Homeschooling for College Credit at Thomas Edison State University (NJ)
Rack Rate Tuition: $60,180 ($499 per credit x 120 credits)
Resourcefully Planned: $4,442 (116 credits in homeschool, 4 cr. rack rate)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts (Liberal Studies)
What is a resourcefully planned degree? In short, a cost map shows you how Homeschooling for College Credit in high school can be transferred into a specific college to save money. We’ll use alternative college credit sources that are accepted by this college to devise a strategic plan for your student. The cost map is a general outline that gets you headed in the right direction.
What a Resourcefully Planned Cost Map is NOT: It’s not a guarantee. This is an informed DIY plan using the college’s advertised transfer and credit acceptance policies.
Why DIY? As the parent of a high school student, you won’t have access to academic advisors or the registrar of a college, in addition, colleges don’t specialize in helping you avoid taking their classes! But, college transfer protocol and transfer policies are often available to the public, allowing teens to start earning college credit NOW that can be used LATER.
Where is Dual Enrollment? Since some families have free tuition through dual enrollment, while other families may not, dual enrollment has been completely left out of the plan. If you have dual enrollment available to you, you may want to use it.
Other costs: Colleges will have other costs beyond the scope of our basic tuition calculation. Application fee, graduation fee, technology fee, etc. are all fees that you should plan for when your teen eventually enrolls. To keep the playing field even, the rack rate listed above doesn’t include fees either – the numbers shown are straight tuition.
Note: TESU does not admit students under 18. Students between ages 18-21 must appeal and request an age waiver. Students can earn all of their credit prior to age 18 and apply with their degree requirements met (except for the last 4 credits).
Rack Rate Tuition: $60,180
Resourcefully Planned: $4,442
Cost Map for Thomas Edison State University 12/2018
| Requirement | Homeschooling for College Credit | Approximate Cost taken during homeschool | Cost if taken through Thomas Edison |
| Written Communication | CLEP College Composition (6 credits) | $0* | $2,994 |
| Oral Communications | DSST Principles of Public Speaking (3 credits) | $100 | $1497 |
| Quantitative Literacy | CLEP Math for the Liberal Arts OR College Algebra (3 credits) | $0* | $1497 |
| Information Literacy | CLEP Analyzing & Interpreting Literature (3 credits, split) | $0* | $1497 |
| Diversity | CLEP Sociology (3 credits) | $0* | $1497 |
| Ethics | DSST Computer Ethics (3 credits) |
$100* | $1497 |
| Civic Engagement | CLEP Government (3 credits) | $0* | $1497 |
| Knowledge of Human Cultures | CLEP US History 1 (3 credits) | $0* | $1497 |
| CLEP US History 2 (3 credits) | $0* | $1497 | |
| CLEP Humanities (6 credits) | $0* | $2994 | |
| Understanding Physical & Natural World | CLEP Biology (3 credits) | $0* | $1497 |
| OnlineDegreeCom Environ. Science (3 credits) | $9 | $1497 | |
| General Electives | CLEP, Saylor, or OnlineDegreeCom (18 credits) | $0-54 | $8,982 |
| Area of Study/Lower Level | CLEP Analyzing & Interpreting Literature (3 credits, split) | $0* | $1497 |
| CLEP American Literature (6 credits) | $0* | $2,994 | |
| CLEP English Literature (6 credits) | $0* | $2,994 | |
| Area of Study/Upper Level | Studycom, Saylor, and DSST (15 credits) | $500 | $7,485 |
| Cornerstone | N/A in High School (1 credit) | $300 | $300 |
| Capstone/Upper Level | N/A in High School (3 credits) | $1,098 | $1497 |
| Free Electives | CLEP, Saylor, OnlineDegreeCom, Sophia (26 credits) | $0-81 | $13,473 |
| Residency Waiver Fee (w/ Studycom affiliate pricing) | N/A – this is a fee, not a class | $2,200 | $0 |
| $4,442 | $60,180 |
How to avoid student loan debt
- Reduce the number of credits your teen must complete by doing as many of them as possible in high school. You’ll pay cash for these as you go.
- Apply for Federal work-study, grants, and use savings/cash to cover the balance of tuition once they’re an enrolled student.
- For every $100 of tuition you have outstanding, apply for 1 scholarship. (example: $2,000 tuition = apply for 20 scholarships)
*CLEP exams are free when you use the Modern States Free Voucher program.
Need help from scratch? Start here –> Homeschooling for College Credit
Want to know more about the types of college credit used in this chart? –> Take me there.
