7/27/2019 College at Home 101
1/3
College at Home 101
By Alyssa Mulhearn
Bachelors degreeis 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 yearsthat 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, popularoptions 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
educationalbuilding 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 eam, and get college
credit for it' (he/ollege e%el +amination 1rogram 2/+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 /+1eams. /+1 test is essentially a final eam for
one of the thirty-three different
subjects offered. hen you pass one of their multiple-choice
eams, /ollege 5oardawards you the same amount of credit as if you
had taken the entire course. In
echange for $0 and taking one 70-minute eam, you can earn three
to twel%ecredits that are accepted at more than 8,700 colleges.
&imilarly, for passing grades on an eam, the #&&(
program grants college credit
that is accepted at more than 9,700 uni%ersities. (here are
thirty-eight eams thatare worth three credits each. :any
#&&( eams are in speciali!ed areas, such as
"istory of the ;ietnam ar or ":oney and 5anking. (hese
multiple-choice tests
are timed and cost $0 each.
hen there are re)uired classes that are not a%ailable through
credit by
eamination tests 2/5+3, online courses are another option. :any
two- and four-year colleges are offering online courses now. (here
may be a small discount for
online courses, but most cost the same per credit hour as do
regular courses.
&3 and &traighterline.
7/27/2019 College at Home 101
2/3
+>& is an online, performance-based math program. /+
grants credit for thecompletion of +>& courses from
5eginning lgebra to &tatistics. In +>&, you
work on one area of math until you ha%e mastered the concept.
&, seewww.aleks.com@highered@math@courseAproducts.
&traighterline is a company that offers almost forty
self-paced, online courses.
(heir thirty partner colleges grant credit for the courses. /+
also grants credit, sostudents at other uni%ersities may be able to
utili!e &traighterlines ser%ices. (o see
the forty different classes a%ailable at &traighterline,
%isit www.straighterline.com.
&electing a college major can seem o%erwhelming. It in%ol%es
an e%aluation of theskills you possess, the skills you want to
de%elop, and what you hope to accomplish
with the degree. (hat may re)uire looking at the current job
market and predictionsfor the labor force or choosing a major that
is a%ailable online if going to a college
campus isnt an option.
lso, remember that identifying a college major isnt a life
sentence. There are
many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the
LORD, that shallstand !rover"s #$%(/hoosing a broader degree and
planning on getting on-the-job training or a masters degree may
work for the undecided student.
