Paying for Cleps/Maximizing student loans

[sanantone]

I did this since I qualified for a full Pell. I can't remember the breakdown of the numbers exactly (but that wouldn't matter since I graduated in 08) but I payed cash for almost every CLEP for about 6 months before enrolling at TESC. I did that by selling things on Craigslist/eBay, many yard sales, etc. and did a coin jar. I mentioned that to someone in another thread, I think they thought I was kidding; I'm completely serious btw. Our budget had $0 in it for school (and 4 children whose needs came first) so every time I had a dime or a dollar- it went in that jar. Every time I could pay for a CLEP, I'd take one.
I applied for my financial aid and when I did it, I can't remember exactly, but I think the enrollment fee made it hard for me to work out the Pell perfectly, so I ended up taking a student loan for $5k as well. I used TESC for all of my upper level CLASSES and CLEP for lower level exams. I continued to pay cash for exams and TESC kicks back overage every quarter or semester or something, so I put 100% of that into a savings account. I didn't need more than about $1k of my loan if I recall, so all of the "overpayments" were in the savings account and untouched. When I finished my testing, I kept doing my scrimp/saving plan and was able to get my savings account back up to 100% of what the student loan was during my 6 month grace period after graduation. On the day that my first loan payment was due I wrote a check for the entire amount.

You don't need loans to pay for this kind of degree if you already qualify for a Pell. You might need to deliver pizzas and pick up a second or third job until you stash some cash for exams, but this kind of degree won't cost you even $10,000 for the whole thing. You can make it work if you're motivated. Good luck!

If the OP qualifies for a full Pell award, I bet this degree can be finished for less than a couple of thousand out of pocket. It would be better if the OP could find a community college that charges less than $100 per credit. I don't know if there are residency issues. I forgot the per credit breakdown of Clovis Community College and New Mexico Junior College, but it might be worth it to look into those. The average CC is around $3,000 per year in-state/in-district. That leaves over $2,000 to pay for tests. If a person with a full Pell award were to plan well, they might be able to get away with paying a few hundred dollars or less out of pocket.

It is already possible to test out of the BSBA in General Management for less than $4,000, so the CIS AOS won't be that much more expensive. Depending on how fast the OP wants to finish, he or she can earn the maximum of 80 CC credits TESC can accept with no money out of pocket. That will leave only 40 credits that need to be tested out of. That's only 13/14 tests/courses or less with 6-credit exams, most, if not all, of which will be covered by leftover financial aid. If the OP wants to finish faster. $2,000 of leftover financial aid per year can cover 20 tests or more for 60+ credits.

[sanantone]

This is about how cheaply one can complete a BSBA in CIS. This does not take into account the number of lower level credits that can be covered at a CC.

BSBA in Computer Information Systems

General Education

English Comp I: CLEP Composition General (6 credits) - $100
English Comp II: Overage from CLEP - $0
College Algebra or Quantitative Analysis: ALEKS College Algebra - $20
Managerial Communication: Saylor Corporate Communication - $25
Electives in Intellectual and Practical Skills: ALEKS Precalculus (or Trigonometry, duplicates) - $0
=$145

Human Cultures and the Natural and Physical World
Macroeconomics: CLEP - $100
Microeconomics: CLEP - $100
Statistics: ALEKS Intro to Statistics, Business Statistics, or Statistics for Behavioral Sciences - $0
=$200

Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science, or Interdisciplinary Electives (9 credits)
Any 6-credit liberal arts test - $100
ALEKS Intermediate Algebra- $0
=$100

Personal and Social Responsibility
Diversity/Global Literacy: Any qualified TECEP - $111
Responsible Ethical Leadership: Any qualified TECEP - $111
Ethics or Diversity Elective: Any qualified TECEP - $111
=$333

General Education Electives (18 credits)
Saylor Intro to Western Political Thought - $25
Saylor Calculus I - $25
Saylor Chemistry - $25
Saylor Biology - $25
6-credit CLEP - $100
=$200

Business Core
Principles of Finance: DSST - $100
Business Law: Saylor Business Law and Ethics - $25
Business in Society: TECEP - $111
Strategic Management: TECEP - $111
Computer Requirement: Saylor Intro to Computer Science I - $25
Intro to Marketing: Saylor - $25
Principles to Financial Accounting: TECEP - $111
Principles of Managerial Accounting: TECEP - $111
Principles of Management – Saylor $25
=$644

Area of Study Options 18 credits (Credits must be in at least three areas out of Accounting, Management, Finance, and Marketing. At least 12 credits must be upper level.)
One course at Javaonline.org - $140
Systems Analysis and Design at Adams State University - $600
TECEP Networking Technology – $111
DSST Management Information Systems - $100
DSST Cybersecurity - $111
TEEX Cybersecurity for Everyone - $0
One more credit needed.
=$1062

Business Electives
4 credits from TEEX - $0 (an extra credit here that can be used to negotiate exception in area of study)
Any business CLEP/DSST - $100
Saylor Business Statistics (equivalent of Operations Management) - $25
=$125

Free Electives (6 credits)
NFA (3 credits) - $0
Kaplan PLA - $0
=$0

Total: $2809
With graduation ($299) and application ($75): $3183
With transcript fees from ACE ($40), CLEP ($20), and DSST ($30): $3273

Edited: Added Saylor Chemistry, Saylor Biology, Saylor Business Statistics, and Kaplan PLA to reduce costs.

[KayV]

It just occurred to me that since you made that wonderful list, Saylor has added a few courses (Biology and Chemistry for 3 hours each from ACE, and Business Stats OPM-351 from NCCRS). You could even squeeze the Kaplan PLA credit in there for 3 more no-cost hours. Now if only TEEX would come up with a few more free cyberclasses for that extra hour of credit....

[sanantone]

I forgot about the Kaplan course. That would reduce $100 from my plan above. Business Stats from Saylor will reduce $75 from business electives. I'll change it.

[Motomi]

I forgot about the Kaplan course. That would reduce $100 from my plan above. Business Stats from Saylor will reduce $75 from business electives. I'll change it.

Thanks for that amazingly helpful list Sanantone. I'm thinking it looks like the best bet would be to enroll at New Mexico Junior College or somewhere similar. Which is $744.00 for full time out of state 12 credit hours for the lower level courses to get the maximum out of the Pell grant. Then using the leftover funds to pay for as many of the required tests as I could.

[defscarlett]

No, that's why the leftover financial aid would be used for UL tests, ACE courses, etc.
The BSBA in CIS at TESC is very test friendly. Systems Analysis and Design can be taken as an independent study course at Adams State University for less than it would cost to take it at TESC under the Per Credit Tuition Plan. I think the course is around $600. It can also be taken at a community college, but it won't count toward the UL requirements for the area of study.

I was speaking to the difference between the BSBA-CIS and BA-CIS. If the OP is good with the BSBA then that's going to be the best option.

Thanks for sharing the Adams State Uni. course, I didn't realize they had this course.

[sanantone]

I was speaking to the difference between the BSBA-CIS and BA-CIS. If the OP is good with the BSBA then that's going to be the best option.

Thanks for sharing the Adams State Uni. course, I didn't realize they had this course.

TESC doesn't have a BA in CIS; they have a BA in CS and a BSAST in IT. COSC offers concentrations in IS and CS and a major in cybersecurity. I found out about Adams State University from another member.

[EI2HCB]

Here is the issue as pointed out by CDR your expenses equal your income. Therefore you must either decrease your expenses or increase your income. Availing of the grant is important since it results in basically free money however the time commitment in taking classes at a Community College cuts into your earning potential in other areas. A pizza delivery job two nights a week would cover you for a CLEP each week so that you can start building towards your degree. I'm currently bogged down in a Financial Accounting class each monday night for 3 hours and don't have time to put in for the CLEP test since I'm doing homework when I'm not working three jobs (little EI2HCB on the way in December Lord Willing and I need cash for baby stuff.)

[GoodYellowDogs]

I did the same thing as Jennifer.

I didn't qualify for any grants because I made too much. However, I didn't make enough to go to college and I didn't want to take out loans. I initially paid the tuition at Excelsior by doing the 6 payment plan (same with the continuing student fee). Then I sold stuff on ebay, craigslist, saved coins (every night I dumped my purse), and saved any rebates I got. I also asked my family to give me money for birthdays and Christmas ($20 adds up fast I also negotiated with the private proctor in town for a discount on proctoring fees when I did multiple tests.

Denise

I did this since I qualified for a full Pell. I can't remember the breakdown of the numbers exactly (but that wouldn't matter since I graduated in 08) but I payed cash for almost every CLEP for about 6 months before enrolling at TESC. I did that by selling things on Craigslist/eBay, many yard sales, etc. and did a coin jar. I mentioned that to someone in another thread, I think they thought I was kidding; I'm completely serious btw. Our budget had $0 in it for school (and 4 children whose needs came first) so every time I had a dime or a dollar- it went in that jar. Every time I could pay for a CLEP, I'd take one.
I applied for my financial aid and when I did it, I can't remember exactly, but I think the enrollment fee made it hard for me to work out the Pell perfectly, so I ended up taking a student loan for $5k as well. I used TESC for all of my upper level CLASSES and CLEP for lower level exams. I continued to pay cash for exams and TESC kicks back overage every quarter or semester or something, so I put 100% of that into a savings account. I didn't need more than about $1k of my loan if I recall, so all of the "overpayments" were in the savings account and untouched. When I finished my testing, I kept doing my scrimp/saving plan and was able to get my savings account back up to 100% of what the student loan was during my 6 month grace period after graduation. On the day that my first loan payment was due I wrote a check for the entire amount.

You don't need loans to pay for this kind of degree if you already qualify for a Pell. You might need to deliver pizzas and pick up a second or third job until you stash some cash for exams, but this kind of degree won't cost you even $10,000 for the whole thing. You can make it work if you're motivated. Good luck!