Why does TESU charge a residency waiver fee?

[yb1]

I was having dinner with family and trying to explain to them how TESU works. Everyone else in my family has gone to big name brick and mortars except for me.

I told them that I needed to dish out 2000$ for the residency requirement and instantly I am bombarded by comments like "that sounds for-profit" "Your school's name is Thomas Edison?" "Did Thomas Edison grow up in New Jersey?"


"I don't know where Edison grew up but no, Thomas Edison State University, is a regionally accredited school in New Jersey, it has the same accreditation as the University of Virginia. They have partnerships with alternative styles of credits that utilize ACE recommended credits and are known for their lenient residency requirement.... It's just a check mark for HR, I am not in debt, just stop asking me about it, I explain this to you like once every three months"

I couldn't give a straightforward answer by why they charge the residency requirement because I do not know. My understanding the fee is a relatively new thing, and before you had to do 8 TECEP exams.


The question is what is the real reason for the resident requirement? Does anyone know?

[alzee]

The question is what is the real reason for the resident requirement? Does anyone know?

The school may be a public not-for-profit, but it's not a non-profit or charitable organization. They have budgets to make, and dropping the residency requirement entirely would impact their bottom line.

[jsd]

Same reason the schools they all went to have a residency requirement - nonprofits still need money to operate.

[jsd]

btw -- Edison didn't grow up in NJ, but he did live (and die) there in his later years

[Prloko]

I was having dinner with family and trying to explain to them how TESU works. Everyone else in my family has gone to big name brick and mortars except for me.

I told them that I needed to dish out 2000$ for the residency requirement and instantly I am bombarded by comments like "that sounds for-profit" "Your school's name is Thomas Edison?" "Did Thomas Edison grow up in New Jersey?"


"I don't know where Edison grew up but no, Thomas Edison State University, is a regionally accredited school in New Jersey, it has the same accreditation as the University of Virginia. They have partnerships with alternative styles of credits that utilize ACE recommended credits and are known for their lenient residency requirement.... It's just a check mark for HR, I am not in debt, just stop asking me about it, I explain this to you like once every three months"

I couldn't give a straightforward answer by why they charge the residency requirement because I do not know. My understanding the fee is a relatively new thing, and before you had to do 8 TECEP exams.


The question is what is the real reason for the resident requirement? Does anyone know?

Not to knock your family, but where any of these degrees in business? Colleges have operating costs. These include variable costs like cafeteria lunch, heating bills, teacher salaries, etc. They have fixed costs like capital improvements, IT infrastructure, etc. To cover the costs they get money from endowments, and state funding, the rest are spread over student tuition. Tuition fees are estimated to cover break even left over funds for capital improvements. These are best estimates and schools try to spread the cost based on student consumption (course load) although many charge a flat tuition regardless of consumption (head charge).

TESU, like any other institution has costs, part of this cost is covered by its paltry endowment, it's small state appropriation (about 5% of its total budget) and other income. The great majority is from student fees. To ensure enough fees are brought in from each student, like other schools, they have a minimum residency requirement. Since TESU is also an assessment college which allows you to transfer in 98% of your credits, the allow students to pay a waiver which waives the residency. This isn't some "for-profit" scheme. This benefits the student. Their school had most likely a 30-45 credit minimum residency requirement. I'm sure if they had the opportunity to transfer in 100 credits from a cheaper school and pay a $2000 fee for it, they would likely jump on it.

Many people on this forum get all hurt by the fee, but a lot of these people started after others on here found ways to exploit a loophole. TESU is not being unreasonable to want to charge for their services and receive enough funds from students to cover costs.

[jsd]

Many people on this forum get all hurt by the fee, but a lot of these people started after others on here found ways to exploit a loophole. TESU is not being unreasonable to want to charge for their services and receive enough funds from students to cover costs.

I really like this point. It sucks some of us missed out, but it's not unreasonable. And it's still a very affordable degree.

[yb1]

I really like this point. It sucks some of us missed out, but it's not unreasonable. And it's still a very affordable degree.

Very affordable. Although my pockets not going to like it. Once all said and done, I'll be debt free.

Now I want to know how much of a miniority are we? How many people have tested out of a TESU, COSC, Exes degree.


I believe this is the future of education. This and competency based education.

Thanks for the answers guys. Seems like a silly question after reading y'all response

[davewill]

It's not THAT silly. A residency "waiver" does sound weird. If residency matters to them, why accept money to "waive" it? Might be better to call it "minimum tuition" or something like that. To be honest, I don't discuss details like that when I'm talking to someone who isn't actually interested in pursuing TESU themselves. Especially if their motivation is to pick holes in my degree.

[videogamesrock]

People have this tunnel vision where they make the most rational and simplest decision very complex. It becomes very hard for them to think and compare that TESU was a much better deal and they will try to justify that going to Virginia makes their degree a little better than a TESU degree when it doesn't at all matter where you went to school. I've also seen the more educated people are, sometimes their tunnel vision gets worse and they can't seem to think outside of the box.

Don't worry about their opinions, you obviously don't have tunnel vision.

[cookderosa]

I was having dinner with family and trying to explain to them how TESU works. Everyone else in my family has gone to big name brick and mortars except for me.

I told them that I needed to dish out 2000$ for the residency requirement and instantly I am bombarded by comments like "that sounds for-profit" "Your school's name is Thomas Edison?" "Did Thomas Edison grow up in New Jersey?"


"I don't know where Edison grew up but no, Thomas Edison State University, is a regionally accredited school in New Jersey, it has the same accreditation as the University of Virginia. They have partnerships with alternative styles of credits that utilize ACE recommended credits and are known for their lenient residency requirement.... It's just a check mark for HR, I am not in debt, just stop asking me about it, I explain this to you like once every three months"

I couldn't give a straightforward answer by why they charge the residency requirement because I do not know. My understanding the fee is a relatively new thing, and before you had to do 8 TECEP exams.


The question is what is the real reason for the resident requirement? Does anyone know?

____

Here's the answer- Your family attended college with residency requirements too. In their case, they met these requirements by taking classes on campus. You can do that at TESU, you can meet those requirements by taking classes like traditional students. What makes TESU unique is that they allow other ways to meet that requirement. You can "buy out" the requirement by paying money. TESU allows you to take courses or TECEPs. But, it's not unlike their college, but you just have more options.

Part 2 - get a second or third job, save that cash yourself and never discuss college costs with them again. When people give you money, they feel entitled to share their opinions about how you spend that money (and in this case WHERE). You know who doesn't have an opinion? People you don't tell things to or ask money from.

Cut the umbilical cord. If you want people to be excited, share your concerns and joys, worry with, plan with, and talk to - come here. This community will support you.

TESU is a 100% legitimate and regionally accredited non-for-profit state school. If it offers the degree you want at the price point you want in a way that allows scheduling and flexibility that meet YOUR needs, then it's the right school for you.