Is TESC now the cheapest of the Big 3? (Cost Breakdown for All 3 Schools)

TESC now has a new Per Credit Hour Tuition Plan. TESC has long had two other plans: Comprehensive and Enrolled Options. The Comprehensive Tuition Plan's flat rate for out-of-state students is competitive, but many people do not want to take a bunch of courses at TESC. So, the other option was the Enrolled Options Plan. Some people find it difficult to pay a $3,000 enrollment fee all at once. The Per Credit Hour Tuition Plan will probably solve this problem. The catch is that there is a 12 credit and 24 credit residency requirement for the associates and bachelors degrees, respectively. Under the Per Credit Hour Tuition Plan, courses are $476 per credit instead of $229 per credit under the Enrolled Options Plan, but you don't have to pay an enrollment fee. However, the residency requirement can be met by taking online courses, guided study courses, PLAs, e-Packs, or TECEPs. TECEPs are only $36 per credit hour. I found it hard to believe that you could just spend $864 on TECEPs and have a bachelor's degree from TESC, but another person and I emailed TESC, and they said this is possible.

Per Credit Tuition Plan

If it is true that you can fulfill the residency requirements with TECEPs at $36 per credit hour under the new Per Credit Hour Tuition Plan, TESC will be the cheapest of the Big 3. Here is the breakdown.

TESC
With Capstone
$476 (for capstone) X 3 = $1428
$36 (TECEP) X 21 (for a total of 24 credit hours for residency) = $756
$1428 + $756 = $2184

Without Capstone
$36 X 24 = $864

Technically, if you would have tested out of the courses you are taking TECEPs for regardless, you are only adding an extra $1428 with the capstone and practically $0 without the capstone to the total cost of your degree plus the little bit of extra money you'll spend on the TECEPs over DSST/CLEP/Uexcel ECEP. In other words, the money you'll spend on TECEPs would have been spent on other tests anyway. In reality, without a capstone, the only extra money you will be paying to TESC is the graduation fee. Your CBE costs will just being going to TESC instead of the College Board (CLEP), Prometric (DSST), or Excelsior and Pearson (Uexcel ECEP).

COSC
$240 (semester fee) X 2 = $480
$339 X 6 (for capstone and cornerstone) = $2034
$2034 + $480 = $2514 ($2274 if you are allowed to do the capstone and cornerstone in the same semester)

Excelsior
Multi-Source Option
$1065 (for enrollment)
$425 X 3 (for capstone) = $1275
$1275 + $1065 = $2340

If anyone can confirm this, what I've seen on the COSC website is that you have to pay for two semesters. Either way, TESC is still the cheapest. If you have to pay for two semesters COSC is more expensive than Excelsior making it the most expensive option of the Big 3 unless you count the graduation fee. Excelsior has a very expensive graduation fee at $495 making the total cost slightly more expensive than COSC.

 

I found it hard to believe that TESC would be willing to lose over $1,000 by steering people away from the Enrolled Options Plan, but they probably think they can attract more students by not requiring $3,000 upfront. Still, $476 per credit hour is a lot. As far as the TECEPs being allowed to fulfill residency requirements, this was either an oversight or TESC just figured that most of its students wouldn't utilize them much. A small percentage of TESC students are even aware of CBEs. On a Linkedin poll, most TESC students said that online courses were their favorite option for earning credit. Some admitted in the comments that they were too afraid to take a CBE. So, I guess only the weird ones like some of the people on this forum and just about everyone on the other forum will be eating this up.

TECEPs are less convenient to take since they are paper exams, and they are slightly more expensive than the other CBE options. It would be great if TESC turned them all into online tests and worked with ProctorU. They could also form a partnership with Prometric or Pearson.

 

Great post.
I think people should stop worrying about the capstone so much. It is just one course.

 

Please note, that information sounds too good to be true...because it is! I was very enthusiastic when I read this, and I will admit- the website is confusing too. Not only this but staff members (admissions clerks) can and have dispensed incorrect info. You mentioned that TESC "emailed you" that your assumptions were correct- but the Director of Admissions (David H.) emailed me back and even then I since called back to confirm ONCE AGAIN... and unfortunately no matter how you slice it, you are going to pay that Enrollment Fee which (for me being out of state) would be $3,062 For me that drastically changes everything and puts the added pressure that I would have to complete within 1 year- lest I have to pay the enrollment fee again! Aside from this, the Comprehensive Plan is a great (better) option than the per credit because it is nearly all inclusive but $8,395 for out of state like me. The only reason Per Credit option could be good is if you need much less than 36 credit hours to complete. I need about that though. Another possible and perhaps better option (in my case) may be Excelsior College. The enrollment fee is less, the tuition per credit hours are less also but then there are some other fees. In either case, I'm not sure you can test out for EVERY course you need but that depends on the credits you transfer, PLA if you do that, and the degree program you persue. The same plan at excelsior could end up being about $5k for me which would make it less than TESC but we'll have to see. When I have an update I will post to the thread.