New here and seeking advice

Hi everyone. I'm a single mother who is finally trying to make time to work on my education. I think my situation is a little different from what I've been reading here. I am just starting out...and am seeking a credible, online program that I can take some prerequisites...basic stuff like algebra, biology, etc. In order to be able to apply for the program I want to take in the fall, I have to have the prerequisites completed by the end of this semester, but all of the classes and online programs were booked up.

Are there ANY reputable online programs who offer this sort of thing? Breyer State University offered me such a program at a fairly reasonable cost, but seems that their transcript won't be worth be paper it's written on from what I've read here.

Any suggestions???

 

Try Mountain State University

They have independent study courses that you can start and finish as fast or slow as you like. You can register at any time also.

 

A friend who's an academic advisor often recommends Louisiana State's Independent Studies program. They have a large selection of traditional correspondence courses, and a smaller number of online courses. They're also fairly inexpensive.

I don't know if it will meet your needs, but it might be worth a look.

 

Do not have ANYTHING to do with Breyer State. Besides lacking legitimate accreditation, they even push bogus accreditation, which is the worst of all.

For your prereqs....do you want fully online, or would you entertain the old-fashioned correspondence course?

 

The searchable database on this forum is an excellent source for finding schools. It does not list all available programs, but it has more than 300 schools with a very wide range of offerings, and every one has regional accreditation, which is as good as it gets. (The database here does not list nationally accredited schools (totally legitimate, but much lower acceptance rate, because that is what the proprietors here have chosen to do. The book my daughter and I do lists them all -- but only through early 2004, which is when the last edition came out; there will be another later this year.)

John Bear
Co-author, Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees
by Distance Learning (www.degree.net)

 

My advice is to take courses from LSU. They are very inexpensive and the transcript fee is only $1. My second choice would be Texas State University at San Marcos (formerly Southwest Texas State), which has slightly more expensive courses and a $5 transcript fee. My final choice would be the Indiana University Independent Study program, which is also reasonably priced, but has a more expensive transcript fee (I think it's about $9). Any of these three schools will allow you to take courses that you can easily transfer the credits whenever you find a program you like.

http://is.lsu.edu
http://www.studyanywhere.txstate.edu/
http://scs.indiana.edu/univ/undergradcourses.html

 

All of the above are good choices. I would recommend LSU, since they are the cheapest. If you are looking for a particular course here are some other places to look that aren't too expensive and I think all of them are open enrollment, meaning you can start anytime.

BYU
West Texas A&M
University of Idaho
University of Nevada, Reno
Colorado State University at Pueblo

Hope those help

clint

 

You may also want to see what is available at your local community college.

 

Found another cheap option at
Sam Houston State
Most of these courses are not online, but old fashioned correspondence courses. But the price is cheap.

clint

 

Thanks to everyone for their ideas and suggestions. I am seeking either online or correspondence courses, whichever I can get done the quickest. The courses have to be completed by May 1 in order to apply for the program I want.

Again, thanks!

 

How many courses do you need to take?

Of all the suggestions I think LSU is the best choice, but it takes about a month to get the syllabus, assignments, and textbooks sent to you. Then there is taking and grading the exams, getting your final grade, then having the transcripts sent. If you need this all done by May 1st you need to start now.

 

Pierce College

I took some of my online courses from Pierce College here in Washington. They have campuses on both Fort Lewis and McChord AFB. Both of those campuses have online, self paced classes. I don't know if the military base locations will charge out of state tuition. I think not, because technically most military folks are out of state till they have resised here for a year, but I am not sure. The credits for me were about $85 for a quarter hour, and most course were 5 quarter hours. All of the courses were 100 and 200 level, which is what it sounds to me like you are seeking.

The link is here. Good luck!

 

Don't be afraid to CLEP/DSST out of courses. They are cheap and some are very easy! Receiving 3 college credits after sitting for a one hour exam is a great confidence booster!!!

 

Amazment

Hello All,

Been lurking here for a while... I must say I read this board everyday and I am amazed at all the cost effective ways to earn a degree that you guys come up with. I am also new to the DL thing and w/o DI would never have known that all these cheap options exist for schools. I am stuck above the Mason Dixon where everything is expensive. Even community colleges here are over the $400 mark. Forget private schools... Thanks to all for the info and keep it coming, I'm soaking it up like a sponge !

Tiki

 

Thanks again to everyone who responded. I have checked into Mountain State University and are quiet pleased with what they offer. All 4 of the courses I need are offered by correspondence course and available immediately. The school seems to have a good reputation, and financial aid is available there, too. I have already applied, filled out the financial aid info, and just waiting to hear back from them. I never would have imagined it would be this easy!

Once again, just wanted to say thanks for the great advice!

Angel