FAQ #22

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Q: How do I determine parameters for my study, and how do I know when I’ve studied enough?

A: This is a difficult aspect of credit-by-exam testing; however, with each test you take, you have more experience to gauge this for yourself. The three things that helped me know that I was studying relevant information were the test outline from the test creator, pretests, and the Exam Specific threads on DegreeForum.net.

The test outline is the number one source to help you choose the resources you will use because it shows how much emphasis the test will place on individual subject areas. Pretests, especially those from the test creator, will indicate if you are studying the right topics and give you ideas of concepts to review. After you take around three tests, you will learn how your practice test scores translate to actual test scores, and how familiar you need to be with a subject to be comfortable in the test room.

The Exam Specific thread can help you pinpoint how ready you are to test. You’ll find practical suggestions such as: Did you nearly ace Peterson’s practice test? You’re probably ready to test because Peterson’s practice test for this subject is harder than the actual exam. Have you extensively studied topic X? Good, because the test focuses on it.

Walla Walla Bricks and Party Lights

Self-Definition: What Are You For?

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“But different is simple. Like the easiest way to explain black is to call it the opposite of white, often the first thing we know about ourselves is not what we are—it’s what we aren’t. We mark ourselves as not-this or not-that, the way Ian was quick to say he didn’t want to sit at the same desk all day. But self-definition cannot end there. An identity or a career cannot be built around what you don’t want. We have to shift from a negative identity, or a sense of what I’m not, to a positive one, or a sense of what I am. This takes courage.

“A braver form of self-definition dares to be affirmative. Ian needed to move from talking about what he wasn’t going to do to talking about what he was going to do. ‘Being against something is easy,’ I said. ‘What are you for?'”

—Meg Jay, The Defining Decade

Book Review: Homeschooling for College Credit by Jennifer Cook-DeRosa

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• • • • • • • ► Meet Jennifer Cook-DeRosa

I was doing college research on DegreeForum.net when I first learned about author Jennifer Cook-DeRosa. Because she was both a parent and someone who had earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences using distance learning techniques, she had experience coaching her teens in earning college credit as well as taking credit-by-exam tests. (Cook-DeRosa has since gone on to earn her master’s degree.) I appreciated her regular posts pertaining to Thomas Edison State University, accreditation, and credit-by-exam tests such as CLEP.

In 2012, Cook-DeRosa published Homeschooling for College Credit. This 200-page book guides parents through implementing courses worth college credit into their high school students’ schedules. She begins the book by encouraging parents that teaching high school is doable and then lists some foundational, but critical, information about college courses.

• • • • • • • ► Transferring College Credits

One of the most memorable stories she shares is how the credits she earned for her AOS (Associate in Occupational Studies) in Culinary Arts did not transfer when she went back to college later in life. Not being able to transfer credits was one of my fears about distance learning, and Cook-DeRosa explains how to avoid this (see chapter 3).

Another helpful tool in Homeschooling for College Credit is her four-year high school planning templates. These are designed to schedule credit earning into your high schooler’s curriculum while meeting the requirements for high school at the same time. Essentially, they’re dual credit plans.

Later in the book Cook-DeRosa covers test resources, test-taking skills, making a high school transcript, paying for college, and taking your credit to a college. Also provided is a list of things she prefers in a college and ten colleges that meet those preferences.

• • • • • • • ► A Valuable Resource

Throughout the book, Cook-DeRosa’s experience as a parent of homeschooled children and as a distance learner give the reader plenty to absorb and put into use. Her love for learning, stretching the family’s dollar, and helping other parents jump-start their teen’s college education make this book a handy resource.

For more information about Homeschooling for College Credit, you can preview the book on Amazon.com and visit the Homeschooling for College Credit Facebook page, which is updated regularly with tips and distance learning news.

This is an unsponsored review to share a book I found helpful.

Black mortarboard from College Without the Campus

College Without the Campus FAQ #7

FAQ #7

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Q: What about financial aid for distance learners?

A: Student financial aid is available through three sources: from the government at both the federal and state levels, from colleges and universities directly, and from private parties. The main criterion for a distance learner to receive financial aid is if the student is enrolled. This is understandable, since it is easier to ensure that the aid is used as intended if a student is enrolled.

For aid from the federal government, students are required to be enrolled at an accredited institution.[1] Thus, once a student enrolls, she will be eligible for funding regardless of whether she attends on campus or off campus. The same is true for aid from state governments, from colleges and universities directly, and from most—if not all—private organizations. Once the students enroll, they are eligible for aid. The good news for unenrolled, off-campus students is that the reasonable fees of non-traditional learning can preclude the need for financial aid.

[1] an accredited institution. http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg9.html.

Black mortarboard from College Without the Campus