You mean things like an entire year worth of bs general ed classes & make you a better person classes that American academia specifically loves? Because yup. Waste of dough that but if you don’t pay you don’t get the degree. Rest of the world doesn’t put up with that nonsense and it shaves a year off their undergrad.
I’m glad your kids found/are finding paths they fit better in, it’s such a detriment to our society that these paths are not emphasized as equally as college
I know this is an old post but I was just reading through this thread and wanted to share my "thrifty" tip on college. CLEP tests! These are subject-matter tests made by the College Board (same people who do the SAT and AP). Many colleges will accept CLEP tests as college credit for general ed classes, just like they accept AP tests. Each CLEP costs $90, but
learn.modernstates.org will give you a voucher to take each test for free. Modern States is open to everyone and is designed to give everyone a
free year of college. My two kids both saved a year's worth of tuition/ room and board and started college with sophomore status because of them.
The advantage of the CLEP tests is that my kids didn't have to do any official school work (like AP or duel enrollment classes) to get the credit. And they got to bypass gen ed classes that they would have felt were a waste of time and money. They used a CLEP test practice book to see how they would fare before taking the tests and watched
YouTube videos like Crash Course to brush up on things. Most colleges require a score of 51% or higher to pass.
If your child doesn't pass, you can re-try in 3 months. Modern States will give you another free voucher for each test to try again. They will also reimburse you for testing fees. The tests are usually administered at your local community college several times a month. Modern States also offers free online courses in each subject. You have to answer the questions at the end of the online course to get the voucher. However, you don't have to actively read/ watch the lessons unless you want to.
Duel enrollment classes are another great way to save on college-a lot of high schools cover the costs for the college class. AP courses are good, too, but they are a lot of work and stress for students. If students don't score a 3 or higher on an AP test, they don't get the credit even if they had good grades in the class. Whereas, if they had taken the duel enrollment class, they would have gotten the credit. If a child doesn't pass the AP test, he or she may be able to "make up" the credit by taking the corresponding CLEP test.
Sorry for the tangent but I feel like everyone should know about Modern States and CLEPs.
