Penn Foster New Charter University???

Hello. I was checking out the Penn Foster and New Charter University. I am attracted to the monthly tuition but certain things are not too clear.

A. If anyone knows, how does SELF PACE work here? Either one of course. I see you can take a max of 4 courses per term at Charter, each term is 4 months. Does this mean I must complete these courses in 4 months? Do they continually bill you 199 per month regardless until you graduate? Or can I pay the 797 dollars or so per term and take my time with these 4 courses?

B. I seem to be weighing more to the New Charter University than Penn Foster. They seem to have a more together package and better internet web site, seems more professional.

C. I have two Associates Degrees, some other college credits like Spanish Clep and LSU independent study in Industrial Relations, also work as Aircraft Technician. (20 years.) (These were all brick and mortar schools by the way.) I have an AA in Arts from Florida Jr. College, and AAS in Aviation Mx Technology at ENMU-R. Wondering how many credits they may take as I try for a BA in Buisness General.

So all in all, I understand this is DETC, not RA schools, but I don't care, at my stage of the game, and close to retirement anyway, this is just adding something that otherwise, I didn't want to shell out huge bucks for RA schools, go into debt or any garbage like that. I am viewing a possible BA in Buisness, General to expand in my job later down the road perhaps, or perhaps move on to something else when I retire in 4 years. (If I decide to retire that is.)

If anyone can help me here, please feel free to discuss. Also, I did ask these schools these questions, just waiting for their responses, but would like yours too.

I have posted on and off on this web site for some years, but haven't for a while now.

 

I second that.

 

When New Charter was Andrew Jackson University the style of studying for MBA was as follows.
You by the text book, log in to their online system where you see the class structure usually 10 modules / lessons.
Each module has reading and case sty, after first 5 usually you get proctored by You-Proctor site with web cam mid term exam.
Then you do 5 more lessons each with home work and posting to on line site your home work etc.
The lessons get graded fast so you log in and see the grade and instructors comments.
You have 14 weeks to complete the class.

In my humble opinion, they have to many proctored exams $30 each.
2 per course.

Under AJU their records - registrar was almost non existent, no replies or confirmations etc. The assigned adviser also failed to get any administrative questions answered.
I hated the experience and wile it was funded by my employer I stopped the fiasco.
New Charter is now under new ownership and I hear they got better.

One positive important fact with me was, that I still remember the material I studied and a lot of work I did for the Business Ethics class, lots of cases and analysis really changing assignments. You know the material after that. Organizational behavior class was challenging as well. Really good instructors.

I switched Universities and went to earn MBA from a RA DL school.

 

I third that - look HARD at The Big Three. As Steve said, they are designed for a student like YOU!

 

Thank you for those inputs. I have tried that route before, (Big 3) however, I never got passed sending the applications in nor credit transfers for evaluations. I saw that they pretty much nickle and dime you to hell and the cost per courses seemed quite high. They even charge you to transfer over credits. I don't know what Penn Foster or New Charter University would give me inasfar as credit transfers, but I don't see much if any about paying any money for credit transfers. Another issue for me is time and books. Books at NCU and PF are free. (Should I say electronic books that is.) At the big three, it would definately run me more money. I am attracted to the DEBT FREE that those schools offer unlike the big three, seems like they charge you for everything. Also, as far as being proctered, I like the idea of going to my local library, they don't charge me at the library for getting proctered by PF. At NCU they seem to do this web cam procter which I am not too thrilled about. Also, in the big three, they tend to evaluate you based on ONE course of direction, so if I wanted to see which way would be best for me, I would have to pay twice for individual courses of study. I doubt that my two associates degrees equate to any upper level credits too. Lets say in general, I could transfer over 62 credits plus maybe some Spanish cleps, and LSU independent study course I took, where does that put me, at roughly say max 70 credits, plus having to pay all the money for transfering over. Just not willing to invest that kind of money into that. I'd still be looking at another 50 credits or more and it would just cost me too much in any of the big three. Also, my pace would be kind of slow. I doubt I can pound out 2 courses per semester and keep a sane level. Don't really think I want to commit all that time.

 

I just looked at TESC and its like 5000 dollars plus for 9 credits. That's way too much than I am willing to bargain for. They seem to hit you with almost a 2000 plus annual enrollement and then the fees begin. I can about get a bachelors at NCU or PF for less than that. Am I seeing something you are not seeing here? I don't wish to pay that kind of money, I'd rather not even do any college for that price.

 

The real reason I was looking at PF or NCU was that I am attracted to the debt free issue and cheap tuition. I am also a believer that its up to the individual to sell himself, not just because of the piece of paper he receives. I think that if the individual puts in the time and effort to learn the subject matter, it shouldn't matter which school he attends as long as its not a degree mill. It really boils down to the individual and other factors such as experience and ambition play into it more than anything else. Don't have any real plans to use the degree, I have a career now, but would like to have a BA in place for whenever I may need it either from mobility within my company or in quest after retriement for other jobs. At NCU and PF, the tuition seems achievable with light at the end of the tunnel. Not so with the big three. They suck you dry and get you in heavy debt if you allow it.

 

In addition to the "Big Three", there is a new player in the market. Check out Patten University - www.Patten.edu. It is regionally accredited by WASC and offers an online BA in Leadership with a concentration in General Management for $1316 per 16 week semester ($329 per month), books included. In June, it was acquired by UniversityNow, the parent company of New Charter University.

 

If cost is your consideration, I would look here:

Cheapest Online Colleges (Total Cost, Out of State) | College Stats.org

PS if you live in CA, you can do a lot better than NCU or PF on rates and academic reputation. CA has an outstanding educational system, IMHO, and is way cheaper than either of them. As an example, CAL State Northridge is only 3500 per year for instate students.

 

The main advantage of the "big three" including TESC is that you can transfer in nearly 100% of your credits, so you would not need to take many/any courses at the school to complete your degree. See here for info:

Overview of process - BA in 4 weeks degree guides

 

I agree but I say that two associates won't equal a 4 year degree, plus I doubt they will take on anymore than say 90 credits. That's still minumully 30 credits or more, still out of my reach. How many of those credits would actually apply to a business degree or a BS in technology? If anything, I'll be out a few hundred dollars in credit evaluations and be disappointed in the results. I am not anywhere near California but I do appreciate that web link, i'll look them over.

 

The schools you were looking at originally, Penn Foster College and New Charter University, are barred by the rules of their accreditor, the DETC, from awarding a bachelor's degree with less than a quarter of the degree (min. 30 sh) in coursework from that school itself. (Unless one of them has applied for and received an exception from the DETC standards and we haven't heard about it yet, which is extremely unlikely.)

You would absolutely have to do at least 30 sh in coursework in-house from PFC or NCU.

With the most liberal Big Three option in terms of in-house ("residency") requirements, a BSBA from TESC, you would only have to do one thing in-house, the capstone requirement, which could be met with the TECEP exam in Strategic Management, for $99 plus whatever your local library, college, etc. charges to administer the test.

Generally the least liberal Big Three option in terms of residency is Charter Oak State College, where they require 6 sh in-house, a Cornerstone and a Capstone course.

Basically, you'll have to do at least one academic year of coursework in-house at either PFC or NCU. The Big Three would allow you to test out of almost everything, or for a TESC BSBA likely fully everything, else you need.

 

Yes, they will but they have to mesh to the degree plan. They may take 120 credits but to fulfill their degree plan in Business or BS in Science, all those credits won't apply. I can't get them to answer my question which is quite simple. So I gave up. The question is, about how many credits will they give me based on an associates of arts and an associates of applied sciense in aviation mx technology? They want to see money first so no deal. (I understand that but come on. Just give me an estimate.) This is why I am looking into PF and NCU. No big gimmicks like that. It seems pretty straightforward.

 

If I could do only 30 semester hours of coursework at PFU or NCU, that's roughly 10 courses. I doubt I could do those in one year. (In my work schedule and pace.) But there is light at the end of the tunnel with the tuition. At Charter Oak, and I've looked into it, its expensive as hell. How do you test out on everything? Are you talking DANTES/CLEP? What's the trick to that? Buy study material which cost about as much as a course to take the clep/dantes test?

 

Let's look at the concentration (major) requirements in Business Administration from Charter Oak.

Financial Accounting: ECE Financial Accounting ($95 test.) (Alternatives: CLEP, TECEP, Straighterline, transfer.)
Managerial Accounting: ECE Managerial Accounting ($95 test.) (Alternatives: DSST, Straighterline, transfer.)
Finance: DSST Principles of Finance ($80+testing location fee test.) (Alternatives: transfer.)
Information Technology: DSST Management Information Systems ($80+testing location fee test.) (Alternatives: transfer.)
Organizational Behavior: ECE Organizational Behavior ($95 test.) (Alternatives: DSST, Straighterline, transfer.)
Management: ECE Organizational Behavior ($95 test.) (Alternatives: DSST, Straighterline, transfer.)
Marketing: ECE Principles of Marketing ($95 test.) (Alternatives: CLEP, transfer.)
Business Electives: choose four upper-level ECEs, DSSTs, and/or TECEPs ($99+testing location fee ea.)
Capstone: Charter Oak course. (Currently $966 for a non-resident of CT. Eligible for Pell grants, etc.)
Microeconomics: ECE Introduction to Microeconomics ($95 test.) (Alternatives: CLEP, Straighterline, transfer.)
Macroeconomics: ECE Introduction to Macroeconomics ($95 test.) (Alternatives: CLEP, Straighterline, transfer.)

Sites for credit sources mentioned: ECE, DSST, CLEP, TECEP, Straighterline (online courses with ACE CREDIT recommendations, that can be low-cost particularly under their subscription plans, $99 per month plus $39 per course).

Credit you've earned would fill in towards general education requirements and free electives; any others could also be met with exams. Charter Oak also requires 30 sh in upper-level credit. Much of this business administration concentration would go towards that, and a few other tests could cover the rest.

 

Yeah, there's some expensive study material sold online. We avoid this!

Massive information directly relevant to these subjects is available free online, from sources including free official sites from textbook publishers, free syllabuses online, lectures on iTunesU and others, etc.

InstantCert offers an intuitive online flashcard system designed around many CLEP, DSST, and ECE exam subjects. Subscription is $20 a month or $108 for 6 months. They host a friendly webboard, degreeforum.net, where tips and encouragement are exchanged. Access to most of the board is free to all.

There are study guides, many from REA, some from COMEX, Barron's, Peterson's and other publishers, specific to CLEP exams and available for reasonable retail book prices.

Also, think about the options for old-school traditional textbooks for a student earning credit this way. Not having the strictly assigned current-edition textbook requirements and the strict time frames most courses do gives testing-out students all sorts of room to use textbooks from libraries, and past-edition used textbooks. which are often one cent plus shipping from Amazon Marketplace sellers, or something close off the shelf at your friendly local thrift shop or library used book sale.

 

Also, take a look at TESC's credit for FAA licenses (some might overlap/duplicate with your course credit, some might add to it), and their B.S. in Applied Science and Technology in Aviation Maintenance Technology.

Meanwhile, Charter Oak has a flexible and popular Individualized Studies concentration, and TESC a Learner Designed Area of Study, that could also work for you. You could design and win approval for a coherent and academically credible individualized program, say, in Management and Aviation Technology. Boom – a big chunk of the program is covered by aviation technology credit already held. Add some business exams, but far fewer than listed above.

 

Hi. I am VP Enrollment at NewCharter. Great questions.

a) At New Charter you can actually take as many courses as you can successfully complete in a four-month term, so 4 is not the max. And you only enroll per term, so your only financial obligation is tuition for that term.

b) That is kind of you to say that. Thanks.

c) We will accept up to 75% of the credits necessary for a degree. And if you have more credits, or said another way, you've achieve competency in those other courses, the way our model works, is you take a test at the beginning of a course, and it will tell you how well you have already mastered the material. So if you have mastered that material already, you can proceed to the pre-final and then final. What this means is, while we can only accept up to 75% of the credits towards a degree, you can potentially move quickly through those other courses.

Regarding accreditation, UniversityNow actually has a nationally accredited and a regionally accredited school in our system. Our regionally accredited school is Patten University. They too have an online program and will accept up to 75% of the credits needed for a degree. Tuition is different and there are a few other differences in that model. However if regionally accreditation is what you require, we have an affordable, quality pathway for you too.

Lastly, within the posts below there is mention about charges for text books and finals. That is not correct. There are no additional fees for text books, materials, proctored finals or sending transcripts. Hope that helps you in your decision making.

Good luck. We would be honored to have you as a student.

Best

Tim O'Connor
VP Enrollment
UniversityNow