hi! i'm in desperate need for some advice on earning my bachelors degree online. i've read many of the posts here but am not sure which school has everything i am looking for. if anyone has had a similar situation to mine and was pleased with their choice of school, please advise. i finished two years at a community college (but never petitioned for my AS) and then mostly failed a year at the U of Illinois (earned no more than 7 credits) my total credits earned, approx. 90. i am looking to complete my bachelors in arts, entirely online, for a reasonable cost. i am interested in actually taking classes and interacting online vs. "testing" to get my degree. (ie Excelsior) Can anyone please help me? thanks, kirsten
Excelsior Hi Kirsten, I would check out Excelsior. They have a great payment plan, affordable degree and they seem to offer accredited majors in most subjects. COSC is another possibilty. I am at TESC and not happy with the program. The tuition has doubled in the last 2 years to about $5000 per year for the comprehensive program. You also might check out www.BAin4weeks.com; he has a ton of info on what you're looking for. Hope that helps
Hi Kirsten - I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions as there are quite a few programs available. There are two things you might want to know: part of the popularity of the "big 3" is that they accept A LOT of transfer credits. Other, course based programs may not accept as many. I've always enjoyed actually taking courses myself and so I wouldn't try to dissuade you from that but you should know that all your credits might not get accepted in another sort of program. The second thing is that there are so many programs that it would be easier to suggest a likely match if you could say something more about your specific academic interests. If you're primarily interested in a BA in Liberal Arts (Liberal Studies) then look at: Cal State - Fresno Montana State - Billings Penn State U of Central Florida U of Illinois - Springfield U of Iowa U of Northern Iowa Good luck, Jack
Kirsten, If you are in New York, SUNY may be your best bet. Very low in-state tuition and a large number of online programs available. The website for SUNY's online programs is sln.suny.edu.
Kirsten said, "I am interested in actually taking classes". I.e., she doesn't want to test out, so there's no reason for her to enroll in the Big 3 (Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State College, Charter Oak State College) and pay their fees. The Illinois universities' non-traditional programs have minimal fees (besides tuition for required courses). Kirsten should look at Western Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University, Northeastern Illinois University, Governors State University, and Chicago State University.
AS degree Kirsten, I don't have any particular school I can point you towards, but regarding your AS that you never petitioned for - you can always send them an email and get that AS degree. I'm just now going back to school and have been out for over 10 years now. While I was checking out all the schools, I noticed it would have been easier if I had petitioned for my AA back then and get into a degree completion program. Just last week, I sent an email to my old junior college in San Diego and asked if it was still possible to get my AA. I, too, transferred to a four year college (San Diego State U) and only took about 6 classes. I explained that although I didn't petition for it in the past, it would be easier for me if I had one in order to continue my education (now that I live in another state). They said no problem, and so now it's a done deal. So give it a try and it may make things easier having that AS. Good luck! Lynn
thank you to everyone! this message board is just what i needed! i will make sure to pay attention to transferrable credits in my initial evaluation of these schools. my community college was pretty reputable and most of their credits transferred before but that is not always the case. as for area of study, i am looking for a general BA. my education so far has been related to science, which was not the right path for me. so, i would like to use these online classes to also help me develop a career interest. i do have residence NY and have considered SUNY, but their online program seemed confusing and (if i remember correctly) required time on campus which i cannot do. i will also look into the IL schools as they accept my community college credits. These are all fantastic ideas and i thank you all very much! i'll be speaking with some of these schools tomorrow and will probably be looking for some more feedback~ I am very excited to be going back to school and i appreciate your assistance in my decision. ~k
AS degree Kirsten, I don't have any particular school I can point you towards, but regarding your AS that you never petitioned for - you can always send them an email and get that AS degree. I'm just now going back to school and have been out for over 10 years now. While I was checking out all the schools, I noticed it would have been easier if I had petitioned for my AA back then and get into a degree completion program. Just last week, I sent an email to my old junior college in San Diego and asked if it was still possible to get my AA. I, too, transferred to a four year college (San Diego State U) and only took about 6 classes. I explained that although I didn't petition for it in the past, it would be easier for me if I had one in order to continue my education (now that I live in another state). They said no problem, and so now it's a done deal. So give it a try and it may make things easier having that AS. Good luck! Lynn
I concur with what Lynn posted. You can always go back to the school and ask. I had a simialr experience with a B.S. degree that I didn't complete and was awarded the degree 23 years later from the time I started. John
