Anyone have any input on Straighterline?

Anyone have any input on Straighterline? Have you taken a class through them? Your thoughts? Opinions? Thanks. Fred

http://www.straighterline.com/

 

I have not taking any course with them, but the GET START icon seems to be fun. Learning and laying down as the same time..

 

I got some more information on Straighterline.com

You can pay $99 per month and complete the course in one month. To do that, you have to pay and then cancel on the same day. So, if I want to finish College Algebra in one month, I have to pay and cancel on the same day. That will buy me one month of time to complete the course. If I do not complete the course in one month, I lose all of my work and have to start over.

College Algebra requires 5 non-proctored, online tests. They are not timed and you can only take each test once. Fort Hays charges an extra $30 as an application fee.

 

Also, the free course they advertise on the website is an overview of some of the courses they offer. It is just to get a feel for their online system, which is Blackboard. My brick and mortar college will take credit from Fort Hays, so I plan on enrolling in a few weeks.

 

I contacted straighterline a few days ago. Good idea but there are a few "fineprints" that you need to take in consideration before taking any of the courses.

Straighterline has 5 partner colleges and they are:

1- Fort Hays State University.
2- Grand Canyon University.
3- Jones International University.
4- Potomac College.
5- Ellis University.

As you can see, the above five partner schools are not all NA.

Straighterline offers the following courses:

1- Introductory Algebra
2- College Algebra
3- Developmental Writing
4- English Composition I
5- Economics I (Macroeconomics)
6- Economics II (Microeconomics)
7- Accounting I
8- Accounting II
9- (More courses to come by Spring 2009)

Now if you want to take courses and have them trasferred let's say from Fort Hays State Univ, you can only take courses number 2, 4, 7. That's it.

Meaning that not all courses are offered by all partner colleges.

Also there are 2 schools (I think Jones & Ellis Univ) will not grant you credit unless you complete 12 credit hours through them. I think this is a disadvantage!

The only advantage I see in straighterline is that if you are not too good in Algebra (like myself) and have to take the College Algebra course, it would be easy to pass it because you get to take 5 online exams which are not proctored and not timed. BUT, if you start an exam, you will have to complete it to the end because you only get one attempt for each exam.

That is all I have to say about straighterline. So if you are planning to take courses through them, make sure to read all fineprints and ask many as many questions as you can (i.e. if you would like to have your courses transferred somewhere else) to make things clear from the begining.

At the end, I think it is a great program and time saving because you get to start a course anytime during the year and finish it as soon as you are ready to take an exam!

 

Here is the information I have gathered through several websites:

Tour Our Partner Colleges

Fort Hays State University
• Accepted StraighterLine Courses: College Algebra, English Comp I, and Accounting I
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA/HLC)
• Application Fee: $30
• Public

Grand Canyon University
• Accepted StraighterLine Courses: ALL
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA/HLC)
• Application Fee: $100
• Private: for-profit

Jones International University
• Accepted StraighterLine Courses: ALL
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA/HLC)
• Application Fee: $60
• Credits are awarded as life experience credits!
• Private: for-profit

Potomac College
• Accepted StraighterLine Courses: ALL
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (Commission on Higher Education)
• Application Fee: $15
• Credit will be awarded for up to THREE StraighterLine courses!
• Private: for-profit

Ellis University
• Accepted StraighterLine Courses: College Algebra, English Comp I, Accounting I, and Economics I: Macroeconomics
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA/HLC) and Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
• Application Fee: $40
• Credit for StraighterLine courses will only be awarded upon the completion of at least 12 credits at Ellis University!
• Private: for-profit

 

Ellis University was granted accreditation on May 28 2008 but it will still be reconsidered on October31 2008 where it might lose its accreditation.

I got this information directly from the NCAHLC website at the following link: http://www.ncahlc.org/download/PDN_2903.pdf

Who would want to take courses from a Univ that could lose its accreditation over night?

 

AND you have to complete 12 hours AT Ellis before you can get the StraighterLine credits. No thanks on Eliis for me.

 

Make sure you cancel on the same day you pay if you plan on only paying $99. To repeat, if you want to pay ONLY $99, you have to:

1. Let them know your intentions.
2. Enroll at FHSU.
3. Pay $99 for College Algebra at StraighterLine.
4. CANCEL ON THE SAME DAY THROUGH STRAIGHTERLINE.
5. Complete the entire course with a passing grade within 30 days.
6. If you do not complete the course within 30 days you lose all work and have to start over.

I am going to do the above in about three weeks from now. I will let everyone know how it goes.

Fred

 

I already emailed the person in charge of the course transfers at the FHSU to ask about the admission requirements, especially that I am in Canada so I will be treated as an international student.

 

Yes, please keep us updated on how this goes.