Since this summer, we’ve been BIG FANS of Arizona State’s Earned Admissions program for our homeschooling community, but since that time we’ve learned of a few other options you might like to know about. But what’s the difference between these programs and how do they fit into a Homeschooling for College Credit program?
Arizona State University (ASU)
What is the difference between the ASU’s regular program, Earned Admissions (EA) program courses, college courses through ASU Digital Prep, Non-EA Digital Prep courses?
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Arizona State University (traditional) is a 4-year university that accepts high school graduates into their regular university (online or on-campus) program. The regular ASU degree programs are not open to high school students; you have to graduate high school to apply. These courses are at full tuition prices and students can apply for financial aid. High school students are not eligible for this program, but they can use ASU’s other courses toward this program if they decide to pursue a degree at ASU. ASU courses from ASU’s standard course catalog are restricted to students who have been admitted or are “visiting students.” Standard tuition rates apply, as well as drop/withdrawal dates. If you’ve exhausted the entire EA and Digital Prep college credit options but have not graduated high school, you may want to use this option until you are eligible to graduate high school and enroll as a “degree-seeking” student.
Arizona State University (Earned Admission) Students can “earn” their admission to ASU by completing 24 or more credits through the special ASU EA catalog. These are all lower-level (freshman/sophomore level) courses that apply to degree plans at ASU. Some are self-paced, others are led by a professor. This unique program allows students to take a course for $25, and upon completion, they can choose if they like the grade and want to pay for it to be placed on an official ASU transcript. To have their course converted into college credit costs $400. This program is fantastic as a “first” college credit experience because there is no record of failure. Courses may be taken or retaken as many times as needed/wanted without risking the GPA. Furthermore, parents can simply use these courses for high school credit and never pay the conversion fee. This makes it a very attractive option for dual credit students, particularly those testing the waters to see if they are college-ready. The ASU EA program is open to any age and has no placement testing requirement. Login via the login link on the black menu bar within ASU’s EA platform at ea.asu.edu, or hs.ea.asu.edu for high school students.
ASU’s Digital Prep (non-EA) program is their online high school program, which is free for Arizona’s in-state students, but available for a fee for out-of-state students. High school courses are not worth college credit. A select number of ASU’s Digital Prep courses are available for college credit. A homeschool student may choose this program to access courses beyond ASU’s EA catalog. They offer access to additional college courses at $600/course (not per credit), regardless of credit hours; however, these courses have standard drop/withdrawal dates and are paid for upfront, like a normal college course. The course can be taken ala carte by high school students not enrolled full-time or as part of their full-time high school program. Access via hs.ea.asu.edu or asuprepdigital.org
One more thing!
If you enroll in one of these courses, be sure to join our ASU Homeschooling for College Credit Facebook group! You’ll learn how to get the most out of the program with us!
Insider Tip: Choosing Your First ASU Course
Trying to decide which EA course to start with from ASU’s EA Course lineup?