From 0 credits to accredited bachelors degree in 12 months: Roger Habeck's story

Roger Habeck is a high-school dropout who, at age 58, with no prior college courses or other higher education, earned an accredited bachelor’s degree in just under a year (with far from full-time effort) from Charter Oak State College, part of the Connecticut state college system. His entire degree (123 credit hours) was earned through exam-for-credit programs (DANTES, CLEP and GRE.) In 1998, his entire degree cost about $1800. A rough equivalency today (2010) would be between $3500 and $5500, depending on the specific exams and other factors. Still an unbeatable option for an accelerated bachelors degree from a state school with topnotch accreditation! You can get free information about Charter Oak's innovative degree completion programs (and help support DegreeInfo in the process), but read on to learn exactly how he did it, and how you can too!

Habeck has been self-employed almost all his life. He left high school to join the armed forces and ultimately served in the Army Security Agency, a group responsible for intelligence gathering for the NSA (the National Security Agency). Later, he became publisher of the The Virginia Review, originally a print journal and now an online directory of state and local government offices, which has been continually published since 1923. He also founded the Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce, and served as its president for a number of years. When last we spoke with him, he was working on a number of different projects and keeping busy.

Roger is a longtime DegreeInfo member, and contributed to alt.education.distance, an Internet newsgroup from which DegreeInfo arose, before that. While he isn’t active in our forums much these days, he was kind enough to give us permission to repost his story (originally posted in the now-defunct newsgroup alt.education.distance) here so that others might learn from his experience. Although the story was originally posted in 1997, nearly all of it is still current today. We've made a few notations where things have changed, and added some information at the end.

ROGER'S STORY
I began lurking on the alt.education.distance newsgroup in August of 1997. As a result of what I learned, I bought [John Bear's book, Bears' Guide to Distance Learning], posted a few questions, sent John B several emails and decided that I would see how I could do by testing out a degree.

I signed up with a local college to take two CLEP general exams. I took "Humanities" and "Soc. Sciences and History" in October of 1997. I did not study for them although I did buy the CLEP study guide. I began to gather information from Regents,[Now known as Excelsior College - ed.] Thomas Edison State College, and Charter Oak State College. At this time Regents was going through the trials of becoming independent and was most incoherent when I spoke to them. I found TESC less than cooperative and Charter Oak acted as if I was the long lost child finally come home.

It was not hard to decide for Charter Oak. They were also very helpful in advising me as to exactly what tests to take and which order to take them in so one would not "step" on the other. This was before I matriculated as they required that I have 30 credits to enroll. [Charter Oak now only requires 9 credits to enroll, you can take CLEP exams to earn them.-ed.]

I took two more 6 credit Cleps in November of 1997, "Accounting" and "Natural Sciences." At this point I started looking into Dantes exams and started scouting out GRE Subject exams. I found out that I had missed the GRE dates for 1997,[these can now be taken any time at a testing center - ed.] and I would have to drive over 100 miles to take Dantes exams. Then I would only be allowed to take one at a time and only 6 times per year. Bummer. [Again, there are now frequent, and local, test options for DANTES.-ed.]

No tests in December, found another college 40 miles away that would let me take CLEPs at my convenience. Rock n' Roll.

January 98, two more CLEPs, "Intro. Business law", "Principals of Marketing". Piece of cake, only study so far flip through a standard text and refresh on words and phrases.

February slump, no tests, can't figure out how to get Dantes exams and can't get straight answer on signing up for GRE subject exams. Local college blowing smoke. Shazam !! Good friend is president of local Jr. college, he says if I get the information he will have their testing center apply to administer Dantes exams. I call ETS they tell me what to do. I pass information on to Jr. College. Nothing happens.

March 1998 energized again. Took 4 CLEPs two at local college, two at 40 mile school. "American Lit", "English Lit.", "Intro Micro economics", "Intro Macroeconomics", almost fried my brain. Found out that GRE will be administered in April and I am too late. Asked for stand by status and sent more money.

April- Enrolled at Charter Oak, Took GRE "History", almost did me in. Got word Jr College set up for Dantes, OK !!

May - First two Dantes Exams, "Intro to Business", "Money and Banking." Different, no time limit, other wise about as hard as CLEPS.. Much close coaching from Charter Oak, order is critical on some of these tests. If I take the hard one first the easy one won't count.

June - Test month from Hell, 2 CLEPS, "Info systems/computer apps", "English Comp. w/Essay." 2 Dantes, "Organizational Behavior", "Pers/Hum Resource Management", 15 credits total. Got grade on GRE, 18 more credits. Smokin!

July - I had so much misery taking four in June I took four again in July, 2 CLEPS, "Analysis Interp of Lit.", "American Government." 2 Dantes, "Into. to Modern Middle East", "Intro. to World Religions." Getting close, running out of tests, much discussion with Charter Oak, the GRE was great but killed a bunch of possible tests. Final plan approved.

August - Junk and weirdness, plus I am getting pretty weird too. 2 CLEPS. "Principals of Management", "Intro Psych." 3 Dantes, "Heres to your health", "Criminal Justice", "Principals of Finance." Only one to go. I need to take the Charter Oak Statistics test to meet my math requirement. Sent for test, found out I needed proctor, worked out arrangement with local librarian, No Charge. Sent for test again.

September - Test arrives I take it and send it back. 123 credits If I passed everything. Got word that my concentration proposal was accepted and my essay was OK. Good thing since I am finished.

Totals:
16 CLEPs
9 Dantes
1 GRE subject (History)
1 COSC Statistics.
13 of the Dantes and CLEPs were awarded letter grades by Charter Oak

10 A's
3 B's
The rest are Pass, Fail.

7 CLEPs were worth 6 credits each, the rest and all the Dantes were worth 3.
The GRE was worth 18, I got a 540 for 72 percentile. the COSC Stastics was worth 6. I took the tests much too fast to study for them. I am not sure how you would even begin to study for some of the General Exams like English literature, I mean where would you start?

I ran into a bizarre snarl on the English composition with essay because of a minor physical disability. Thanks to Charter Oak, it worked out fine. Charter Oak is pretty small, where Regents and TESC count their students in thousands Charter Oak counts in hundreds. In talking with their administrative people they have decided to look outside Conn. for their future growth so the future looks bright for the Charter Oak option.

About me, I am a high school dropout, I was pitched out of one college and flunked out of another. I am 58 and have been self employed all my life.I am currently a publisher and journalist. I am looking into several Masters programs, including the new one at Regents. I am preparing myself for my post retirement career - I intend to teach. If it had not been for this group Alt.Education.Distance, I am sure I would not have attempted this.

As Roger mentioned, Charter Oak is one of three schools offering similar programs, the other two being Excelsior College and Thomas Edison State College. All three have similar offerings, and we've spoken many positive words about all of them over the past 10+ years. There are literally hundreds of posts on DegreeInfo from grads of these programs with helpful information and advice on how to earn your degree quickly and at minimal cost.

While Excelsior and Edison are also excellent choices, if you search the forums, you'll find that COSC is consistently lauded as efficient, responsive, and helpful, and people talk about a more personalized experience with COSC over the other two, probably in part because they are the smallest of the three. That's why COSC is (and has been, for a very long time) our first choice as a school to efficiently complete a degree at low cost. Not just because they support DegreeInfo, but because they have a long history of providing very personalized service with friendly people who genuinely care.

As a regionally accredited schools, programs at COSC, Edison, and Excelsior are all eligible for Federal financial aid, including grants, subsidized loans, and more, making the programs simple to start and easy to afford. COSC also offers interest-free tuition payment options, and unlike many of the other schools you more commonly hear about, you won't graduate with tens of thousands of dollars worth of student loans because of the low cost.

If you like what you hear (and want to support DegreeInfo in the process), please request free information about Charter Oak's innovative degree completion programs . And feel free to search our message board archives, or post a new thread if you have any additional questions.

We've got more articles in the works with details about CLEP and DANTES exams, as well as earning credit without exams by proving what you know in the portfolio process. In the meantime, search our forums, ask questions, and get goiing. Your degree is a lot closer than you realize!