Opinions on these two universities

[FalseNinja]

I'm considering applying to Patten University and using Straighterline to get my general ed out of the way, I actually found this website by finding the "
Completed 12 Straighterline Courses in 30 days!" post (really helpful btw) and it's way cheaper than the majority of schools people are going to, but it's not free. I know about University of the People which is free (more or less) and has a BA in Business Administration. Patten has a degree in Management/Leadership. I don't know much about the difference, and honestly I really don't know what I want to do for a career. Something vague like in an office, maybe an Accountant, not fast food like what I'm doing now.

I'm also not even sure if I should even bother with a degree since it won't guarantee me anything and I'll be right back to my fast food job like so many other people. Opinions guys? Both places are accredited, just not in my state yet with University of People so that's a bummer.

*Thought I should also add the next school would be Brandman University, but that involves borrowing government money and I'd rather deal with a bank if I need to borrow anything.

[sanantone]

Patten University is regionally accredited. University of the People is nationally accredited by DETC. Most private employers don't know the difference. The federal government makes no distinction between regional and national accreditation when it comes to employment. However, some state and local government agencies only accept regional accreditation. Getting an undergraduate degree from a nationally accredited school also limits your options for graduate school. If you decide that you don't like University of the People, then your options for transferring will be limited. Many licensing boards do not recognize degrees from nationally accredited schools.

Only a few states accredit post-secondary schools; therefore, state accreditation is not important. The only thing that might be of concern is whether your state has a approved a school to offer distance learning programs to its residents. For example, my state does not allow out-of-state colleges and universities to offer distance learning programs with internships and practicums to its residents. Normally, the school will tell you if it is not allowed to admit you as a student. Schools usually only seek approval to operate within the state where they have a physical presence. University of Phoenix is out of the norm for seeking approval in most states, but they also have physical campuses all over the country. Getting approval in all 50 states can cost over a million dollars.

You will pay $4,000 in fees at University of the People. One can test out of a BSBA at TESC (a regionally accredited school), for less than $4,000. If you aren't comfortable with testing, TESC also accepts ACE-approved credits from Straighterline and Penn Foster. If you max out the transfer credits, you might be able to finish Patten for little more than it would cost to finish University of the People. University of the People does not accept transfer credits.

You do not want to deal with a bank when it comes to taking out student loans. It is almost always better to receive loans from the government because it comes with protections such as forbearance, deferment, income-based repayment plans, and forgiveness.