Money-Saving Benefits of Earning a High School Diploma at HomeAs our oldest children work at getting their high school diploma at home, the reality is hitting that one day... and all too soon, we will need to pay for college. But with the rising costs of college and a sluggish economy, I am beginning to really wonder how we will pay for college for our children.
The soaring gas prices, increase in costs, personal financial debt, loss of jobs, and shaky housing markets have many folks worried, tightening budgets, and pinching pennies. Many are dipping into savings accounts, have become financially strapped or worse… are facing bankruptcy. So, how does an average family who has no savings pay for college? Money-Saving Solutions...Thank goodness there are many scholarships available even for students earning their high school diploma at home. But scholarships may not take care of your entire bill.Another great option is to have your homeschooling high school student begin to take college courses now, while earning their high school diploma at home. This is the option we are pursuing for our children – to maximize their time and cut college expenses. By the time our children have finished their high school diploma at home, they want to have completed some of their college degree… without ever entering a traditional college classroom. Reduce College Expenses Now!Recently I came across a company that specializes in a money and time-saving option called credit by examination... perfect for students earning their high school diploma at home.“Credit by examination” means that your student earns college credit by passing an approved college level exam. Testing out provides students of any age, with the opportunity to demonstrate college-level achievement through a program of examinations in undergraduate college courses. Students are rewarded for what they have learned through:
When I first started looking into this option I figured that most reputable colleges and universities would not accept credit earned this way. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many colleges my children were interested in, accepted credit earned through examination. Actually, over 3800 accredited colleges and universities accept examination scores from CLEP, DSST and ECE exams. Tests are administered at local testing centers - located on most college campuses and cost around $70 or so. Pass College Exams... Guaranteed!Through iStudySmart.com, you can purchase affordable college courses that your student can take while in high school and that prepare your student for the CLEP, DSST, or ECE college exams.Why iStudySmart.com's so appealing to our family is because they allow our teens to continue to earn their high school diploma at home, and earn college credit quicker than traditional methods. Teens completing a high school diploma at home can go through the courses as fast as they want, or take as much time as they need to master the material. One other thing I need to mention is that iStudySmart.com guarantees that your student will pass the exam! (I don’t really like the idea of paying $70+ for a test that I am not sure my kids will successfully pass. If they fail, you have to pay the fee again.) Since I will pay for high school courses anyway, spending a little more on courses that guarantee success, and provide both high school and college credit is worth it to me. Scam-Free, Real Learning.With a myriad of deceptive, unapproved programs and online scams organized by individuals trying to make a quick buck, finding an online company that is proven, accredited and reputable, is a breath of fresh air.iStudySmart is the only test preparation company recognized by two of the three major testing organizations... and offers a full money-back guarantee. All courses are written by qualified educators, to prepare your student for the exam. Your students will go through a real textbook and do real assignments. Everything is laid out for you so you know what to do next. At the end of the course you are prepared to take the test. iStudySmart also has a 94% pass rate. (The students who don't pass simply just didn't do the work.) Back to my story...Our teens will complete the courses they need to meet our state’s "high school diploma at home" requirements, and that will also transfer to their future college.(My fourteen year old daughter and I did a little research and discovered that fifteen courses will transfer successfully to the college where she wants to earn her Computer Engineering degree.) Compare Apples to Apples.Today, the average cost per college credit hour is anywhere from $70 and up, plus registration fees.Colleges like the University of Michigan cost $423 per credit hour (instate). Our local community college costs around $70 (plus registration fees) per credit hour for residents; more for non-residents. Therefore, a three credit course at a state university would cost approximately $1269 or $250, at a community college. A six credit course would cost $2538 and at a community college, approximately $420 (plus reg. fees). Books, additional fees, gas, room and board, etc. are extra, of course. :) Save Time. Save Money, While Earning Your High School Diploma at Home!Because my girls will be able to study from home, without the need to commute to class multiple times during the week, we will definitely save money on gas.We will also eliminate the need for an extra car (to my girls' disappointment) and the headache of co-ordinating schedules to drop off or pick up the girls from class. (My little ones will also appreciate not having to be disrupted during the day… from schooltime, play or naps to go pick up their older sisters.) A three credit course through iStudySmart costs $169. Six credit courses cost $189 (great deal!). They offer homeschooling families a couple of ways to save money... including their homeschool family plan – for families who have multiple students in high school, or they offer a "Smart Club" = access to twelve courses for one year for around $630... yes, that equals to 36 or more college credits! If you would like to join me in shaving off a large portion of your child’s college learning time and drastically reduce that awful college bill now - while your kids are working on their high school diploma at home, here’s what you can do: Five Simple Steps to Savings...First you will need to find out if the college your student wants to go to even accepts credit earned by examination, or offers the credit by examination option.Most colleges do... like I said before, over 3800 do, so...
Transfering Credits from College to College.Another interesting thing I discovered on college websites is a helpful credit transferring guide. It helps you know what courses transfer from other colleges and universities.This is helpful to know if you want to reduce your college expenses further. Before heading off to the big ticket institution or the college where they want to finally end up to get their degree, my girls will take all their general education courses at a local community college, for a fraction of the cost. But you can waste your time and money if those classes do not transfer to your final collegiate destination. In Michigan, each college website provides prospective students with an easy-to-use online transferring tool. If this is not available to you, you can always call the admissions office and speak with a counselor. We found out that although the community college accepts credit earned by examination for certain classes, those classes may not transfer to the college where my daughter wants to earn her college degree. That was extremely helpful to know as it will eliminate wasted time and money. It did reduce the number of classes my teen can take through iStudySmart but we now know where she needs to focus her attention and ultimately what we will spend on her degree. Most colleges and universities offer distance learning, so that is yet another option to reduce college expenses, although many schools require students to spend a certain amount of time learning on campus.
Accelerate Your Homeschool Education...Maximize time and reduce college expenses while working on your high school diploma at home! Download your free Credit By Examination and Distance Learning Guide, to learn more about earning college credit through examination or how your students can save 50-80% on college tuition costs while earning their high school homeschool diplomas!Homeschool Transcript Help...Learn how to easily create professional homeschool transcripts for your homeschooling student's college applications.Return from High School Diploma at Home to Homeschool High School
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