Cost, Financial Aid, Fees...

[sanantone]

Now I'm thinking going with the AA from COSC might be my best bet. I definitely don't have a ton of money for TESC

What works better is attending a community college full-time and using the leftover aid to pay for any needed courses at one of the Big 3 and tests. The maximum Pell Grant award is $5,730. ACCD will cost about $2,008 per year if you take the normal 15 credits per semester. They will cost $1,662 per year if you take 12 credits per semester; you will still be considered full-time and will receive the full award. This means you will receive a refund check for over $3,000 over the two semesters. COSC charges $346 per credit hour plus $245 per semester. That will eat up your financial aid quickly. COSC, however, does do consortium agreements where you can use your financial aid with them and another school at the same time. If you crunch the numbers, it will be cheaper to use your refund check to pay for TECEPs at TESC than to take the needed cornerstone and capstone at COSC. I've heard that you have to take the cornerstone for the associate's and again for the bachelor's, but I could be wrong.