I almost never repost someone else’s article, but the full article appears behind a paywall, and when Mike Rowe wrote an editorial, I simply had to share it here. Some of my thoughts and opinions are at the bottom, but since my head exploded in the process, they didn’t all make it on the page.
Continue reading “Preaching to the Choir”
As usual, universities tend to make their changes over the summer for the coming fall, and normally those kinds of changes aren’t super-relevant to our community, but many of you have teens heading to TESU, so with that, I wanted to be sure everyone sees this change.
Continue reading “CHANGES: Thomas Edison State University”
Big news – see what this means for HS4CC families!
Continue reading “2U Buys edX for $800 Million”
We see lots of programs come and go, but this one is STILL available and running strong (since we first shared about it in 2016), so we HAVE TO keep letting our parents know – especially now that we have a HS4CC graduate from this program! If ANYONE in your family is part of the union, your teen may have access to a totally free associate degree. Zero out of pocket, really.
Continue reading “Family Member in a Union? Free College”
It can shorten your teen’s time and cost, in some cases, but in many cases it’s an expensive distraction that can create some issues.
Continue reading “Associate Degree in High School?”
UPDATE: since publishing this post, Spartanburg Community College added the line “living in SC” to their eligibility requirements. My screenshot from Wayback Machine confirms that it wasn’t part of the original offer. So sorry guys, this is a bummer.
So, it looks like only our SC families can take advantage, and I hope they do, but congrats to those who got in before of the “change.”
Spartanburg Community College (South Carolina) has opened their catalog to students living anywhere in the country for South Carolina dual enrollment AND they are waiving tuition. Yes, really. $0 Dual enrollment this year- what are you waiting for??? Courses are taken online from anywhere.
The button above will take you to the Dual Enrollment Handbook (59 pages) full of everything you need to know, but this is a quick overview to help you decide if this will work for your teen. My prediction is that these classes will be full immediately, so there is no time to waste if you want your teen to register!
SPARTANBURG COMMUNITY COLLEGE OVERVIEW
Spartanburg Community College (SCC), established in 1963, is one of 16 colleges in the South Carolina Technical College System. Its service area is comprised of Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties located in upstate South Carolina. SCC offers 70 certificate, diploma, and degree programs in the following areas: university transfer, health sciences, and technologies.
Spartanburg is regionally accredited, so the credits earned here should transfer well into any other accredited college or university that accepts transfer credit.
Their full catalog is searchable, so be sure to filter for ONLINE when looking for a class. Note that it is possible to earn an entire associate degree online through this college, so if your teen already has a lot of college credit, you may want to consider “finishing” their degree at Spartanburg! They allow you to transfer in up to 75% of the credits toward a degree. Transfer page
Their transfer page says they accept CLEP, AP, and ACE credit. It is unclear if they accept Sophia, Straighterline, Studycom, etc. If any parent here has their teen’s ACE credit evaluated by Spartanburg, PLEASE let me know. -Jennifer
Step 1: Use this link
Step 2: open “Advanced Search” from the top bar
Step 3: Select “Fall Term 2021” as desired term
Step 4: Select “SCC Online” as desired location
**At this point a new screen opens with all online courses**
Step 5: Select “Open Sections Only” from the Availability option on the left
**At this point the number of open courses will appear as a number next to the SCC Locations button. In this screenshot you’ll see that there are (were) 86 available classes to choose from.
Step 6: You can now either browse the entire remaining list of classes, or filter further by subject on the left. In the sample above, you’ll see a number next to the subjects. That number indicates how many courses are open in that subject. American Government (1) indicates 1 course available.
NOTE: Where it states “ENG-032 and RDG-032” they are indicating a placement level, not a class. In short, your teen needs to be eligible for college level English and Reading. Check with advising about how to prove eligibility.
Step 7: The catalog should be in real time (or very close to it) so be sure to have your teen’s application in the works asap! I expect the availability to be different every day until the semester begins. Popular classes sometimes have extra sessions added, so you can continue to check back.
The following are my “top picks” because I like to make the most out of every ounce of learning. If I take a class, I like to see if there are any CLEPs that are “similar but different” to bundle with it. In addition, if I take a CLEP, that might meet prerequisites for other classes. I’ve picked a few classes that will bundle well (without duplicating) CLEP exams – and suggestions for classes you could try if you’ve already taken a CLEP in that subject.
Sometimes members use the shorthand “UL” or “LL” to indicate upper-level or lower-level credit. If you’re wondering what the difference is and why anyone cares, let’s take a look!
Continue reading “Good to Know: UL and LL Credit”
As the school year comes to an end, our normal monthly celebrations are not only including college credit celebrations, but GRADUATION stories too! Hannah Joy from Florida sent me her Homeschooling for College Credit graduation story, and while she gave me permission to cut and trim, I decided that each and every word she wrote was worth sharing. TEASER: Her degree from Liberty University came in under $8,000. She is an extraordinary young woman who took charge of her education in an extraordinary way. I hope you’ll take the time to read her story, celebrate with her, and find encouragement from her words. Bonus- she’s even taken the time to track EVERY CREDIT and every DOLLAR she spent for those who would like to develop a similar plan. Dig in!
Continue reading “Bachelor’s Degree at 18: Hannah’s Graduation Story”There aren’t a lot of scholarships left at this time of year because most have been awarded. Look at these as “below the radar” opportunities! Keep watching for a new batch of scholarships to open up this summer.
Continue reading “7 Scholarships!”
You’re injecting college credit into your homeschool, but what about “the rest of the degree” that comes at full price after high school? I want you to consider all possible options that help your family stay out of debt!
Continue reading “Teen Employment = Free College”
Thinking about earning college credit in high school? In this post, I’ll do a quick summary of what each kind of college credit costs if you’re STILL in high school, and how you can save money on the process.
Continue reading “What does it Cost to Homeschool for College Credit?”
In the arena of using alternative college credits to the fullest, there are 3 colleges that stand alone as the most flexible with and DIY-friendly; they are affectionately called “The Big 3.” If you hear people talking about testing out of a degree, this is what they mean.
Continue reading “The Big 3”
The college tuition funding nut is a tough one to crack. You could be super rich with a fully stocked college fund for all of your kids (yeah!) or you could be like me, trying to cash flow college for 4 kids on 1 income. If you’re somewhere in the middle, you might be considering student loans- but what if your teen attends a college that doesn’t allow student loans? Can that help you or hurt you? Continue reading “Colleges That Don’t Allow Student Loans”
Nine out of ten families decide that their children are college material as early as the day they sign up for preschool. In 2014, a kindergarten play was shelved so the 5-year olds could prep for college. We’ve created a sense of urgency around college admissions and attendance at all costs. Continue reading “Stupid Girl – What Was She Thinking?”
Resourceful high school planning…. what is that exactly? It’s being deliberate about how you choose your teen’s high school classes so they are doing double duty- counting for high school AND college. Read this inspirational post from HS4CC parent Melissa and how her son’s high school credits took “two birds-one stone” to the next level saving her son over $35,000…and something else. Continue reading “From High School Senior to College Senior in 2 Weeks”
OPM is partnering with colleges and universities as a part of the continuing efforts to provide higher educational opportunities to the Federal workforce by providing current Federal employees with the opportunity to pursue post-secondary education at reduced tuition rates. Some of the agreements extend the benefits to spouses and legal dependents. Continue reading “Federal Employee? College Discount!”
If you’re like me- you’re jumping on Sophia.org’s free courses right now! Let’s look at how those credits can transfer to college after this is over. Continue reading “Using Sophia Courses during Covid-19?”
I love Jessica’s JLV Scholarship blog and read it often. Yesterday, I learned that there are a handful of scholarships earmarked each year for moms and dads! These scholarships specifically help parents earn a degree. Thanks Jessica – this is an amazing list!
Nine out of ten families decide that their children are college material as early as the day they sign up for preschool. In 2014, a kindergarten play was shelved so the 5-year olds could prep for college. We’ve created a sense of urgency around college admissions and attendance at all costs. Continue reading “Stupid Girl – What Was She Thinking?”
Are you following us as we listen together to the new podcast from Ramsey Solutions called Borrowed Future? The link to the podcast is posted below, and you have to carve out time this afternoon to listen when you decide NOT to borrow for college, everything changes. Step 7: Bring Your Coupons
The college tuition funding nut is a tough one to crack. You could be super rich with a fully stocked college fund for all of your kids (yeah!) or you could be like me, trying to cash flow college for 4 kids on 1 income. If you’re somewhere in the middle, you might be considering student loans- but what if your teen attends a college that doesn’t allow student loans? Can that help you or hurt you? Continue reading “Colleges That Don’t Allow Student Loans”
Are you following us as we listen together to the new podcast from Ramsey Solutions called Borrowed Future? The link to the podcast is posted below, and you have to carve out time this afternoon to listen when you decide NOT to borrow for college, everything changes. Step 5: Whittle down what you actually pay for.
Are you following us as we listen together to the new podcast from Ramsey Solutions called Borrowed Future? The link to the podcast is posted below, and you have to carve out time this afternoon to listen when you decide NOT to borrow for college, everything changes. Step 4: Do the math.
Are you following us as we listen together to the new podcast from Ramsey Solutions called Borrowed Future? The link to the podcast is posted below, and you have to carve out time this afternoon to listen when you decide NOT to borrow for college, everything changes. Step 3: Prove it!
Are you following us as we listen together to the new podcast from Ramsey Solutions called Borrowed Future? The link to the podcast is posted below, and you have to carve out time this afternoon to listen when you decide NOT to borrow for college, everything changes. Step 2: Resisting Peer Pressure
