online or guided study courses will not be included (you can take them in addition, above the 6 credits in OL or GS courses, but still must take at least six credits of OL or GS). Since you only have 12 credits remaining, this means you only have enough courses left to fill out two terms...unless you add an Assoc. or dual-major Bachelors.
3) Why do you say Comprehensive Tuition is your most cost-effective option? If you're only taking 12 credits, the per-credit should be most effective, unless you have extenuating circumstances? For most situations, around 20 credits is the break-even between Comprehensive Tuition and Enrolled Tuition plans. If you're taking less than 20, Enrolled tends to be cheaper. More than 20, Comprehensive tends to be cheaper. The tuition package selected will not alter or impact the requirement to still meet a minimum of 6-credits per term to qualify for aid disbursement. It merely means you'll take more debt for less.
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