TESU - Another change for 2019 - Tuition option

[natshar]

This can be pretty useful. For someone missing just a few credits they cant get elsewhere for history, comm etc its not that bad.

It's pretty hard to pay that 9k vs this chunk. But I agree that term length should be increased.

Yes! This means good news for me since I need 16 credits for my Comm degree. Whoo hoo!

Appears that my Comm degree will actually be reduced by about 2K, and if my calculations are correct, even a bit cheaper than a straight up BA in Liberal Arts.

Maybe. But I'm pretty sure this only applies if you take 10-16 credits in the same term. You can't take mass comm. 1 and 2 in the same term and I doubt you would want to do thr capstone alongside 5 other courses.  And maybe you need 11 credits the wording isn't clear to me.

[armstrongsubero]

My math isn't wrong. It's more cost effective. If you take 16 credits, it means no residency waiver and you can pick up a a few hard to get courses that you need.

TESU must have done research and realized that most students don't need 36 credits in a year, but need 16 credits a term to graduate, and that students aren't too happy to pay that residency waiver.

Considering most of us may finish a course in a few days, it's a lot of time to play with. 3 months is a whole lot of time, like doing the capstone I felt it was taking FOREVER.

If you put the same effort on speed on these courses as we do on SDC and SL, its possible to do 16 credits in 3 months quite easily. The exception I think would be math courses like Calc III, Linear Algebra etc but the History and Comm guys have a real opportunity here!

@CarpeDiem8 You're right! A BALS degree with a concentration will be MUCH cheaper and easier now! Since you can pick up most courses from most concentrations and it's only one or 2 courses missing.

As it stands it's cheaper than paying residency waiver fee, the required info lit course and the capstone. In addition you would be able to take any courses you missed.

CS majors would also be able to take courses that interest them, like me I really wanted to do that Artificial Intelligence course TESU had. If I were starting over now. I would pay for this, since SDC has most of the courses I need, I probably would have done the PLA-100, Capstone, Info Lit, Artificial Intelligence, Assembly Language and Advanced Microprocessors and there is my 16 credits! Do courses you want without the residency waiver burden.

That 1 credit TESU expects you to take, I have a hunch it may be the PLA-100.

This change is GOOD as it allows students to receive the education they want, it opens doors to doing courses you can't find through alt credit and gives you more variety, not to mention it's cheaper.

Will it be easy? Probably not, unless you enjoy the courses! For me doing AI, Assembly Language and Advanced Microprocessors would have been a blast, I even read the book they use for their AI course in my free time. Once you enjoy what you are doing this is a very good deal and will help a lot of students.

Good job TESU, I think this is good change.

[CarpeDiem8]

Maybe. But I'm pretty sure this only applies if you take 10-16 credits in the same term. You can't take mass comm. 1 and 2 in the same term and I doubt you would want to do thr capstone alongside 5 other courses.  And maybe you need 11 credits the wording isn't clear to me.

Oh my gerd, I think you're right, I totally skimmed and missed the "per term". Now I'm really pissed! Thanks for clarifying!

[armstrongsubero]

@natshar why not? The capstone really isn't difficult to be honest. I did mine on a practical project which took extra time and still had like 5-6 days free a week. Everyone is different but most of the people on this forum are dedicated and have had enough and will go the extra mile if that's what needs to be done.

Why can't you do both? For Mass Comm II it is "advisable" that you did mass comm I and in the words of TESU "Students are responsible for making sure they have the necessary knowledge" It's not a "fixed" prereq.

I have mass comm I on my transcripts right now, and it wasn't too hard. It took like a day to do on Shmoop, this isn't Calc IV or Advanced Accounting II here, its a 100 level comms course, I think you'll be safe doing both.

---

I think it depends on the individual and their available time and will power. How bad do you want it? Take some vacation from work and do it, give your family less attention for 3 months, do whatever it takes to get it done. 16 credits a term is a full workload of a full time student. You must think "If some 18 year old kid could do it, I sure as hell can cause I've been though more tough things".

Get help from your spouse with chores and responsibilities, sleep 4-5 hours a night but get it done. It's only 3 months and in the words of my Academy instructor that he made us chant "It must done."

All it takes is some balls and grit and you can do it.

[natshar]

If you did:

Jane Austen (1 cr)
Mass comm. I (3 cr)
Comm. Theory (3 cr)
SOS 110 (3 cr)

All in one term maybe it would work. I still don't know if is 10 credits or 11 credits than qualify you for the rate. You might need to re read the website. If it's 10 credit then you could use this option, but if you need 11 you are kind of screwed unless you want to take the capstone alongside everything and then mass II but itself.

And then in the next term do mass Comm II and the capstone.


From a general Standpoint: I agree this could save money it's kind of difficult and not for everyone. 10 (maybe 11) credits a term is a lot especially if that person is a mom, dad, full time worker, etc. And considering a lot of courses have a sequence and can't be taken together (mass comm I and II, etc.) makes it harder to schedule more courses in a term. And I'm not sure if they would let you take the capstone alongside a multiple AOS courses given how strict they are about even registering for the capstone. And even if you use the flat rate if you take less than 16 credit you would need to take another term unless you want to pay the residency waiver.

---

I guess it comes down to what do you have more of money or time?

[armstrongsubero]

@nathshar see my above post. Talk to advising, let them know your situation, talk to the dean. TESU staff is actually pretty helpful and knowledgeable when it relates to taking courses from them lol.. For alt credit its another story.

I'm not saying it's easy or clear cut, but it can be done. It's not impossible. For someone now starting on their degree journey, they have a year to plan when the 3 months is available to them and they can make arrangements for it.

Like I said it depends on the individual. For me US 4000 is a LOT of money, and I would do anything under this sun to finish those courses. It all boils down to making the proper plan before attempting it and having the grit to make it through.

---

To your list I think:

Jane Austen (1 cr)
Mass comm. I (3 cr)
Mass comm. II (3 cr)
Comm. Theory (3 cr)
SOS 110 (3 cr)
Capstone (3 cr)

Is doable in 3 months once you plan properly and execute it at the right time in your life.

[natshar]

@nathshar see my above post. Talk to advising, let them know your situation, talk to the dean. TESU staff is actually pretty helpful and knowledgeable when it relates to taking courses from them lol.. For alt credit its another story.

I'm not saying it's easy or clear cut, but it can be done. It's not impossible. For someone now starting on their degree journey, they have a year to plan when the 3 months is available to them and they can make arrangements for it.

Like I said it depends on the individual. For me US 4000 is a LOT of money, and I would do anything under this sun to finish those courses. It all boils down to making the proper plan before attempting it and having the grit to make it through.

---

To your list I think:

Jane Austen (1 cr)
Mass comm. I (3 cr)
Mass comm. II (3 cr)
Comm. Theory (3 cr)
SOS 110 (3 cr)
Capstone (3 cr)

Is doable in 3 months once you plan properly and execute it at the right time in your life.

Yes I saw your post after I posted mine.  I agree I guess it just depends on the person.

I'm wondering if TESU would allow mass comm. I and II together and three AOS courses alongside the capstone.

[armstrongsubero]

Well you need 120 for the BA in Comm, and you must do 16 credits a term. Just do the 104 credits before you sign up for the plan.

Assuming you are starting with no credits and let's say you have a year to work with, spend 9 months doing the 104 credits (totally doable with a combination of StraighterLine, Study.com and Sophia Learning).

The last three months of the year, you can do your plan, according to how you plan the start of the year, you will meet the graduation cycle in time and be done. Once you have that 104 credits, TESU will let you take it.

Someone coming in with a credits already will definitely make this plan, just plan and execute.

---

And like I said once you are taking courses from TESU they will be more flexible, just talk to them, we can't assume. The probability is high they will say you can do it.

[mysonx3]

@armstrongsubero Recall that TESU's term length doesn't match their credit hour system, so 16 is not a normal credit load. TESU's terms are the length of quarter-system schools, and 16 semester hours is the equivalent of 24 quarter hours - which is double the full-time threshold at every quarter-system school I've looked at. When I wanted to do that many credits in a quarter at a local CC, I had to attend three different meetings with the head of advising and fill out a crap ton of paperwork for them to grant me permission. 16 semester hours in three months is not a normal credit load.

[CarpeDiem8]

My thought is, there must be busy professionals currently taking 10+ credits per term...if not, why would TESU introduce this other than to eliminate the 36 credit model? I can't imagine that TESU would start a new program if it wouldn't already be happening or is in demand. Also makes me think that this may clue in on the weight of the courses as well, since other busy pros can and have been handling 10+ credits per term? Seems to lead me to this conclusion.

Even if one chooses to break it up into 2 terms, it still is a net savings of about $500 or so when compared to just the straight $375 per credit tuition, provided one can take Mass Comm I and II within the same term. If not, then it doesn't work out.

here's an example

Term 1 w/ new tuition discount:
ENG-298 Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice (1)
COM-120: Mass communications I  (3)
COM-121: Mass communications II (3)
COM-100: Communication theory (3)
SOS-110: Critical Information Literacy (3)
13 credits = $3,963

Term 2, pay per credit with Study.com discount:
Liberal Arts Capstone (3) $375 x 3 = $1,125
MAR-321 - Marketing Communications TECEP (3) $75 x 3 = $225 (For AOS)

16 credits (excluding TECEP), so residency fee waived.


Total = $5,313.00.....vs pay per credit, which is $5,850.00