This is more than just skipping the early morning class you don’t want to bother attending that day. This is about completely bypassing any and every class you possibly can. Not only will you save yourself the expense of unnecessary tuition dollars, you will also save yourself from wasting valuable time.
(Important note: every college and university has different policies when it comes to each of these actions so review your school’s manual and policies first. I’d also suggest that you get official approval in writing from your advisor or the register or someone like that just in case. College is expensive enough without adding anything to it!)
Look for colleges that offer alternative ways to get college credit
Most colleges and universities give students an opportunity to either test out of classes or to gain credits from previous experience/certifications/training. If you chose a school that offers this and you take advantage of it, you could save thousands of dollars and months of time. I’d highly suggest factoring this in when choosing at what college you want to invest your time/money.
Take as many CLEP tests as possible (but don’t use their study material)
This is huge. Instead of paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for a course (and/or enduring a semester of classes and homework…), you can pay $80 and take a 90 minute test. Granted I’d suggest studying for the exam prior to taking it, but even with that time for self-study, it is still a cost and time effective way to bypass most or all of your general education requirements and possibly your electives. My hubby CLEPed out of 12 classes and two of those were 4 credit biology classes – including labs!
I’d highly recommend using the study material sold by InstantCert. It costs $20/month and they give you unlimited access to study materials. I have first-hand experience with the program and think it is the best out there. (Disclaimer: this is an affiliate link which means I get paid a small amount if you sign up. However I’d recommend this regardless if they gave me anything, but since they do, I’ll take it! 🙂
Find out what other training/certification for which they will give you credit (and take that instead!)
I’d suggest two suggestions for this one. First get a list of all the training and certifications that your school will take for which classes/credits do they apply. For example, my husband was able to get credit for his pilot’s license, real estate license, Microsoft certification, and a few more. These credits were then used as his elective credits and eliminated an entire semester of classes!
Second, evaluate the list against your own interests. If there is ANYTHING on the list that you are interested in doing or learn, do that instead of the elective! Not only will you have gained a specific skill/knowledge, but those certifications and licenses look great on resumes and are actually useful. Additionally, most of them cost less and can be completed more quickly than a college class. (if there is an elective that interests you, get a book from the library or take a class from a professional instead).
See if they give credit for being in the military and/or military training
This recommendation is similar to the option above. Some schools may even have a specific military or GI Bill administrator to advise you. If you are still in the military and looking at going to college, this is a great time to find out which school will see your experience as credit worthy and which ones will not.
Ask about “Experiential Learning” credit or “Prior Learning Assessments”
This is another way some schools allow you to obtain credit for experiences outside of the traditional classroom. They might require additional paperwork or a portfolio assessment. This can be particularly useful for adult or non-traditional students. Though I’d recommend first looking into what credits they will give for previous training/certification. For us it was much simpler to submit certifications and receive specific credit than to put together a portfolio and hope they gave credit for it. Also there may be a limit to the number of credit hours you can obtain this way to use this only after you exhausted the others.
Talk to someone in your department about testing out of classes or skipping classes
There is no point in paying for and sitting through a class that is below you. Many departments understand that students come to college with different levels of classroom and have testing procedures that allow students to take an entry exam which can place them at their appropriate level of learning. While this may not be possible for your specific degree, it is definitely worth asking before you sign up for classes.
Finally if you haven’t already read it, read my post on How to Graduate Faster and Cheaper for other ideas on saving money in college!
What about you? Any other suggestions that you’d make? Have you taken advantage of any of these options? Any other advice you’d give to current/future students? Please comment below!
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