Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is StraighterLine a college?

A: No, but our courses are recognized for real college credit at a growing number of colleges and universities. As the first non-college to offer ultra-affordable and high-quality online courses, StraighterLine has been recognized as among the 10 Most Innovative Companies in Education .

StraighterLine offers general-education courses that are covered in the first two years of most college degree plans and can be easily transferred to the college of your choice. In short, you start with us and finish with them, earning the same degree at an enormous savings—and taking college courses at your own pace.

Getting credit is easy. The first step is to determine where you'd like to finish your degree—and if you don't know what degree you want to pursue yet, our Career Paths and Colleges sections can help you decide. If you select one of our Partner Colleges , your StraighterLine credits are guaranteed to transfer . To have us send your transcript, simply submit a Transcript Request from your StraighterLine account.

All of our courses have been recommended for credit by the American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT), which is recognized by more than 1,800 schools. Our students also report that they've connected with more than 300 colleges outside of our partner network that have recognized StraighterLine courses. That said, if you plan to complete your degree at a non-partner college, we strongly recommend that you understand the school's credit-transfer process before purchasing a StraighterLine course to make sure you won't have any problems.

Q: How does subscription pricing work?

Subscription pricing puts you in control and allows you to determine the pace that's right for you. Simply select a subscription plan, add your courses, and get started right away. It’s that easy.

To add courses, you must have an active StraighterLine subscription. Our most popular is the $99 monthly subscription, but we also offer semester-length and annual subscription plans that will save you even more.

Once you select a subscription plan, the next step is to select your course(s). Each course has a one-time enrollment fee, in many cases as low as $49.

You may cancel your subscription at any time.

Q: Can I take more than one course at a time?

A: Absolutely. You pay as low as $49 for each additional course you start.

Q: What is a Student Advisor’s role at StraighterLine?

A: Student Advisors are here to help you and handle any and all non-academic issues that arise. They don’t have all the answers, but they know where to get them.

Q: What happens if I cancel my subscription without completing my course(s)?

A: If you cancel your subscription before a course is complete, you will not be able to resume work on that course. If you complete less than 1/3 of the graded assignments, it will not be treated as an attempt and will not be included in your average for future retakes. If you complete more than 1/3 of the graded assignments your final score for purposes of future retakes will be the higher of the actual grade earned and 59%. Retake Policy: Final grades for all course attempts will be averaged to determine a student’s final score in a course.

Q: Are textbooks included?

A: No, textbooks must be purchased separately.

Our courses use textbooks that hold their value on the used market and in many cases are optional for purchase as an e-book, allowing students to save up to 50% versus the cost of a brand-new book. Some StraighterLine courses even give you the option of buying the e-book when you buy the course. Whatever format you choose, just be sure you select the correct edition.

Q: What if I have a disability?

A: If you have a disability that affects your ability to take an online course, you'll need to contact your Student Advisor to provide StraighterLine with the appropriate documentation before you complete any course assessments. Once we receive your documentation, we'll work with you to discuss your options.

For more information regarding ADA and accessibility policies at StraighterLine, please refer to the StraighterLine Student Handbook.

Q: How am I graded?

A: Grading varies by course but typically includes a mixture of exams, quizzes, and essays. It's also common for courses to include a series of ungraded assignments.

Q: Will I receive a grade?

A: StraighterLine provides a letter and number grade for each course. Colleges have their own policies with respect to how and whether they'll post grades for transferred coursework. You should check with the college you plan to attend to determine its specific grade-posting policies.

Your StraighterLine transcript will reflect the percentage score and corresponding grade as set forth below:

A grade of at least 70% is required for ACE CREDIT recommendation or credit recognition at most StraighterLine partner colleges. ACE transcripts reflect P/F (Pass/Fail) only.

Q: Do I have to complete all of the tests and assignments?

A: You must complete all graded assignments, tests, and lab assignments before you can request that a transcript be sent on your behalf. This holds true even if you'd otherwise achieve a 70% or higher on the course.

Q: I did not achieve at least a 70% and want to try again. What do I need to do?

A: You may retake a course as many times as you choose, but you'll be charged each time you retake it. Your final grade in a course is the average of all attempts at that course.

Q: What are StraighterLine Exams like?

A: All graded exams are formatted consistently across courses. All graded exams, quizzes, and tests share the following characteristics:

1. Attempts: Unless otherwise noted, you have one (1) attempt only for graded assessments.
2. Pop-ups: All graded assessments will open in the same window (no pop-ups).
3. Timed: All graded assessments are timed. Upon opening the assessment the first time, the timer will initialize. You should not close the exam window while your exam is running (unless you're finished and want to submit it). If time expires, graded tests will submit automatically. Time limits for exams and graded assessments vary by course.
4. Question Display: Only one (1) question will be displayed at a time.
5. End of Assessment Information: At the end of your graded assessment, once you've submitted your answers, you'll be able to view your score and see all of your submitted answers. You may request the full text of the question, including all possible answers for use in follow-up tutoring, by contacting a Student Advisor.

Q: What materials can I use during an exam?

A: Unauthorized materials or aids are not permitted during exams. The following reference materials are permitted during a graded examination:

• The book(s) or other assigned reading materials listed in the course syllabus
• One (1) sheet of 8 ½ X 11 paper (front and back) of prepared notes
• Blank scratch paper
• A pen or pencil
• A calculator (for math and science courses requiring calculations only, please note what type of calculator [graphing vs. scientific] is permitted for your specific exam)

Use of the following resources, services, and aids during exams is strictly prohibited by the StraighterLine Student Handbook:

• Additional texts or reference materials not listed within the course syllabus
• Search engines (Google.com, Ask.com, Yahoo Answers, etc.)
• Question and answer sites
• Study sites
• Tutoring
• Forums
• Chat applications
• Landline or cellular phones

By submitting your answers for a graded exam, you confirm that the work is your own and that you're taking the exam in accordance with the StraighterLine Academic Honesty Policy.

Return to Top

Q: After I finish an exam, can I review the exam and answers?

A: We follow best practices for online learning to ensure exam integrity. As such, you may review all answered exam questions immediately after the exam only, this will include the questions, all answers and your selected answers. You will also be able to see whether your answer was correct or incorrect. After your initial review only your score for the assessment will be available. We do not share exam keys with students.

Return to Top

Q: Can I retake a graded quiz or exam?

A: You can't retake quizzes and exams or change your answers once you've submitted the entire graded assessment. In limited cases, exams may be reset due to technical issues. If this happens and we confirm the attempt has been cleared, your score is permanently deleted and you must retake the exam in its entirety.

Return to Top

Q: I think there is an error in the test. What do I do?

A: Answer the question to the best of your ability, but make note of the question number and exam number. After completing the exam, you can view the answered questions and your answers, and whether they were marked correct or incorrect. If you believe a question was marked incorrectly, you should contact a Student Advisor.

Since StraighterLine's test banks are intellectual property, correct answers may not be shared publicly or otherwise, including with any other student. Any sharing of test bank questions is a violation of the StraighterLine Student Handbook and subjects violators to immediate course failure, removal from StraighterLine's learning management system, and the restriction of access to any of StraighterLine's affiliate websites.

Return to Top

Q: What's online proctoring?

A: Proctoring is an important marker for online academic integrity and credibility, and it's automatically included in the purchase price of each StraighterLine course you purchase. Just as technology makes it possible for you to learn from the comfort of your home, it also allows you take your exams there too. This means you don’t have to go to a classroom so that someone can monitor your test-taking. You can take your exams at home or anywhere you have access to a webcam with a microphone and a reliable, high-speed internet connection.

Q: Is proctoring required for my final exam?

A: StraighterLine requires proctoring on final exams for all courses purchased on or after November 1, 2012.

Q: What if my course doesn't have a final exam?

A: Several composition courses, such as English Composition I, don't have a final exam, so there's no need for proctoring. To ensure academic integrity, written work for such courses is subject to review via plagiarism detection software and other protocols.

Q: How do I receive credit for StraighterLine coursework?

A: Getting credit is easy. The first step is to determine where you'd like to finish your degree—and if you don't know what degree you want to pursue yet, our Career Paths and Colleges sections can help you decide. If you select one of our Partner Colleges , your StraighterLine credits are guaranteed to transfer . To have us send your transcript, simply submit a Transcript Request from your StraighterLine account.

All of our courses have been recommended for credit by the American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT), which is recognized by more than 1,800 schools. Our students also report that they've connected with more than 300 colleges outside of our partner network that have recognized StraighterLine courses. That said, if you plan to complete your degree at a non-partner college, we strongly recommend that you understand the school's credit-transfer process before purchasing a StraighterLine course to make sure you won't have any problems.

To have us send your transcript, simply submit a Transcript Request in your StraighterLine account.

Q: What is ACE CREDIT?

A: The American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) helps students gain academic credit for formal courses and examinations taken outside of traditional degree programs. With over 35,000 courses reviewed, ACE is the national leader in the evaluation process for education and training obtained outside the traditional classroom. Thousands of colleges recognize ACE CREDIT recommendations, and ACE CREDIT has recommended all of StraighterLine’s courses for credit.

To be sure your desired school will award credit, check their website or call the college and ask if they accept ACE-recommended coursework before you purchase.

Q: How do I earn credits through ACE?

A: To use the ACE Credit process:

• Be sure the college you've selected accepts ACE-recommended courses. If not, consider one of StraighterLine's partner colleges.
• Successfully complete a StraighterLine course, earning a 70% or higher final average.
• Request an ACE transcript through your StraighterLine account.
• ACE will send you a confirmation email with a link for you to follow to log in. If you don't already have an ACE account, StraighterLine will provide you with a student ID that you'll use to log in. ACE charges $40 to create an account. If you already have an ACE account, you'll need to provide a Student Advisor with your account number to have your course completion information sent to ACE.

Q: I really liked my last tutor's response to my essay. Can I request him/her again?

A: We're glad you liked your last review, but it's not possible to request a particular tutor. Since our tutors pull the essays that have been in the queue the longest, there's no way to predict who will respond to your submission.

Q: What file extensions should I use for essay submissions?

A: Essay submissions must be in one of the following formats:

• .doc
• .docx
• .rtf
• .txt

Q: Will my essays be checked for plagiarism?

A: Yes, all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review via Turnitin.com . All submitted papers will also be added as source documents to the Turnitin.com reference database. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the usage policy posted on the Turnitin.com site.

Q: Can I apply for financial aid?

A: No, StraighterLine doesn't offer financial aid. You can, however, apply for financial aid at the college of your choice when you complete your StraighterLine experience.

Q: Can I pay for this with money from my 529 plan?

A: Not at this time.

Q: Can I pay for this with money from my GI bill?

A: Not at this time.

Q: Who do I call if I have technical problems?

A: Technical support is available via phone during regular business hours. The most common technical issues are caused by browser incompatibility. We strive to support all modern browsers, but to ensure the best experience we highly recommend that all StraighterLine students use Firefox web browser or Internet Explorer. You can check the compatibility of your computer by scanning your plug-ins using this link (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/plugincheck/).

Q: How can I contact a Student Advisor?

A: For the fastest response, create a support ticket from your MyLine Account . We will keep you updated on the status of the request in the same place you enter the ticket.

In addition, Student Advisors can be reached M-F by phone between the hours of 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST. If we're on the other line or don't pick up, just leave us a voicemail with the reason you're calling, and we'll respond as soon as we can.