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Charter Oak versus Excelsior (fastest and lowest cost to BLA and recommended route)
#1
I just finished summer school at my local community college. I am tired of beating around the bush as I have just turned 42. I only got serious about school in the last 2 years. I have 64 credits and have finished most of my general ed. I just have algebra and I am planning on a clep test(my first one) for sociology Thursday. I want to know from someone first hand which school would be the fastest and lowest cost to a bachelors degree. I am enrolled at a major university for the fall and just want a cheaper quicker way to a degree. I qualified for the full amount on fafsa $5500 and was awarded subsidized and unsubsidized loans for about $7500. I presume I would get similar amounts at Charter Oak or Excelsior. My gpa is a 3.5 since returning to school and I don't know about scholarships? Not my top priority. Anyways, is a BA doable in 12 months? What about 6 months realistically? Which school would you recommend? I work three nights a week and the rest of the time I can devote to my studies. Please respond about both schools and best route. I also want to know about future gpa's for graduate schools and the importance. Such as pass/fail for clep, ece and dantes tests versus needing a gpa. Thanks
#2
Charter Oak will be cheaper. You can also do the consortium agreement thing so that you can receive financial aid for Charter Oak's required courses and fees and also cheaper courses at other colleges. COSC gives grades for 2-digit DSSTs, ECEPs (formerly ECE and Uexcel), and I think Straighterline courses. I don't know if they'll give grades for Penn Foster courses. You'll also receive a grade for the required cornerstone and capstone. What will save you the most money is being able to take FEMA courses for free to fulfill free elective requirements and transferring them directly to COSC. EC will require that you have them transcribed by a college that charges $77 per credit hour.
Graduate of Not VUL or ENEB
MS, MSS and Graduate Cert
AAS, AS, BA, and BS
CLEP
Intro Psych 70, US His I 64, Intro Soc 63, Intro Edu Psych 70, A&I Lit 64, Bio 68, Prin Man 69, Prin Mar 68
DSST
Life Dev Psych 62, Fund Coun 68, Intro Comp 469, Intro Astr 56, Env & Hum 70, HTYH 456, MIS 451, Prin Sup 453, HRM 62, Bus Eth 458
ALEKS
Int Alg, Coll Alg
TEEX
4 credits
TECEP
Fed Inc Tax, Sci of Nutr, Micro, Strat Man, Med Term, Pub Relations
CSU
Sys Analysis & Design, Programming, Cyber
SL
Intro to Comm, Microbio, Acc I
Uexcel
A&P
Davar
Macro, Intro to Fin, Man Acc
#3
In your case its not even close, Charter Oak is your school....30 or so fema, whatever you need in Gen Eds, and 27 UL credits (mostly towards your major). Plus corner/capstone of course.

Your probably under $2000 if done out of pocket....but as Sanantone said if you maximize your FAFSA via consortium agreement the degree could be essentially free for you.

Post up what you have and we can go through it, get you really close to what you have left to do. I used CSU-Pueblo courses along with the two required at COSC to maximize the PELL....Schedule of Courses > Division of Continuing Education > Colorado State University-Pueblo

You can probably be done by May without any significant out of pocket (you may have to float a few bucks, but done carefully the FAFSA can cover almost everything).
MBA, Western Governors University February 2014
BS Charter Oak State College November 2011
AS in EMS August 2010

I'm always happy to complete the free application waiver for those applying to WGU (I get a free gift from WGU for this).  Just PM me your first/last name and a valid email so I can complete their form.

Thread; COSC AS using FEMA http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...total.html
#4
thank you for responding. so what is a consortium agreement? Here are the classes ive taken. Do you thinki should apply for a school or just start testing? im enrolled at eastern new mexico for fall an have 15 units but im thinking this may take to long. The whole program is online as well. Thank you both for your input
FA93-SP94 California State
BIOL 1XX Topics in Biology 5.00
COMM 102 P Public Speaking 4.00
ECON 1XX Introduction to Economics 4.00
PSCI 102 P American National Government 4.00
PSY 1XX Personal & Social Adjustment 2.00
FA90-SU93
ART 101 P Beginning Drawing 3.00
BIOL 1XX Human Reproduction 3.00
HPE 124 P Weight Training I 1.00

FA11-FA12
ART 131 P Art Appreciation 3.00
BIOL 113 P Biology for General Education 3.00
BIOL 113LP Biology for Gen Education Lab 1.00
ENG 097 P Basic Writing Skills 4.00
ENG 102 P English Composition 4.00
HIST 101 P Survey of Amer History to 1877 3.00
HPE 1XX Psychology of Phys Performance 3.00
IS 151 P Basic Computer Skills 4.00
MATH 094 P Basic Mathematics 3.00
MATH 097 P Basic Algebra 4.00
PSY 101 P Introductory Psychology 3.00
PSY 1XX PSYC Developmental Psych 3.00
#5
in addition, I don't have an associates. is it something I need or can I go straight for my BA?
#6
You don't need an associates to go after a Bachelors...but its easy to pick up on the way and I would probably do it.

A consortium Agreement is simply a document that can be used to form a small group between you, your primary college (say Charter Oak) and a second school (lets say CSU-Pueblo) where you will take some classes. Your PELL can be accessed either part time of full time, part time would split your grant in half, you wouldn't get all the funds. So to maximize the full value of the grant you need to take at least 12 credits/semester. Since COSC is about $1000/3 credits they are not really affordable for the out of state student...so we request they mange your F/A via consortium with a less expensive school. We then find a less expensive school that is willing to work out an agreement. The agreement spells out start and stop times for the courses, total cost, and most importantly guarantees to the federal government through COSC's F/A office that you are enrolled in and completing 12 credits/semester. I chose CSU-Pueblo because they bent over backwards making this happen...my aid covered the $1000 class and fee's at COSC, plus the cost of three courses through CSU-Pueblo at about $450/class...I even got a small check in the mail after disbursement for about $125.00

I'm gonna go look at what you have compared to the COSC requirements.
MBA, Western Governors University February 2014
BS Charter Oak State College November 2011
AS in EMS August 2010

I'm always happy to complete the free application waiver for those applying to WGU (I get a free gift from WGU for this).  Just PM me your first/last name and a valid email so I can complete their form.

Thread; COSC AS using FEMA http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...total.html
#7
At COSC you would need the following:

Gen Ed
3 Ethics (there is a free saylor.org course that likely qualifies or take the DSST Exam for ($80))

3 Non US History
3 Global Understanding
COSC makes these two easy for you....simply take the DSST Human Cultural geography and satisfy both requirements ($80)

3 Math You might try ALEKS College Algebra for only $20 month till you reach 70%, or take the College Math CLEP which satisfies the requirment and gives you 6 credits for one low price of ($100)

Once those are done (or along with those) take the COSC cornerstone and receive your AA, you will have 73-76 primarily liberal arts credits at this point.

To maximize your aid execute a consortium, 1st semester take the cornerstone and 3 UL classes at CSU-Pueblo (or wherever...but I really like CSU-P) the cornerstone applies as above, and you will be sure the CSU courses are at the 300-400 level, they have a ton Schedule of Courses > Division of Continuing Education > Colorado State University-Pueblo ...note you don't have to concentrate in LA, Organizational Leadership is an easy one to accomplish, history, english...a dual concentration...this is quite flexible.

2nd semester take the capstone at COSC, and three more UL courses at CSU Pueblo...the capstone is UL plus the six CSU courses gives you 21 UL credits, add in more courses or choose three exams that fit your concentration from the available DSST UL exams, TECEPS, and ECE's....they are all about $100 each. This should take you to 102 credits...

Somewhere in there, bust out 18 free FEMA courses....you can likely accomplish this in one long beer soaked weekend.

Pay your graduation fee and receive the degree in the mail....COSC holds two ceremonies a year up in Connecticut....take the whole family. Smile
MBA, Western Governors University February 2014
BS Charter Oak State College November 2011
AS in EMS August 2010

I'm always happy to complete the free application waiver for those applying to WGU (I get a free gift from WGU for this).  Just PM me your first/last name and a valid email so I can complete their form.

Thread; COSC AS using FEMA http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...total.html
#8
Forgot to add the Master List of Exams....http://www.charteroak.edu/Current/Academ...r-list.pdf You could find a test out only option...but that would negate most of your PELL Grant.
MBA, Western Governors University February 2014
BS Charter Oak State College November 2011
AS in EMS August 2010

I'm always happy to complete the free application waiver for those applying to WGU (I get a free gift from WGU for this).  Just PM me your first/last name and a valid email so I can complete their form.

Thread; COSC AS using FEMA http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...total.html
#9
Ok, so im taking the sociology tomorrow. What next? Should I take ethics, non us history, and global understanding? Are those 3 units each? Should I enroll at cosc now and say csu pueblo? Will cosc counselor tell me what classes to test out of? Do they encourage it? Or do they want you to pay for classes? I also dont know anything about fema. Thanks for all your help rebel. At least I feel some direction
#10
The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union DSST will take care of your non-US history requirement, global understanding requirement, and will give 3 upper level credits at COSC. (I took this test last week.) The Business Ethics and Society DSST will take care of the ethics requirement and also gives 3 upper level credits. I have not enrolled yet at COSC, but I have found the counselors to be very helpful even without enrollment.

Here is the FEMA website. Emergency Management Institute | Independent Study (IS) - Course List
I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.


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