Quickest and least expensive

So does anyone have advice on what school that is accredited offers the quickest and least expensive route to a bachelors degree?

 

The three most commonly mentioned here are Thomas Edision State College, Charter Oak State College, and Excelsior College. TESC and Charter Oak are both state schools (NJ and CT). Excelsior used to be a state school, but is now privately run.

Lots of info about them is available by searching the archives. And read the articles in the content site on the portfolio process to see how you can quickly earn lots of credits for what you already know.

Best of luck!

 

depends on you and what you want

I guess it depends on your knowledge, aptitudes, and motivation.
If you have a wide background of job skills and trainings a college which accepts "credits for life experience" or portfolio makes sense. It is really specific course credit for verified skills and knowledge in that subject.
If you are a self starter and did well in a number of high school classes then a school which will count credit for clep/dantes/excelsior/tesc tests would make sense.
If you want the maximum use from a degree and plan to have a dual major such as a BS in technology and a ba in psychology, then a college which will permit this is necessary.
If you plan to make contacts in the classes which will lead to further career advancement, then you need a college which promotes this in some fashion.
The earlier advice to check out Thomas Edison State College (www.tesc.edu and Charter Oakes State College www.cosc.edu and Excelsior www.excelsior.edu) is a reasonable place to start.
In many cases a local community college, near to you (whereever you are) will offer all the above services. My local Community College of VT will still grant an associates degree once someone reaches the 61 credit minimum with appropriate distribution for very minimal work at CCV. It is theoretically possible to get the AS degree from CCV through testing and portfolio. But I don't know anyone that has done it. Though I know someone that got 40 credits for his portfolio (credit for life experience).
Compare the transfer credits from the community college with what a four year college would accept. One can often save a considerable amount of money taking cheaper community college credits and transfering into a four year degree.
I guess you have some homework to do.
All the best!

 

Thanks

I appreciate the input.
Please resond if you know of an option that make sense.

-In September I will get an education award of about 5000 dollars from working for AmeriCorps for a year.
-I have 81 credit hours from a four year collegs mostly in Art and core coursework, but our community college only will take 60 as transfer credit. When I went to our state college they would only take 65 and took all my art classes as electives.
-I want to teach art but if I get my bachelors in any area first I can sub at about a hundred dollars a day and have the freedom to go to school or work on a project when I need to. If I take a normal job I will likely not have the same freedom to finish my licensure.
-Unfortunatly the local community college doesn't offer an art degree.
-I also want to get the most out of my ed award.
Some schools will match the amount. The local school that does match only offers a four year traditional degree.
- I could go the fast track and get a business degree in about 14 months. But most of my 81 hours would be wasted.

Ideally, I will find a college who matches my AmeriCorps Ed award, who offers a bachelors degree in Art or Art Ed. and offers it through correspondence or online. In addition, who will take my existing credit hours and offers a fast track via clep/dantes/portfolio, etc.

I have searched for months and am to the point where I don't think I will find what I want.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Cindy

 

education options?

Most of the teachers colleges or l'ecole normal are pretty traditional. I don't know of any that are necessarily fast.
What some people who already have bachelors degrees do, is sort of return for a 5th year to get the courses necessary for a teachers license.
I would look at either going directly to one of the teachers colleges for two years and having the dual majors, art and education. or
Find the fast track to the ba through cosc, tesc or excelsior. Work as the $100 a day substitute and take the 5th year courses in ed. post bachelors.
Another option is to investigate initial teacher licensing in the vocational subjects in your state. Often people are hired in vocational positions provisionally, and work while employed toward permenant teacher licensing. In my state there is a vocational theater and vocational arts. Initial qualifications can be through experience.
All the best!

 

Well, it all comes down to wanting the best, or else the fastest, I'd guess.

Have your checked out Skimore College? They have art and education majors and through their UWW program, extremely
liberal credit acceptance requirements. Your award should cover their $3-4,000 annual expenses fees, and you could CLEP
or test out for the rest of the credit you need at low, or very low cost!!!

And given your situation, you sound like an ideal candidate for their program! (Syracuse BLS requires 30 credits through Syracuse; Skidmore does not! Or else, perhaps Ohio University)

Alternatively, Charter Oak State College--cheaper, less expensive--has all you need, too! Do it the same way....
Good luck (and please let us know how it goes)--your objective is
very worthy!

--Orson

 

Wonderful!

What great input!
I wish I would have found this forum before I spent months searching!
I will eagarly check out the options presented!
Thanks for your time and great advice!
*smile*
Cindy

 

Re: Wonderful!

If you already have some credits earned at a RA university, you might want to take a look at the degree completion program at Jones International University, they are flexible in terms of credit transfer and you may fininsh your degree in few years.

 

Another option...

Caldwell College in NJ offers the BA in Art/ BFA/ and B.A. in Art with Certification in Education at a distance....
their external degree program has been offered since
1979, but has one hitch:

"External Degree students are required to be on campus only for the External Degree Saturday at the beginning of each semester."

full details atL
<http://www.caldwell.edu/adult-ed/external.html>

--Orson

 

The old rule applies

As with everything in life you can get cheap, fast and good, but never all three together. At least this is my experience with women. I presume degrees are the same. Try for two (cheap and good; fast and cheap) etc or even one (really good, really fast, etc).