Multi-Source Option Enrollment Fee - Excelsior

[muchomoo]

I was just completing the online enrollment at Excelsior but quit because of the vague "Multi-Source Option Enrollment Fee". While filling out the form it presents two options;
a) Excelsior Course Option: You are required to take Excelsior College course credits.
b) Multi-Source Option: You are not required to take Excelsior College course credits.

I may be answering my own question but should I assume if I choose (a) then I can't "test out" with CLEP, DANTES, Microsoft, ... ?

They don't really give a complete description of this and if I select (b) then they charge $895!

I completed my Associate in Science from Excelsior in 2005 but things were straight forward...I paid my enrollment & then graduation fees, the rest were all CLEP & Microsoft tests (except the English reqd. Excelsior test). Again I assume then they are seeing a lot of people like me who are not taking their courses so they want a cash grab up front.

Anyway, my plan is to complete my BSc in IT and I will definitely be writing some Microsoft tests for credit. This would mean I need to pay for this "Multi-Source Fee"?

[NAP]

Welcome to the forum!

If you are not in the military, this guide will explain the 2 types of enrollment options:

https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_Coll...010_11.pdf

Basically with the Excelsior Course Option, you are getting a discount in the enrollment fee by being required to take 12 credits through Excelsior courses. The rest of the credits can be through exams.

The Multi-Source Option does not require any coursework through Excelsior.

The best choice depends on whether you need to take any courses through Excelsior to complete your degree plan.

If you need courses at EC, a third enrollment option is explained here:

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...#post86485

[muchomoo]

Ahhhh, thanks for opening my eyes!
:o

[perriquit]

Dont forget that you can join POAG for $20 and pay $275 per credit and get a discount in enrollment and graduation fees. If you dont take 12 credits at Excelsior at the end they will charge you the difference on the fees but you will still pay $275 x credit hour.

[muchomoo]

Nice!

So I searched the forum since I had no clue what POAG was. Glad I did.

POAG APPLICATION

"One way to reduce initial costs with Excelsior is to go through an organization with a partnership agreement. Peace Officers Association of Georgia is a popular one, and one that I went through. For $25 (actually $20, more on that in a bit) you can get a year membership to the organization, and that membership allows you some pretty good discounts. Instead of $895 for the enrollment fee, partership students pay around $130. Graduation fees drop from $495 down to $195 or so, and you get a discount on classes taken through EC. The price per credit drops to around $250-270/credit. (It was $250 for mine, but the price went up in July.) The partnership agreement says that you'll take 12 credits worth of courses through the school to gain the eligibility for these reduced prices. If you don't take 12 credits, but finish up the degree, the difference in the enrollment fee is added to your graduation fees. " found here
http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...light=POAG

[kevinmanemane]

what you wanna do man is check out if your degree has specific requirements like a capstone course or if the other areas of your degree are gonna be hard to find. Theres not a whole lot of ECE IT exams you can test out of so you might actually have to take a course.

so - if you know for sure that you wouldnt have to take any courses or maybe just one 3 credit capstone course and you could acquire the credits by cheaper/easier/ and/or faster means, then go with the multi source cuz even though its like 800$ upfront, its also gonna be 825$ per 3unit class so if you take 12 credits, its gonna be near 4grand. if you do the multisource, itd be only 800$upfront, maybe one cap 825$, and if you can keep the remaining tests or other means of acquiring credit below a grand, you could save at least 1500 bucks - prolly more.

[TMW2010]

Or, like the post they linked where I explained about partnership agreements with organizations like POAG, its $130 for the enrollment, $270/credit with a 12 credit obligation, and $130 for graduation ($3500 total). Where normal enrollment is $895 for enrollment, $330 per credit hour, and $495 for graduation, so with the capstone alone that would come out to $2380. Going the POAG route gets you 9 more credits for $1110 more. If you're gonna have to take classes through EC, well... You could think of it as getting 9 credits for $124/credit... Which ain't too bad.

One word of advice... Get all the Lower Level classes you can done outside of EC if possible. If you're going to sink some money into it, Partnership Agreement is the way to go, and use the 12 credit obligation to fulfill the harder to find UL credits.. That way you're not spending even more.

[muchomoo]

OK, it's sinking in. I didn't call Excelsior today to enroll but you guys are giving me a good game plan.

I am thinking I will be forced to take at least four but maybe even all 7 core courses with no option of testing out. Joining an EC partner makes the most sense, thanks TMW2010. Would you say I have to wait for the POAG membership number to get mailed to me before I enroll? I guess I can just call EC.

Question for all you ladies/gentlemen...

Can you throw some good databases/websites that I can search for online courses? I may follow Kevin's advice on finding cheaper and faster courses I can take from other online uni's.

cheers mates!

[TMW2010]

OK, it's sinking in. I didn't call Excelsior today to enroll but you guys are giving me a good game plan.

I am thinking I will be forced to take at least four but maybe even all 7 core courses with no option of testing out. Joining an EC partner makes the most sense, thanks TMW2010. Would you say I have to wait for the POAG membership number to get mailed to me before I enroll? I guess I can just call EC.

Question for all you ladies/gentlemen...

Can you throw some good databases/websites that I can search for online courses? I may follow Kevin's advice on finding cheaper and faster courses I can take from other online uni's.

cheers mates!

When you enroll, they require your partnership number, which appears on your card, so yeah, you'll need it. I think there's links around here on the forum to cheap online classes. I think Clovis CC was one of them. If you do a search, you should be good to go.

[muchomoo]

I decided to join IEEE which both gives me a membership # and access to what so far looks like a solid computer professional community. I paid $33.60 for the half year student rate membership. Only $10 bucks more than a law enforcement membership.

I applied today for the BSc in Technology majoring in VG & Sim development. The advisor confirmed my enrollment would be $130 using the IEEE membership.

I started at the Game Institute on my first course tonight, blasted through the first of ten modules in the C++ level 1 course. Very easy if you have a development background.
This course will give me 4 credits and cost $99 for the course. I bought a bundle of 4 courses for $400 including textbooks.I'd be surprised if it take more than 3 or 4 weeks to get these complete.

After I write all the EC accepted course I should need only 28 credits...still deciding on how to get these but I will likely have to cover the degree's core reqts. through EC course.