National Accreditation courses - Excelsior

[wonderjojo]

Just spoke with them, they say they DO NOT accept national accreditation courses.

well, only way we could try is do a Portfolio...........

did some reading on the site, people say it is tedious and most of all EXPENSIVE.

How else can I not lose that credit.

TESC, no! had issues with them already, got mixed msgs.

ANY SUGGESTIONS???

TKS.

[barcotta]

How much credit is at stake and in what areas?

[wonderjojo]

a ton of IT credit.

about 55 quarter hours of work.

[cookderosa]

a ton of IT credit.

about 55 quarter hours of work.

So that's 37 credits. Well, I had the same issue. I came in with 63 (94 quarters). Seriously, it is faster to start over.
What would be the fastest way to get those into RA credit is going to find IT certs and tests that are ACE evaluated. Not knowing anything about IT, I can't really help you with the specifics, however, I know you IT folks are always talking about certs and stuff- much of that is ACE evaluated for credit. As for tests, there are 2 for sure (CLEP/DSST) 100 level, and I don't know about upper level. I'd suggest looking at the list of TECEP and ECE exams.

Here is why I think you should not worry about those 37 credits no matter what they are (and believe me, I studied this problem - my problem- for about 10 years before I ended up here)

1) If some are gen eds, these are easily testable. At 6 credits per general exam. *5 each: English Comp, College Math, Social Science, Natural Science, and Humanities. That's 30 credits for ~$400. You can't even take community college classes for that cost. ($16 per credit)

2) If they are in major computer courses, then you are already over the needed amount. Even if they were an EXACT fit for your major (not likely) you'll still only be using about 33 credits, so about 6 quarters are not usable. Then, there has to be the proper proportion of upper and lower level. If these are all lower level, you are looking at new credits anyway.

3) Some of those credits you have could end up in free electives. If you are a TESC student, free electives are free through FEMA courses. NEVER pay for free electives at TESC. NEVER. They are FREE. (27 credits=40 quarter credits)

4) PLA is a marketing dream but a mid-career adult cluster headache. Reality is that it's too expensive and too tricky for the average applicant. Can it be done? Yes. People here do PLAs. A few have done a lot of PLA. But you should spend a good amount of time understanding exactly what you have to prove when you challenge a course. To look at a course syllabus and then assemble a portfolio PROVING that you are competent in each competancy....that can be hard to prove. Even as a student you might not have been competent in EACH course competency. You must use an existing course syllabus or course description from an existing college course, you can't just ask for X credits in IT. If, after your homework, you think it's still worth your time- then go for it. I'll tell you why I declined to attempt PLA. It cost the EXACT the same per credit as any coursework (which at TESC was about $150 at the time- about $450 per 3 credit course) so, no thank you. It was MUCH faster and easier for me to speed through new credits at a rate of $0-30 each. PLA is 4 TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN TESTING.


So, how cheaply can someone earn 37 credits?

Let me show you a good start:

27 FEMA credits = $0
30 CLEP General Exams = $400
12 ALEKS math/stats credits =$20 to $80

So, if you gave me $500, I could turn that into 69 credits in 1 semester. That's more than half your bachelor's degree.

The other half, can be earned through more CLEP exams, inexpensive online community college courses, and other fun options that you'll discover hanging out here. So, my vote is to eat the 55 NA quarter hours and never look back.


Jennifer

[cookderosa]

I wanted to add, you wouldn't be the first person who spent more time, effort, and money to use credits rather than allowing them to dangle. Just know, that the more credits you are trying to force into a new degree, the more convoluted your path. (I have 19 math/science credits burning a hole in my pocket hilarious that I'd love to use in another associates degree)

[Katterina]

Are they NA credits from a school accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council? (DETC)

Students on another forum have successfully petitioned for credit from DETC schools in the past.

[cookderosa]

I have a better plan still. You could apply to American Military University (AKA American Public University) and have a seriously shot at getting full use of your credits. AMU/APU are dual accredited, so they accept both national and regional credits- but your degree would be REGIONALLY ACCREDITED. They are 100% online and offer associates-masters.
American Public University System


*they offer identical programs, you just pick which school you want to go through- it's worth the application to see what they say!