College at Home 101 By Alyssa Mulhearn

Bachelors degree is a term that, for many, conjures ideas of financial security, job opportunities, and a road to success. Its the $60,000-plus price tag and four years that make people wonder if its really worth it. s homeschoolers, you already reali!e that education is not confined to a classroom. "#istance education$ and "online learning$ ha%e become %iable, popular options in post-secondary education. &o, how can you make these new technological education tools work for you' (he first two years of a bachelors degree are typically dedicated to general education re)uirements. (hese are courses that co%er the basic educational building blocks* math, +nglish, history, science, etc. ,igh school graduates ha%e already studied these courses. -hat if you could pro%e you already know the information by passing a test, like a final e.am, and get college credit for it' (he /ollege 0e%el +.amination 1rogram 2/0+13 and # 4(+& &ubject &tandardi!ed (ests 2#&&(3 offer you just that opportunity. (he /ollege 5oard, the organi!ation that brought us the & (, has also created /0+1 e.ams. /0+1 test is essentially a final e.am for one of the thirty-three different subjects offered. -hen you pass one of their multiple-choice e.ams, /ollege 5oard awards you the same amount of credit as if you had taken the entire course. In e.change for $60 and taking one 70-minute e.am, you can earn three to twel%e credits that are accepted at more than 8,700 colleges. &imilarly, for passing grades on an e.am, the #&&( program grants college credit that is accepted at more than 9,700 uni%ersities. (here are thirty-eight e.ams that are worth three credits each. :any #&&( e.ams are in speciali!ed areas, such as ",istory of the ;ietnam -ar$ or ":oney and 5anking.$ (hese multiple-choice tests are timed and cost $60 each. -hen there are re)uired classes that are not a%ailable through credit by e.amination tests 2/5+3, online courses are another option. :any two- and fouryear colleges are offering online courses now. (here may be a small discount for online courses, but most cost the same per credit hour as do regular courses. <nline classes are similar to their brick-and-mortar counterparts. (hese courses include interaction with the professor and other students, finals, papers, and deadlines. (hey are usually on a semester schedule and can re)uire you to log in at a certain time each week or just turn assignments in on time. Its worth the time to search for the college that offers a course that fits your needs and budget. (he merican /ouncil on +ducation 2 /+3 is the most influential higher education association in the =.&. It represents all presidents of =.&. accredited degreegranting institutions, public and pri%ate, tackling higher education challenges. <ne of their functions is to recommend college credit for completion of certain course programs. (wo of the programs that are helpful for distance-education students are ssessment and 0earning in >nowledge &paces 2 0+>&3 and &traighterline.

0+>& is an online, performance-based math program. /+ grants credit for the completion of 0+>& courses from 5eginning lgebra to &tatistics. In 0+>&, you work on one area of math until you ha%e mastered the concept. <nce you ha%e finished a certain percentage of the course, you contact /+ and recei%e three credit hours per course. ?or more information about 0+>&, see www.aleks.com@highered@math@courseAproducts. &traighterline is a company that offers almost forty self-paced, online courses. (heir thirty partner colleges grant credit for the courses. /+ also grants credit, so students at other uni%ersities may be able to utili!e &traighterlines ser%ices. (o see the forty different classes a%ailable at &traighterline, %isit www.straighterline.com. &electing a college major can seem o%erwhelming. It in%ol%es an e%aluation of the skills you possess, the skills you want to de%elop, and what you hope to accomplish with the degree. (hat may re)uire looking at the current job market and predictions for the labor force or choosing a major that is a%ailable online if going to a college campus isnt an option. lso, remember that identifying a college major isnt a life sentence. There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand !rover"s #$%&#'( /hoosing a broader degree and planning on getting onthe-job training or a masters degree may work for the undecided student. <nce a major has been selected, its time to choose a school. In the distanceeducation world there are three uni%ersities that are sometimes referred to as the "5ig (hree$ of distance-learning uni%ersities* (homas +dison &tate /ollege 2(+&/3, +.celsior /ollege, and /harter <ak &tate /ollege 2/<&/3. ll three are fully accredited schools that offer online degrees, with many of the re)uired credits a%ailable through /5+. (+&/ is a 4ew Bersey state school that accepts up to 980 transfer credits, including all /0+1, #&&(, +/+, and (+/+1s. +.celsior is based out of 4ew Cork and offers degrees in business, liberal arts, technology, and health sciences. /<&/ offers bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degrees with a concentration 2instead of a major3. :any colleges offer online degrees, but these three schools are known for their fle.ibility and e.perience with both /5+ courses and homeschoolers. &ome degrees arent a%ailable online because of the hands-on training re)uired. It is possible to take /5+s and apply them to a degree program at a brick-and-mortar college. (hats an easy way to sa%e time and money. /heck the colleges website or speak with a guidance counselor about /5+. -hen earning a degree through one of the "5ig (hree$ schools, it is not necessary to enroll when beginning to take /5+s. ll three schools post the re)uired courses for each degree they offer online. 5y plugging in to /5+ and supplementing with online courses, it is possible to create a degree plan fairly )uickly. <nce you are ready to take courses from that school, enrollment is necessary. ,owe%er, by postponing enrollment, you could sa%e thousands of dollars. #egreeforum.net is a great resource for finding information about the "5ig (hrees$ degree re)uirements. &tudents post their degree plans there, and other students and graduates share their e.perience and ad%ice about what each school will accept.

<ne handy hint to sa%e time is to schedule e.ams that are in similar subject areas within the same general time frame. ?or e.ample, take =.&. ,istory <ne and =.&. ,istory (wo back to back since the subject matter will o%erlap somewhat. :any college courses present %iews and beliefs that are contrary to a /hristian belief system. ,ow do you handle this information' Cou need to know your world%iewD it is necessary for college and for life. If you earn credits by e.am, you will ha%e to deal only with a te.tbook that may present contro%ersial ideas. In a classEonline or on campusEthere will probably be situations where you disagree with what is being taught as truth. "1icking your battles$ is an important skill to learn, as is practicing respectfulness toward those with opposing %iews. -hen studying for /5+s that are notoriously secular 2such as science classes3, /hristian te.tbooks may be helpful. Bay -iles high school science te.ts are a good study companion to secular science te.tbooks. 4ow that you ha%e the tools with which to start on the path toward earning an online degree, select an e.am, study, and then take the test. Cou can achie%e your dream of attaining your bachelors degree without sacrificing four years or $60,000F )lyssa *ulhearn, a homeschool graduate, earned her Bachelor of )rts degree in communications from Thomas +dison ,tate -ollege in &.##( ,he no/ /or0s for 1ome +ducators of 2irginia as their 3e" -ontent *anager and is "uilding her career in freelance /riting and /e"site design( /opyright 8098, used with permission. ll rights reser%ed by author. <riginally appeared in the #ecember 8098 issue of The Old ,choolhouse4 *aga5ine, the family education maga!ine. Gead the maga!ine free at www.(<&:aga!ine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.(<& pps.com to read the maga!ine on your mobile de%ices.