Degree plan for 120 RA credits, TESU Biology BA & WGU BSN

[FloridaMan]

" It wouldn’t be surprising if someone would waive that expectation for a BA-Bio and BSN with a pass/fail-heavy but otherwise impressive background."

You can list classes you got below a B in. TESU accepts D- or higher, I know because I know transfered D- classes to TESU.

Unfortunately my academic background is not otherwise impressive. From 18-22 my personal hardships were enough to make academia impossible, but not bad enough for the bureaucracy of university procedures to give me any leniency (but I could spin it well in a grad school interview if given the chance). All the grades I have from that time are F, D, W or the exact opposite of A or B (for the classes I managed to complete). I graduated with honor society distinction when I got my AA, but that was in December 2019 right before covid. My kid was born in December 2020, so finishing that bachelor degree was left behind for a few years. If TESU accepts classes that counted as fails at the original schools, than I have even more than 120 credits. And a lot of duplicate classes.

"Also look at UCSD Extended Studies Cell Molecular Biology online, $845 for 4.5 quarter hours (3 semester hours)"

WHOA, that's way cheaper. And that would satisfy the credit requirement and be a letter grade?

What masters are you trying to do?

Biology MS

If price is an issue, UMPI or East texas would be cheaper. I also highly doubt you could use ACE credits for any Master's required prerequisite courses. If you need to do prerequisite courses, it would be cheaper to complete them at a Community college especially since you're in Florida. Check out your local CC and see if there are any scholarships. You probably wouldn't be eligible if you have a Bachelor's as most seem to be for students working towards their first BA degree. Also look into FAFSA and see how much pell grant you have left.

The ACE credits won't work for a future masters, but if I can finish everything within 2 months, then I don't have to wait for regular school semesters and I can use the reimbursement stipend to cover all the ACE memberships. Since this benefit isn't through a job that I have (it's my spouse), I can't use any tuition assistance programs. I can't afford tuitions now, but I can cover ACE costs.

My overall GPA on my mountain of credits is not good (somewhere in the 2.0-2.9). Most scholarships have GPA requirements and there's no way for me to become eligible. I used up all grants a long time ago. I paid for my AA out of pocket. My spouse has a good paying job (hence the benefits), so I don't qualify for financial hardship scholarships.

Most of the masters programs I looked at need applicants to have the requirements needed for a Biology BS (no pass/fails) OR good grades in the most recent two years of academic performance. Since all the programs also require letters of recommendation, it would be better to simply become a non degree seeking student and take Cell Biology?, Genetics, Calc 2, O Chem 1 & 2 (for a letter grade), and any other classes I'm missing and use those connections to get into the masters program at whatever school I take those prerequisites at.

The BSN is to get a job as a nurse. The Biology BA is to get a better paying job to pay for the BSN. The jobs around here pay the same for high school diploma or Associate, but once you have a bachelors there's a pay increase and I'd qualify for any job that has the "bachelor degree" requirement regardless of what the degree is in. I need a bachelors quickly because I can't afford the BSN without a better paying job. Also BSN doesn't qualify me for a Biology MS program. Right now I can afford one flat rate term at TESU out of pocket. All future fees, tuition, and expenses after that are up in the air.

I had explained a lot of this in the rough draft of my initial post, but it was too long so I cut a lot of stuff out.

Back to degree planning:

In November I can take A & P 1 & 2 & labs and Micro w/lab on Sophia.
In December I can take Pathophysiology and Genetics on Study.com
In January I will take Cell Biology through one of the previously mentioned methods and start O Chem on Straighterline.

It looks like terms start monthly according to the academic calendar, so do the "12 weeks" start based on whatever month you start classes? Would it be best to wait until my Cell Biology class is completed before starting at TESU or can I receive credit for completing it and still graduate at the end of 12 week even if Cell Biology and the TESU term overlap? All the Cell Biology classes previously mentioned end in mid-late March.

I plan to start at WGU as soon as I can affordably, reasonably do so after completing TESU. I don't have any time commitment hindrances besides from summer break for K-12 schooling, which will probably be happening by then.