COSC no longer one of the 'big 3'

[sanantone]

Plus COSC has the GRE option.

...that no one uses.

I did ask COSC about using the GRE for degrees that aren't in the same subject, and their answer wasn't definitive.

[nosey561]

Also, Charter Oak is the ONLY option for students who are 16 or 17 years old.

[Life Long Learning]

Also, Charter Oak is the ONLY option for students who are 16 or 17 years old.

Not true!

A 12-year-old just graduated from Excelsior College.

https://bckonline.com/2018/07/18/12-year...nd-degree/

[cookderosa]

COSC makes it more difficult to complete degrees because if you take a break they charge an almost $300 'student fee' for the privilege of not being withdrawn as a student.  You don't have to pay it but then you have to be rematriculated and will likely lose credits. 
They also are now only accepting 3 FEMA credits.

There is now only a 'Big 2'

We'll be paying that fee for our oldest - he's taking his cornerstone in January but won't take his capstone until this summer. Honestly, it's annoying, but not a deal breaker over here. I'll pay $300 (several times) to save $50,000 and that's exactly what we're doing. My son's tuition to COSC will be $1100 per class (he is receiving a 10% Straighterline scholarship) so that's only $2200. Throw in his fees, we're still killing it.

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Plus COSC has the GRE option.

...that no one uses.

I did ask COSC about using the GRE for degrees that aren't in the same subject, and their answer wasn't definitive.

It is in their exam chart- each exam has a little letter by it saying what it provides. COSC allows you to use 1 class to check multiple boxes, so as an example, a GRE in biology with a passing score checks () Liberal Arts () Natural Science () Elective () upper level ... and maybe others, I'm going from memory, but it doesn't matter what your degree is in, you still have to check all the boxes. *which is why their degree planning is really complex and pretty confusing imo.

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Also, Charter Oak is the ONLY option for students who are 16 or 17 years old.

Liberty University and Bluefield are also options at that age, but both are absolutely Christian colleges which may not work for some. Additionally, Brigham Young doesn't have any age or grade limits AT ALL for their indy courses - you could take these in elementary school if you wanted!
Liberty and Bluefield both purposefully have dual enrollment that starts at grade 10 (any age) that aligns with their AA / BA with the obvious encouragement of having you complete a full degree with them. (which is about ten grand higher than through the big 3, even when you're really maxing out transfer)
It really depends on what you want- if you want CLASSES for young people, they have them (Bluefield is really cheap too) but then a person could transfer to COSC/TESU/EC when old enough if they wanted max transfer and the cheapest overall degree.

[dfrecore]

If it's true that COSC only accepts three FEMA credits now, someone will have to reevaluate the typical cost for the more popular degrees.

I have degree plans for a BALS at both COSC and TESU, and with all things being equal, COSC works out to be $900 less than TESU.  In July, it will be $1700 less to go with COSC, assuming they don't raise their fees as well.  Even so, it's starting to become quite a bit less expensive than TESU.

This does not include FEMA, so if you're already enrolled at COSC, and have those free credits accepted, then it's even cheaper.

When using my spreadsheet for costs, I assume $100 per course, so this does not include ALEKS, Saylor, Modern States, OnlineDegree.com, or anything except the free credits from The Institutes, TEEX and Sophia.  But I'm trying to make an apples-to-apples comparison.  The only thing you will definitely have to pay more for at COSC is the lab science, which I pegged at $140.

[natshar]

I saw the title of the thread and was expecting something dramatic like COSC requiring 30 credits in residence or even 30 credits must be taken at a 4-year university. A little dramatic. They are still the big 3.

Honestly, with the way TESU keeps enacting policies (100 credit capstone, 3 credit cornerstone, etc.) I am kind of wondering what could happen come July. Higher rates for sure and as more time goes on COSC seems to be a more solid option for some.

Also lets not forget they accept Shoomp. And some FEMA is better than no FEMA.

[bnm]

After reading the replies I agree COSC is still one of the 'big 3' but losing an entire free year of college is noteworthy.

[dfrecore]

After reading the replies I agree COSC is still one of the 'big 3' but losing an entire free year of college is noteworthy.

Given that FEMA credits weren't ACE or NCCRS approved, I would say that it was just a matter of time before they went away (TESU stopped accepting those years ago); the main thing to think is that COSC was MORE than generous accepting these credits in the first place.  You're not losing anything so much as you were getting something for free for too long.

[Ideas]

Is COSC's capstone roughly similar to TESU's? Or easier in some way?

[MNomadic]

After reading the replies I agree COSC is still one of the 'big 3' but losing an entire free year of college is noteworthy.

https://modernstates.org/freshman-year-free/

https://www.onlinedegree.com

https://www.saylor.org/credit/

https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Fr..._of_Credit


Plenty of other ways to get a year+ for free