Adult Learner - looking for a solid route for a degree

[rebel100]

I will start tonight! Thank you!

Last question for now - Do they offer credit for life experiences? (Insurance Licence and formal (documented) job training, LMS style)

"Life Experience Credit" is sort of a misnomer. No, they will not award you credit for being in a profession or for work experience.....but YES there is a possibility that professional certifications you hold might have already been assessed for credit. FAA licenses, EMT liceneses, soem real estate, etc...all have various licenses that in some cases qualify for credit, there are many more.

You asked earlier about cost. I will say that $3000-$5000 for an AA/AS then $6000-$10,000 should be high end total cost for a test out style degree, or even a degree from most state colleges using 2+2 (CC forst then State College) There are exceptions and it is possible to pay more for a great education, but the Big 3 should all fall under these numbers....often well under if you do your part.

There is an AS plan linked in my signature that uses FEMA very affordably....but this is really only affordable at COSC....TESC doesn't take FEMA at all and EC charges $80/credit for them now.

[bjcheung77]

I will start tonight! Thank you!

Last question for now - Do they offer credit for life experiences? (Insurance Licence and formal (documented) job training, LMS style)

All schools, if not most, will offer some type of PLA. It depends on which school you want to attend. For TESU, it's $379/12 credits and $250/6 additional credits, I will assume if you want more, it's an additional $250/6 subsequent credits. However, on the other end, COSC is $400/portfolio, if I recall correctly, that's just 1 course or 3 credits.

[davewill]

They do, but not by just submitting scores from training, you have to go through the Prior Learning Assessment portfolio process. See the link at the end of my sig for a discussion of how it works.

[rebel100]

They do, but not by just submitting scores from training, you have to go through the Prior Learning Assessment portfolio process. See the link at the end of my sig for a discussion of how it works.

These were always so tough for most that I never think of them....still keyed to specific courses correct?

[davewill]

Yes, you have to find a college course somewhere, that fits the experience you're trying get credit for. For instance if you're a guitarist, you might try to get credit for beginning and advanced guitar, and maybe music theory. If you did a Python programming cert, you would want to PLA a Python course.

It's not necessarily all that hard. What I always say is to remember that you don't have to prove you're an expert, you just have to demonstrate you learned what the average college student who took the course should have learned.

[tesu-acct-student]

Last question for now - Do they offer credit for life experiences? (Insurance Licence and formal (documented) job training, LMS style)

I just searched the PLA Database for insurance courses. There are quite a few.

[KayV]

I know that our friends at The Institutes offer many of their insurance courses for ACE credit. The also have partnerships with several universities including Excelsior and Charter Oak (especially Charter Oak), but you could use those credits at TESU as well.

ACE CREDIT | The National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training

College & University Programs

They even show how to use their courses in COSC degree plans.
https://www.charteroak.edu/microsite/aicpcu/

[whisb]

UPDATE: Thank you for all the help here - I have more questions and need more input.

So far I have finished Aleks.com's Algebra, Intro to Stats, and Beginning Algebra (no credit here) and might try to get Intro to Algebra if I have time. As well as transferring in credit forEnglish Comp I and a history class... I am applied with TESC, and am chipping away at classes as fast a I can, but I am starting to doubt my decisions - sort of... I went to start the FEMA stuff, did, then read TESC does not accept FEMA credit now.

This stinks because on one FEMA class took me very little time to finish.

I am studying for BSBA in Human Resources - Should I look for other ways to get the credit or move to Charter Oak and change majors...?

[davewill]

Don't panic! Even if you decide to change to COSC, you're only out a $75 application fee and it sounds like the courses you've taken will work equally well at both schools. There are lots of avenues for credit besides FEMA, so you don't HAVE to change. You need to look at what your're trying to accomplish, then degree will help you accomplish it, then what courses you need to get it at each school, THEN decide. I would never suggest someone make their decision solely on money or time.

[whisb]

I hate what I am about to say - but I just need a degree to advance. It could be a Bachelors of Basket Weaving and it would work. I hate that's how the world works, but its the way it is, for the most.

I am looking to knock out a degree - Goal 1. I am looking for a cost effective way - Goal 2. Legit degree - Goal 3. Those are the three goals. I like that the FEMA credits are free - any other free credits I can earn?

I forgot, I also did the ethics course for 2 credit hours.

Is TESC better than Charter Oak?