Is TESC the cheapest now? (Cost Breakdown for the Big 3)

[sanantone]

If it is true that you can fulfill the residency requirements with TECEPs at $36 per credit hour under the new Per Credit Hour Tuition Plan, TESC will be the cheapest of the Big 3. Here is the breakdown.

TESC
With Capstone
$476 (for capstone) X 3 = $1428
$36 (TECEP) X 21 (for a total of 24 credit hours for residency) = $756
$1428 + $756 = $2184

Without Capstone
$36 X 24 = $864

Technically, if you would have tested out of the courses you are taking TECEPs for regardless, you are only adding an extra $1428 with the capstone and practically $0 without the capstone to the total cost of your degree plus the little bit of extra money you'll spend on the TECEPs over DSST/CLEP/Uexcel ECEP. In other words, the money you'll spend on TECEPs would have been spent on other tests anyway. In reality, without a capstone, the only extra money you will be paying to TESC is the graduation fee. Your CBE costs will just being going to TESC instead of the College Board (CLEP), Prometric (DSST), or Excelsior and Pearson (Uexcel ECEP).

COSC
$240 (semester fee) X 2 = $480
$339 X 6 (for capstone and cornerstone) = $2034
$2034 + $480 = $2514 ($2274 if you are allowed to do the capstone and cornerstone in the same semester)

Excelsior
Multi-Source Option
$1065 (for enrollment)
$425 X 3 (for capstone) = $1275
$1275 + $1065 = $2340

If anyone can confirm this, what I've seen on the COSC website is that you have to pay for two semesters. Either way, TESC is still the cheapest. If you have to pay for two semesters COSC is more expensive than Excelsior making it the most expensive option of the Big 3 unless you count the graduation fee. Excelsior has a very expensive graduation fee at $495 making the total cost slightly more expensive than COSC.

[Daithi]

I agree with your assessment. I think TESC is now by far the cheapest. The caveat is that you need to take 8 TECEPs that you could have used CLEP or other testing with before, but that's no too bad a trade-off.

Also, I think you only need 7 TECEPs if you are taking the Capstone at TECEP, right?

Another cost factor is that TESC is a bit more generous with UL credits and requirements. This means that since you don't need as many UL credits, you can take advantage of more 6 credit CLEPs. Since COSC requires 30 UL credits and isn't as generous granting credits you will probably have to take two 3 credit courses where at TESC you can take a single 6 credit CLEP. The FEMA option at TESC and COSC also gives them a big edge over EC.

I'll have to do the numbers, but I bet you could earn a BA LS at TESC for under $5,000 -- including all testing.

[sanantone]

Also, I think you only need 7 TECEPs if you are taking the Capstone at TECEP, right?

Yeah, that's why I put 21 credits worth of TECEPs with the capstone and 24 credits worth without the capstone. If I can bring myself to read the recommended texts for the TECEPs, I just might complete another degree. I would need a lot more business credits for the BSBA anyway, and there are a lot of business TECEPs. It just doesn't seem as easy to study for TECEPs as CLEP/DSST. It's also less convenient to take TECEPs since they are paper exams. I do have a proctor I can use, but waiting for the scores will be annoying.

TECEPs are $108 and you might have to pay a proctor $20. That's more expensive than taking a DSST or CLEP at $100 for the test and proctor fees, but it's not a lot. It's much better than taking a course at $229 ($476 under the Per Credit Hour Plan) per credit hour at TESC, $339 per credit hour at COSC, or $425 per credit hour at Excelsior.

[Daithi]

[Double post deleted]

[Daithi]

Here is a sample degree plan with cost using their old requirements. I'm still not sure how CBE tests fit within their new degree requirements.

BA in Liberal Studies at Thomas Edison State College (TESC)

I. General Education Requirements_______________________________60
__A. English Composition_________________________________________6
_____TECEP ENC101 English Composition I_________________________-3
_____TECEP ENC102 English Composition II________________________-3
_____CLEP ENC101/102 College Composition w/Essay________________-6
__B. Humanities_________________________________________________12
_____CLEP HUM101/102 Humanities_________________________________-6
_____CLEP LIT111/112 American Literature________________________-6
__C. Social Sciences (2 subject areas)__________________________12
_____CLEP SOS101/102 Social Sciences and History________________-6
_____TECEP POS101 Introduction to Political Science_____________-3
_____TECEP PSY270 Psychology of Women___________________________-3
__D. Natural Sciences and Mathematics___________________________12
_____CLEP MAT101/102 College Mathematics________________________-6
_____ALEK MAT121 College Algebra________________________________-3
_____DSST COS101 Introduction to Computing______________________-3
__E. General Education Electives________________________________18
_____TECEP ENG201 Technical Writing_____________________________-3
_____TECEP JOU110 Introduction to News Reporting________________-3
_____ALEK MAT115 Intermediate Algebra___________________________-3
_____ALEK MAT129 Precalculus____________________________________-3
_____ALEK STA201 Intro to Statistics____________________________-3
_____TECEP MAT105 Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics______________-3

II. Area of Study: Liberal Studies______________________________33
__A. Lower Lever Courses (100 & 200 level; 2 @ 100 max.)________15
_____DSST ART166 Art of the Western World_______________________-3
_____CLEP LIT291/292 Analyzing and Interpreting Literature______-6
_____CLEP LIT208/209 English Literature_________________________-6
__B. Upper Lever Courses (300 & 400 level)______________________15
_____DSST REL405 Introduction to World Religions________________-3 UL
_____DSST CIS301 Management Information Systems_________________-3 UL
_____DSST SOS305 Drug & Alcohol / Substance Abuse_______________-3 UL
_____DSST PHI384 Ethics and the Business Professional___________-3 UL
_____DSST PSY361 Organizational Behavior________________________-3 UL
__C. Liberal Arts Capstone_______________________________________3
_____LIB495 Liberal Arts Capstone_______________________________-3 UL

III. Free Electives_____________________________________________27
__A. Free Electives_____________________________________________27
_____FEMA courses______________________________________________-27


COST OF TESC BALS DEGREE
Application Fee:______________$75
Technology Services Fee:_____$121
Course Tuition:____________$1,428 (3 credits @ $476)
CLEP/DSST Test Fees:_______$1,400 (14 tests @ $100)
TECEP Test Fees:_____________$840 (7 tests @ $120)
ALEKS Fees:___________________$60 (3 months @ $20)
Graduation fee:______________$290
---------------------------------
Total:_____________________$4,214

[rebel100]

This is exciting news. TESC does so much right! That old giant enrollment fee just took all the fun out of it.I hope these figures hold true.

[sanantone]

I hope these figures hold up too. TESC does so much right outside of customer service. LOL. Since Excelsior offers in-house exams, it would be nice if they adopted the same model. Excelsior seems to be desperate for people to take their courses, but charging $425 per credit hour only chases people away to CBEs.

[HorseManiac]

Whoops! Never mind! I haven't been on the forum in a few days and didn't see the other thread that answered my question!! This is really looking like a great deal!!

[IrishJohn]

Something else to consider is that Saylor and TESC are apparently working to align the former's free courses with the latter's TECEP exams: Thomas Edison State College TECEP Exams « Saylor.org – Free Online Courses Built by Professors

It looks like there is some more work they need to do for that though.

For myself, if I ever decide to finish the BSBA I started as a second bachelors, I think the $3,062 enrollment would be better. I say this because missing from the costs above are those for textbooks and other study guides needed for the TECEPS, 7 is a lot to take for exams that are reportedly much tougher than CLEP and DSST, and getting a proctor is more burdensome for me with TECEP. But those who find this helpful, good luck to you.

[scorched]

Doesn't taking TECEP also count towards GPA? I think I have seen everyone discuss this before but could not remember.