HS4CC dad Gordon F. gets honest about how his son earned college credits, what it cost, why they chose the college they did, and how their boy graduated with his associate degree this month!
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Category: Common Sense College Planning
What Does the “Freshman Scholarship” cover and is it enough?
We sometimes hear parents concerned about their teens earning freshman scholarships, meaning they want to make sure their college credit doesn’t disqualify them! Of course, it doesn’t, but lets we’ll look at what that freshman scholarship actually covers.
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A 5th Straight Semester of Enrollment Declines
New data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center show total enrollment declined 4.1 percent since last spring. Community colleges are once again the sector hit the hardest.
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Demoted to Elective
Did your teen have a dual enrollment class later demoted to an “elective” at their target college? If you’re upset, I have 3 reasons you should reconsider your anger.
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What is the right kind of college credit for my teen?
Believe it or not, college credit is NOT created equally, and your teen’s anticipated use of that credit will help you choose the best kind of credit for them to earn.
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Parent Question: A college professor told me something about financial aid and my teen’s college credit.
“This professor said that kids coming in with CLEP and DSST exams are using up their course program “electives” and this is affecting financial aid later. Is it something to be concerned about?”
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Tuition: Using Other People’s Money
We often think of employer benefits extending to adults, but did you know your teen may qualify for tuition benefits that will pay their college tuition?
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Starbucks College Achievement Plan
Yes, your teen can go to college for free. Seriously. Let me show you how to extract the most out of what they’re offering so your teen can grab this deal.
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Playing the Odds
Earning college credit before you’ve picked out a college or are several years away from enrollment feels like a gamble, but most types of college credit can be sorted by risk level, and a when you follow a few basic guidelines you can get very close to navigating with confidence!
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Undergraduate Credentials: What’s the Difference?
Degree, Diploma, and Certificate Requirements
| # of credits | Usual Time to complete if full-time student | Purpose | Courses in Program | |
| Certificate | 12 to 18 | 1-2 semester | Training for skilled technical jobs | Includes **major course work |
| Diploma | 36 to 38 | 1 year (2 semesters and summer session) | Provide entry-level employment training | Minimum of 6 credits in *Gen Ed in addition to **major course work |
| Associate Degree | 64 to 76 | 2 years | Transfer to a university or enter the workforce | Minimum of 15 credits of *Gen ED in addition to **major course work |
| Bachelor Degree | 120 | 4 years | Qualify for graduate school or enter the workforce | Minimum of 60 credits of *Gen ED in addition to **major course work |
*Gen Ed (General Education) – courses such as English, Math, Science, Humanities, etc.
**Major Course Work – courses specific to a program such as nursing, computers, welding, automotive, engineering, social science, etc.
Pro Tip: Locking in Your Catalog
The only way to guarantee a credit is applied as you predict is to lock in the college catalog. In this post, I’ll explain what that means and how to do it!
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Upper-Level Credit in High School
Super rare thing for me to write about here because, frankly, very few of you are going to be in a situation where you exhaust your credit earning options for the first two years of college (60 credits). But every now and then, a parent will ask about upper-level credit options.
Continue reading “Upper-Level Credit in High School”Watch Now: Night of Encouragement
If you couldn’t join us last night for our Night of Encouragement, you can watch the entire thing right now!
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WATCH NOW: The Business of College -Simple Math Difficult Decisions
SIMPLE MATH DIFFICULT DECISIONS An unfiltered look at the business of college and how you can navigate the system where most students end up in debt and don’t graduate. You’ll look at how to calculate the real cost of a degree, and you’ll learn real ways to bring that cost down as low as possible without the uncertainty of scholarships. Watch Now (1 hour)
Want to join one of our live events from home? Check out our calendar
WATCH NOW: The Big 3
THE BIG 3: AFFORDABLE BACHELOR’S DEGREES Who are the Big 3 and why are so many people using them for their teen? In this session, you’ll learn about Charter Oak State College, Thomas Edison State University, and Excelsior College. This group, frequently called The Big 3, have unique transfer policies that allow you to DIY a bachelor’s degree in high school using alternative college credit for under $10,000. We’ll explore if these degrees and colleges are legit, and when a degree from one of these universities is a great option or a bad idea. Watch Now (1 hour)
Want to attend one of our live events? Check our calendar for the next workshop!
WATCH NOW: Associate Degrees in High School
ASSOCIATE DEGREES What are Associate Degrees? In this presentation we’ll explore the various types of Associate Degrees and consider whether or not your teen should pursue one in high school. We’ll look at the situations where it is to your benefit as well as situations where it adds extra time and money to your teen’s college plan. We’ll discuss the times when they transfer perfectly, and times when they don’t transfer at all. Watch Now (1 hour 15 minutes)
Want to watch a HS4CC event live? See our calendar
Using Transfer Websites in your HS4CC Program
Transfer tools and websites like Transferology are great when you know how to use them! In this post, I’ll explain how to get the most out of these resources for your HS4CC program.
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Future Course Approval @ Liberty
High school students may take college courses from a handful of schools before eventually sending everything off to their target college. In most cases, you plan those courses without a college’s guarantee or advice from an advisor. Today I want to tell you about the “Future Course Approval” process for students planning a degree at Liberty University.
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12 Reasons to Earn College Credit if your Teen isn’t Going to College
Ok, what? If your teen isn’t going to college, then why should they earn college credit? In this post, we’ll look beyond their immediate plans and I’ll give you 12 good reasons I think they should earn college credit anyway.
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Can You Skip the CLT, SAT, or ACT Test?
Is your teen thinking about a college entrance exams in 2022? Many of you are, but not everyone will have to take an admissions exam. What if your teen already has college credit- does that matter? Here is what you need to know if you’re trying to avoid college admissions exams.
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After High School
Though our focus is earning college credit while homeschooling, here are a few creative options for your kids who’ve already graduated from high school but haven’t earned a college degree.
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We Want the Cheapest Bachelor’s in Anything
This is a popular request! Sometimes, a teen doesn’t need a degree in something specific, rather they are just hoping to check the box without debt so they can get on with their next thing. Sometimes the next thing includes graduate school, military, trade school, or starting a business. If your teen’s situation allows for an accredited degree without a specific major, there are 3 colleges that fit this request better than any others.
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GUEST APPEARANCE: High School Hamster Wheel
High School Hamster Wheel Betsy Jewell is a career and college coach and host of High School Hamster Wheel Podcast. The High School Hamster Wheel is a podcast for parents of teens and young adults exploring paths through and beyond high school. In this episode, we dive into what inspired Jennifer Cook-DeRosa to launch Homeschooling for College Credit and how she tested out of two degrees in 18 months. She also explains how to adapt these principles for adult learners or teens who aren’t homeschooled.
“Talk about eye opening! I have two kids in high school, one about to graduate, and most of this was news to me…I am blown away by how much Jennifer knows about all of this and she does this all for free! What an incredible opportunity for parents and teens to save time and money while earning college credits.” -Betsy Jewell
A Little Extra Credit
If your teen is using dual enrollment this year, you may experience a large “gap” between the end of this semester and the start of the next. My son’s dual enrollment college takes a full 4-week break! If you need a break, take it, but if your teen’s break is long like ours, you may not want to sit out that long.
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Homeschooling for College Credit 