New TESU Residency Requirement!!! 16cr, TECEP's do not count?!?

[sanantone]

I was just looking at the credit requirements and read 16 cr required. If that is the amount for the Bachelor degree, that's a bargain compared to the current 24. Hypothetically, if I enroll before March 31. Does that mean we will be subject to the requirements before the implementation date of April 1? Darn, COSC seems a bit more appealing now. *Sigh*.

I'm pretty sure the 16 credit residency requirement is coming at the same time as the removal of TECEPs and portfolio assessments as meeting the residency requirement. So, it's not a bargain. TECEPs and portfolio assessments were the cheap way of meeting the residency requirement. Starting April 1st, you'll have to take online or guided study courses or e-Packs at $499 per credit hour.

It looks like the amount of the Residency Waiver fee is the key to determining if this is a bad deal or a good deal. You'll have to take their Cornerstone course ($300), Capstone ($525 x 3 = $1,575), pay the $75 application fee, and the the $323 graduation fee, and probably something I'm forgetting. This is roughly $2,273. You're only other costs would be the costs of courses and tests from CLEP, DSST, StraighterLine, ALEKS, etc. At around $100 per course that is ~$4,000 (assuming 40 courses @ 3 credit hours each). That's ~$6,273 if the Residency Waiver fee is $0. Still... a four year degree for under $10,000 is a bargain.

Matriculated, out-of-state students pay $499 per credit hour under the Per Credit Tuition Plan starting April 1st.

That $2,273 you mention would be in addition to the current $3,296 Out-of-state Waiver fee, making it closer to $5,600 in addition to whatever school expenses accrued up to that point, correct?

The waiver fee is for the Per Credit Tuition Plan. The $3,296 enrollment fee is for the Enrolled Options Plan.

I am in the process of enrolling at TESU and was planning on making it official before the end of March to lock in a plan/path, with the Per Credit Plan and 24 credits worth of TECEPs as residency requirement. Before the updates on TESU's website today, was there a residency requirement with the Enrolled Option Plan? The current page on the website doesn't mention any, and searching the forum is not turning up anything.

There is no residency requirement for the Enrolled Options Plan.

[Daithi]

Where are you getting the $3,296 Out-of-state Waiver fee?

I pretty sure that if you use the Per Credit Tuition Plan that you will pay $525 per credit (as a non-resident of the state of NJ)*. You will then either need to establish "residency" with the university by either taking 16 credits of courses thru TESC, or by paying the Residency Waiver fee. We don't know how much the Residency Waiver fee is because their link sends you to a page where the fee is missing.

(Note: "residency" could mean either that you have established residency with a college by intending to seek a degree with the college and taking a certain number of courses to establish that residency, and in this context it does not refer to the state in which you live. Or, residency can refer the state of which you are a resident and if that state is the same state in which the university resides then you will be eligible for a lower in-state tuition rate. It is a matter of context.)

*As Sanantone points out, this fee may actually be $499 per credit. I'm assuming that your aren't counted as a matriculated student if you don't have residency, but I don't really know. Regardless, it's just a difference of ~$75.

[mccatm]

Just and FYI to everyone, I called TESC and spoke with admissions and the residency waiver fee is 2,000.

[jsd]

In the past, the enrolled option plan had no residency requirement

Edit: sorry for the duplicate info, others beat me to it.

[sanantone]

Where are you getting the $3,296 Out-of-state Waiver fee?

I pretty sure that if you use the Per Credit Tuition Plan that you will pay $525 per credit (as a non-resident of the state of NJ)*. You will then either need to establish "residency" with the university by either taking 16 credits of courses thru TESC, or by paying the Residency Waiver fee. We don't know how much the Residency Waiver fee is because their link sends you to a page where the fee is missing.

(Note: "residency" could mean either that you have established residency with a college by intending to seek a degree with the college and taking a certain number of courses to establish that residency, and in this context it does not refer to the state in which you live. Or, residency can refer the state of which you are a resident and if that state is the same state in which the university resides then you will be eligible for a lower in-state tuition rate. It is a matter of context.)

*As Sanantone points out, this fee may actually be $499 per credit. I'm assuming that your aren't counted as a matriculated student if you don't have residency, but I don't really know. Regardless, it's just a difference of ~$75.

A matriculated student is a student who is enrolled at the college. A non-matriculated student is one who is just taking a course, TECEP, or completing a portfolio assessment for transfer to another college. There is a separate application for those who are not degree-seeking.

Just and FYI to everyone, I called TESC and spoke with admissions and the residency waiver fee is 2,000.

That is much better than the Enrolled Options Plan. So, why would someone choose the Enrolled Options Plan over the Per Credit Tuition Plan? Is it to save money on courses?

[Aurelius]

So if I apply tomorrow, does that mean I can get locked in before the residency requirements change? I had planned to complete the TECEPs for residency.

[jsd]

So, why would someone choose the Enrolled Options Plan over the Per Credit Tuition Plan? Is it to save money on courses?

Without bothering to do the math, the enrolled option with the tuition discount might be cheaper for more traditional students who are getting most of their credits through the school's online courses.

If that doesn't actually add up though, then yeah why would you do that? Maybe why they look to be phasing that option out.

[TrailRunr]

The magic number for choosing EO went down from 4 to 2. For 1 TESU course, the savings with the waiver are miniscule ($600-ish) and further reduced by the cost of the transferred UL credits.

Edit: Magic number is 2, not 3.

[TrailRunr]

So if I apply tomorrow, does that mean I can get locked in before the residency requirements change? I had planned to complete the TECEPs for residency.

I believe you are way too late for the 8 TECEP plan. You are not enrolled until the 10th day of the term under the per-credit plan. You are enrolled upon the payment date for EO and comprehensive, which doesn't help you. If they charge you the slightly higher per-credit amount if you register before April 1st, I think you might have a chance since they are charging the old rates.

[azt579]

So assuming I pay the $2,000 residency waiver I can bypass the residency requirement and transfer in up to 120 credits? And would I have to pay the $2,000 waiver immediately along with my application?

Also, I plan on enrolling in the beginning of May, would I still have to take the $300 cornerstone course?