The 4 Steps to Save Money and Complete College Part 2
Keep in mind, each and every one of the college courses you’ve ever taken, particularly if they are American Council on Education (ACE Credit)-certified, may be eligible for transfer. In fact, ACE credits are accepted at over 1300 colleges and universities (both online and bricks and mortar). Ultimately, you might find that not all of your credits are eligible to transfer forward to your college of choice, but you won’t know until you have traced your educational history and backed it up by transcript documentation – and actively requested transfer of those credits.
No existing transfer credits? Then start your college career off right by taking online classes at a college course provider like StraighterLine. Doing so can ensure you don’t ever get tripped up in your academic pursuits by the process. StraighterLine offers a credit transfer guarantee to their vast network of partner colleges, and is there to help you every step of the way. In the case of college credit transfer, taking the clear path is always the best path.
2- Assess Where You and Your Credits Want to Be
Once you’ve gotten a handle on your college credit situation, you’ll need to take a hard look at yourself. Where do you want to be career-wise? What kind of degree do you need to get there? Some jobs require, at minimum, an associate degree. Others require a bachelor’s. Don’t short change yourself by falling just short of a degree that can get you back on track to the career of your dreams.
as well as community colleges can be of particular benefit to the working adult who is looking to get back on the college track. Online college course providers can offer anytime, anywhere course availability as well as just-in-time tutoring. Take time to check out the variety of online programs from places as diverse as Western Governors University, Albany State University, Ashford University, University of the Incarnate Word, and Excelsior College plus many more. Many state schools also have agreements with community colleges. For those interested in attending their state university, you can take low-cost college classes online, transfer to a community college, and then follow any articulation agreements your state school has with its state community college for the transfer enrollment process.
3- Create a Backwards-Facing Personal Education Timeline
If you started college only to have abandoned it somewhere along the way, it’s important to construct a backwards-facing education timeline to understand what was going in in your life when you left, why you left, and how to mitigate those same issues going forward.
As you do so, keep these thoughts in mind:
- It’s never too late to go back to college;
- Transferring credits can save you time and money when going back to college;
- Having one-on-one academic help when you need it can help to bridge any academic gaps.
Here are other common obstacles that can get in the way of completing your college degree. Take a look and see which ones put you at risk:
Time: During your initial go-round with college, what was your family situation? Is it different now? How about your job schedule?