Go to college for free? Sort of...

There could be something that prevents DETC programs from sitting on the CPA, good suggestion vince.

One option I've considered is taking the free degree, and using my GI Bill to do the Becker prep classes.

 

That's probably a good idea. I'm convinced someone who had never taken an accounting course in their lives could pass the CPA if they watched the Becker lectures enough times.

 

Question

JMorgan,
I have a question about the tuition special. I am interested in doing another bachelor's with your school and then one of the grad degrees you offer as well. Would the special tuition rate stay locked in if I graduated with the bachelors and then transitioned into a master's program? Thanks for the information!

Justin

 

Most of the Ph.D degrees don't need a Master degree, so I don't think an MBA from NA is matter.

 

In Florida they gave me a hard time with my RA degrees in accounting, the language is a little vogue but they indicated, that they may accept a non-accredited degrees, so imagine all the leg work you will have to do with a non-accredited degree or NA degrees, if even with a RA I have to fight them! It only took me an email a day for three months to finally make them accept my RA degrees. It boils down to whom is doing the evaluation, may be an ignorant person. But to be in the safe side the RA route is always the best direction.

 

Here is a link that will tell you the CPA requirements in all 50 states: http://www.beckercpa.com/state/index.cfm

I know my state, Maryland, will not accept NA credit. There is a question as to whether they will even accept ACE. My wife has a call into them.

Pug

 

Where did you earn your undergraduate degrees from Vini? What was their reason for giving you a hard time?

I see the future of the CPA certification going in one of two ways.

Either, it will fracture completely, which I don't think will happen, with some states saying "You have to take classes from our colleges because WE want the money..." (and no, I don't think this will happen but that's almost where we are now).

OR the AICPA will step in and offer some type of national solution that supercedes the CPA. I can see this happening. The AICPA is pushing for legislation that would essentially make a CPA a CPA across state lines and it seems like they come out with a new certification of their own every year.

If their legislation crashes and burns, my guess is they'll develop something like a 'Master CPA' that any state-licensed CPA can apply to be at a national level.

Here are some triggers that could force their hand.

Alternate certifications grow in popularity because the whole CPA thing is a pain (they're out there now and I'm speaking of certifications like the EA, CVA, etc)

Enrollment for CPA licenses continues to drop and they identify one of the reasons as this never-ending maze of requirements for each state

Just my $0.02. I don't see it happening right away but it wouldn't surprise me if we got there eventually. Essentially, the AICPA needs their own version of the CMA.

 

I earned my BBA from American University of P.R. (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico), initially they stated that my BBA had lower level courses( they confused the numbers with the upper level classes) and that I was missing classes, I got a catalog from my college and compared the courses and sent this information to them. I was able to show that my BBA was equivalent to any other accounting courses they required. The whole process took a year(they move so slow and I was running out time, if not I would had to pay the fee again) until they indicated I was able to seat, but it took lots of emails to different people and to include the Governor of Florida. So they gave in!

 

So many new students!!

Hey guys.. sorry I have been missing the last three days. As you can imagine, the university is getting a major response to this program..... and we haven't even formally announced it yet!

Anyway, to all our new students: I am looking forward to hearing about your progress. Let me know what you think of your first course!

As far as the CPA exam is concerned, you guys are correct. It is ALWAYS best to check to see if your degree will work for what you intend, no matter what university you are considering. If you wish to transfer somewhere or qualify for something with your degree, make quick phone call to say "I want to do _______ and am getting my degree from _______ University. Will this qualify me?" For those of you looking at other schools, please keep this in mind as well. You would not believe the horror stories we have heard from transfer students.

Mighty_Tiki: I am glad to hear you are looking to enroll. Moving from an undergraduate program to a graduate program will require you to fill out a new enrollment agreement. Anytime you fill out an new agreement, you are subject to the current policies of the university. I do know, however, that the concept of "sponsored tuition" is not a temporary promotion. It is a reflection of our beliefs as a university that everyone has a right to an affordable education. That being said, the best way to ensure that the new tuition program is permanent is to help us get as many students to enroll as possible.

Transcripts: To answer a previously mentioned question, yes, we accept faxed, unofficial transcripts for credit evaluations. We also accept print outs from university websites. We will allow you to enroll with these documents, but you must have all official transcripts sent to us by the end of your first semester so that we can verify your credits and allow you to keep moving.

Hope that makes sense. Keep those questions coming, or feel free to email me at [email protected].

 

I have a question about the course delivery. I read the page that was linked earlier but didn't see info on how long the courses last. Is there an Independent option or do you have to finish a course in 8 or 10 weeks? Are group projects required?

I'm currently enrolled in Aspen's MSIM program and would love to jump on this one as well but if there are 8 week sessions or whatever, I don't think I'd be able to handle that kind of course load.

Also, exactly how indebted are the students to pupilcity or the other sponsors? I would want to know exactly what is expected of me before enrolling. If they are covering a significant portion of the tuition, I doubt that a simple feedback-on-the-site form is all they will require.

 

From what I have gathered from speaking with one of the admissions staff...the courses are 16 week (semester) courses, but they are self-paced, meaning that you can complete a course as quickly as you can handle the coursework. You can also start a new (semester) earlyier than 16 weeks if you complete the classes early. The semesters begin at the begginning of each month...

 

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but there is also a $75 application fee in addition to the $125 enrollment fee.

I also ran some numbers on the cost of this deal...

For grad students taking 4 semesters, 3 courses per semester - 36 credits

Total cost with all fees, not including books is $2160...that comes out to exactly $60/credit hour...pretty sweet...

My wife is signed up and starting in September. I would jump on it as well, but I wanted the AACSB accreditation from JSU and my company is paying for it anyway, so cost is not a huge factor for me...

 

As a former adjunct faculty member of AJU - thought I would put in my 2 cents:

1. AJU courses are rigorous - there is a good deal of work involved in them.

2. Faculty are accessable - AJU requires faculty to return assignments within 72 hours of completion, and this IS tracked by AJU administration.

If a DETC degree will work for you, with the financial terms that are being offered, one should look seriously at AJU.

Shawn

 

Just wondering, are there any DETC MBA programs that have any of the additional B-school accrediations such as IACBE, ACBSP, or (highly unlikely and mentioned just for completeness) AACSB?

 

That is absolutely correct! Courses follow 16 week semesters, but are self paced and allow for a student to jump ahead to a new semester if they finish early. Also, there are no group projects in any AJU courses.

As far as the question: "How indebted am I to pupilcity"...

You are only asked to create a free profile there once the site is released. I think you will find that it can be a major benefit to your educational experience, but you will not be forced to continue to use it after you sign up. As you know, websites need members to get off the ground, and this is their way of building up their membership prior to launch.

Lastly, we have finally gone public with this program! You can see our banner on the front page of www.aju.edu and read the press release from there.

Spread the word! Tuition is dead!

 

J-Morgan,

You've got to pull the picture of the student sitting in front of his computer wearing his graduation hat. Very dorky looking, IMO. I don't much care for the Clip Art photos you find on most DL Web sites, but this one's particularly bad.

 

I have to second that one...it kinda freaks me out...

 

Just wondering.., how does everyone else on this board feel about the fact that it's NA... how do most employers view it?

 

Just wondering how do you feel about it?

 

This NA thing again...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.