One of the common concerns of adding CLEP exams to your college repertoire is the inability to transfer the credit to “good” schools. However, this may be a misconception. While CLEP isn’t the most transferable source of credit, it’s still an excellent way to save some money on college.
And Podunk University isn’t the only college which accepts it.
In fact, CLEP exams are more popular than ever, currently accepted at more than 2,900 schools across the United States. So if want to cut down on your college costs, but you still want to get your undergrad from a well-known university, this list might help you out.
Here are 10 name brand colleges that accept CLEP college credit:
1. University of Massachusetts
UMass is one of those storied institutions you might think is not innovative enough to accept a large number of college credits through CLEP, but they are. UMass awards college credit for 31 different CLEP exams. And for 11 of those CLEP exams, they award 6 college credits.
2. University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida is one of the largest colleges in the US and they are very CLEP friendly. UCF awards college credit for 34 different CLEP exams. At UCF, one college credit can cost you $212. A CLEP exam that’s worth just 3 college credits will only cost you $29 per credit hour. A 6-credit exam will cost you $14. You do the math.
3. Texas A&M University
In the state of Texas, Aggie pride runs deep, and so does the price of admission. One college credit for a Texas resident can cost $339. But, pass the Chemistry CLEP, for example, and A&M will award you 8 college credits, which will only cost you $14 per credit hour.
4. University of Arizona
The University of Arizona awards a generous amount of college credit to students who pass CLEP exams. At a staggering $1,087 per credit for incoming freshman, you could save over $6K by taking just one 6-credit CLEP exam.
5. Michigan State University
Michigan State University awards college credit for 30 CLEP exams. For residents, MSU’s cost-per-credit hour is $452. For non-residents, it is $1,212. If you want a degree from MSU, take a few CLEP exams and spend that extra money on some premium Ramen.
6. University of Kentucky
Residents of the great state of Kentucky will pay $364 per credit to attend UK. Ouch. But, Kentucky awards college credit for 21 different CLEP exams, which can save you thousands of dollars in tuition fees.
7. University of San Diego
College at the beach? Yeah, that’s not a bad gig, but the social experience will cost you $22K per semester. You can cut a chunk of your tuition down thanks to USD awarding college credit for 15 CLEP exams.
8. Colorado State University
Colorado State University has a strong reputation for quality. And because they have some very forward-thinking educators, CSU awards college credit for 29 CLEP exams.
The University of Wisconsin has a mega undergrad program that attracts students from around the world. Despite being so big, they have a flexible CLEP policy—Wisconsin allows you to take up to 13 CLEP exams.
These aren’t the only schools who offer the cost savings of alternative credit. Accelerated Pathways students graduate from over 100 institutions, using a variety of cost-saving alternative credit sources (including CLEP) to save thousands of dollars on college. In fact, 94% of Accelerated Pathways students end up graduating entirely debt free.
If you’re interested in saving thousands on your bachelor’s degree, let us help. We’ll help you find a selection of online courses, CLEP exams, or whatever other affordable credit sources you’re interested in which will save you thousands of dollars on college. And we’ll do the research to guarantee this credit will transfer to the school of your choice.
And the best part? Your degree plan is absolutely free. Get started today!
One of the most productive leaders of the last century, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt has achieved almost mythical status for his various careers as a rancher, a soldier, and a politician—not to mention his achievements as a hunter and naturalist.
Due to severe asthma during his childhood, Roosevelt was homeschooled through high school. Despite his physical setbacks, however, Teddy studied hard and eventually attended Harvard University. During this time, he displayed particular ability as a historian, publishing his first book just two years after finishing college.
Following a short stint as a New York Assemblyman, he moved to the Dakotas where he operated a cattle ranch until 1886. Returning east, the future president took a position as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. When the Spanish-American War broke out, however, he immediately resigned to lead a volunteer cavalry unit known as the Rough Riders.
Returning after the war, Theodore Roosevelt moved from Governor of New York to Vice President of the United States and, ultimately, to the Oval Office. As President, Roosevelt was responsible for the creation of the Panama Canal, the Great White Fleet, and the peaceful end of the Russo-Japanese War. After completing his second term, he declined to run again, instead setting out on a hunting safari in Africa and a tour of Europe. Following a nearly successful attempt to reenter politics, Roosevelt died at the age of 60 due to complications of malaria (which he had contracted while exploring South America).
So why did I tell you all of that? No, it’s not so I can quiz you on the life of a long-dead president. In my studies of Roosevelt’s life, I noticed more than just what he did, but how he did them. Afterall, he was responsible for more world-changing projects than most of us are on track to complete.
I think, by applying Roosevelt’s particular techniques for maximum productivity, even you and I can create a better, more productive life.
# 1 Focus on the Present
While Roosevelt pursued a number of vastly different careers, his consistent success was due largely to his ability to focus on the present. He ranched, he fought, and he politicked, but he only did one at a time.
By following this method of “serial excellence,” we too can accomplish great things in a variety of fields. While it is often tempting to do everything at once, you will be much more productive when you focus on one goal at a time.
# 2 Never Stop Learning
After graduating from Harvard University, many people would be tempted to rest on their laurels and be done with their education. Theodore Roosevelt, one the other hand, made learning a life habit. While enforcing the law on the windswept prairies of the Dakota Badlands, Sheriff Roosevelt carried a book to fill his spare moments. Even in the White House, President Roosevelt purportedly read an average of five books a week.
Rather than treating our education as a task to be completed, we should view it as a lifestyle to be followed. Completing college is a major accomplishment, but it is still but a milestone on the path to greater learning.
# 3 Take Risks
In retrospect, Roosevelt’s life looks like one big adventure, but we often overlook the risks he took. For instance, we all remember how his escapades with the Rough Riders propelled him to national fame, but do we remember the risk he took by resigning his promising position as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in exchange for a volunteer position fighting in the war he supported?
As you move through life, don’t let the lure of short-term security turn you from the long-term goal of greater success.
# 4 Don’t Sacrifice too Much
Unfortunately, no man is perfect, and Roosevelt is no exception. For all the encouragement we can draw from his life, he also provides one crucial lesson of warning. Like many great men, Theodore Roosevelt’s career success came at the expense of his family’s well-being. After his wife died, Roosevelt left his newborn daughter with relatives while running his cattle ranch. Later, while President, he jokingly admitted to a friend, “I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both.”
Let us learn from this unfortunate example and remember to keep our priorities correct. Whether we are tempted to value career over family or simply to forgo a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Spain in order to study, we must never forget to live for more than our accomplishments.
You’re sitting around the dining room table, bracing yourself. It’s Christmas Day, and as always, you know your extended family will be making unwelcome enquiries into your social activities, love life, and, of course, education.
As you begin filling Granny in on your college studies, how you’re pursuing them online instead of attending a college campus, Aunt Marge leans over the table, pats you on the elbow and asks: “But, Honey... are yousureyou’re getting a real degree?”
You pause, push your peas around your plate and shoot your mom a look, begging her to jump in.
Silence.
Aunt Marge’s question is a good one: how do you know you are earning a legitimate degree?
Other than satisfying the curiosity of family members over Christmas dinner, accreditation proves your degree is being awarded by a quality academic institution, and will ensure both employers and grad school admissions offices of the quality of your education.
So what exactly is accreditation?
In short, accreditation is a “seal of approval” from a third party, assuring a school offers a quality academic experience.
While each school can be unique in requirements and teaching methods, accreditation strives to maintain a level of consistency in educational quality from school to school. In order to attain accreditation, schools must undergo a review process and meet a set of academic standards.
Why does accreditation matter to me?
You’ll spend a great deal of time and money earning your bachelor’s degree. You want to walk away with credentials that will open doors for you, right?
Accredited degrees are especially important when applying for jobs and higher education opportunities. When presenting a degree from an accredited institution, you prove to potential employers and admissions officers that your college education was legitimate.
If you earn an unaccredited bachelor’s degree, potential employers may not honor your degree and accredited schools may not allow you to apply to their graduate programs. Worst of all, any credits you might earn at an unaccredited school won’t transfer to an accredited one and you’ll have to do the work all over again.
What kind of accreditation does my school need?
Regional Accreditation is the most widely recognized form of accreditation and approves non-profit schools like Princeton, Yale, Liberty, and state schools (i.e., University of Alabama or Texas A&M).
National Accreditation exists for for-profit schools such as The Art Institute and Bryman College. This kind of accreditation for specialized schools accounts for less than 6% of all schools. Because the requirements for National Accreditation are less stringent than those for Regional Accreditation, credits earned from a Nationally accredited school may not transfer to a Regionally accredited college.
A word of caution: Many “diploma mills” create their own accrediting programs so they can claim to be “fully accredited.” Before deciding on a school or program to pursue, find out who has accredited that school. Which leads us to the next question:
How do I know if my school is accredited?
It’s pretty simple. To find out if a school is accredited, visit the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website. Here you will find links to all 6 regional accreditation institutions and can discover if your school is accredited by one of the recognized accrediting agencies.
While online degrees are new to many, accreditation provides the backing needed to prove that your degree is legitimate. Potential employers and higher education institutions will recognize your degree (even if it still confuses Aunt Marge), and it will open doors for your future.
Before you ditch your laptop and study notes for sunglasses and suitcases, hold on a sec. You might want to pull the desk back out of storage and get started on an online class this summer, and here are 5 great reasons why:
1. Balance is important to you.
You work crazy hard. So it feels absolutely amazing when that last class ends and you finally get to take a break! Science backs up this fact: vacations are necessary for good health, especially if you’ve been marathon-running your way through the school year.
But once you’ve caught up on sleep and finished the last season of your favorite Netflix show… then what? You may find yourself a few weeks into the summer staring at the ceiling, wondering why your vacation doesn’t seem so fun anymore.
The mind and body were made for regular rhythms of work and rest. Just like professional athletes use easy workouts to break up hard-core training, you can achieve this balance with your college schedule.
With Accelerated Pathways’ online courses, you don’t have to load your summer down with classes or quit school cold turkey. Over the break, consider keeping your brain in shape with however many affordable online courses as you need.
2. You’re serious about your goals.
When some people look at summer, they see a good excuse to do nothing for several months. But not you. When you look at summer, you see a chance to do more than other people are doing. You see an opportunity.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.”
Adding an online course to your summer bucket list gives you a head start on your goals. While everyone else is zoning out, you’re moving your graduation time a few months closer.
3. You don’t follow the crowd.
Nothing is improved without change.
College students like you are figuring this out. Aubry ditched traditional college in favor of hitting the road with her husband and graduating debt free. While in Accelerated Pathways, Destiny chased her dream job opening a nonprofit horse therapy program. I taught a children’s orchestra, Brian attended a local Korean congregation to help his language studies, and Brent pursued a degree in business management while directing the maintenance of a small farm.
Life is about so much more than college. Like these students, you are unwilling to forfeit experience for education or trade out dreams for debt.
Taking a summer course is one way you can raise an eyebrow at the status quo, set yourself apart from the masses, and take back your college experience.
4. Your time is your own.
Ah, college lectures. The ubiquitous, mind-numbing staple of centuries of higher education.
If only there was a way to avoid the interminable hours of half-asleep professors droning on about topics that won’t be on the test. If only there was an alternative to rearranging your whole life around class times. If only—
Wait. Oh yeah…there is an alternative.
You can study with Accelerated Pathways. You can have all the time in the world to be spent any way you choose. No inconvenient lecture times. No nodding off to monotone powerpoints.
Just you and the schedule you make for yourself.
5. Nothing is holding you back.
Not only are there many great reasons for taking a college course this summer, there is also nothing stopping you. Here are just a few things you don’t have to give up to study this summer:
You don’t have to give up your summer job. Cha-ching! No need to put school on the back burner if you’re strapped for cash. Taking an online course in the summer means that you have ultimate flexibility. (Plus, the stunning affordability of Accelerated Pathways means more moola in the bank! Or more frappuccinos at Starbucks. It’s a win either way.)
You don’t have to give up your travel plans. The flexibility of Accelerated Pathways means you can take your studies wherever your wanderlust leads. And no need to drag that extra suitcase of ridiculously-heavy textbooks around the airport, because Accelerated Pathways' study materials are included online. Ain’t no strings on you!
You don’t have to give up your freedom. With Accelerated Pathways, you aren’t stuck in a degree program for 4-6 years. You are on your own time, and you can go as fast or as slow as you like. Whether you want to take just one class or a whole semester-load of courses, it’s totally up to you!
You don’t have to give up time with your family and friends. Taking a course in the summer doesn’t mean your social life is over! With a little bit of planning and discipline, you can get studies out of the way quickly each day, leaving plenty of time to hang out with your family, take road trips with your besties, make a new friend, or volunteer with a nonprofit summer program.
You don’t have to give up your future. You might have heard… college doesn’t have to be a debt sentence. You don’t have to blow your life savings, hock your antique baseball card collection, subsist on Ramen, or pledge the life of your firstborn in order to get a good education.
You don’t have to give up recreation. A social life and a well-paying summer job sound great and all—but I know you would also like some time to just chill, right? A single course only takes a couple hours a day, leaving you most of the day for goofing off, catching some shut-eye, and doing summery stuff. And you’ll have another class checked off your degree plan. Sounds pretty good!
If you’re completely wiped out and don’t think your brain will survive the addition of school to your summer repertoire, it’s okay. Live up that vacation, kiddo!
But if you’re ready for something different, consider a compromise with Accelerated Pathways. Whether you put your head down and knock out an entire semester of courses or kick your feet up and just tick off one or two, you’ll be ahead of the game when the summer is through.
It’s as if the moment the word English enters the mind of an incoming college freshman, the barrage begins. Concerned family and caring friends do their best to turn poor, innocent students away from such a “useless” major.
They say things like…
There are no jobs for English majors.
Writing is not in demand.
Unless you want to be a teacher, you’re wasting your education (and your money).
English is just a generic humanities degree. You might as well major in psychology.
It doesn’t matter that you love writing. It doesn’t even matter that you’re good at it. In the real world, artists starve and liberal arts majors go broke. On the surface, these arguments make sense.
However, there is one argument the detractors of English majors get right.
English is a risky degree to invest in. If you're not careful, being an English major could be a great way to squander the opportunity of a college education.
Thinking of getting an English degree? Here’s what you’ll need to know to get the most out of your education.
1. Have a purpose
“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination… so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” - Stephen R. Covey
English is an extremely broad field of study. It covers everything from literature analysis to teaching English in third world countries to communicating well in business environments.
This variety is one of the nice things about being an English major. While an accountant might be stuck learning different ways to compare numbers on a spreadsheet, an English major can choose to study historical literature, contemporary publishing trends, business and technical writing, and… well you get the picture.
As an English major, you could easily fill your schedule just with classes that dive deep into creative writing, poetry, and the philosophical implications of Shakespeare’s King Lear and graduate a happy little scrivener.
Don’t.
While these classes sound interesting, they likely won’t be very useful in the long run. Because English is such a broad field, to get the most out of it, you have to approach your studies with a purpose.
What do you want to get out of college? How do you want to grow? What knowledge or skills would be most useful to your future career? You don’t need to know exactly what you’ll do after college or exactly where you want to go in life. But you should have an idea of the direction you want to move in.
Keep in mind that, if used correctly, college can amplify your gifts and prepare them for use in the real world. Meandering through college without a plan, taking whatever class seems interesting regardless of what you’ll actually gain from it, is the best way to squander them.
2. Develop specialized skills
"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live." - Henry David Thoreau
If you’re considering earning an English degree, I’m willing to bet you’re already a gifted writer. I’m sure you even consider yourself a particular kind of writer. Maybe you love writing hard-hitting blog posts or excel at telling stories, or maybe you’re a phenomenal editor.
Whatever your particular gift, expand it. Let that be your purpose. When you’re choosing your classes, ask yourself “Will taking this class help me be a better storyteller?” Or “Will taking this class help me write better articles in the future?”
This isn’t always easy to do. You may need to get creative in how your perceive the usefulness of some classes: the opportunities to practice the type of writing that you enjoy are not always obvious. If you’re a journalist, you likely won’t get very much journalism practice in a poetry class. On the other hand, a literary analysis class could give you more opportunities to practice researching, interviewing, and writing fact-based articles—all useful skills for journalists.
By choosing classes based on the opportunities to improve a particular skill, you’ll quickly begin to develop specializations. And even if they aren’t always obvious, the opportunities are there. Be mindful of them.
3. Make passion a priority, not a victim
"With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion." - Edgar Allen Poe
Have you ever tried writing something great, but found after only a few minutes of typing, your writing felt contrived? It was more like Frankenstein’s monster—pieces of disconnected dead writing that you were trying to force life back into—instead of the masterpiece that you envisioned.
Be forewarned, this is what college can do to a writer.
Unsurprisingly, you'll be writing thousands of words every week as an English major. And about halfway through your time in college, you’re going to get sick of research papers and maybe even writing in general. You’ll find that, even when you have no desire to write on a particular subject, even when you feel you’re unable to put two coherent thoughts together, your professors still expect you to turn in a well-written paper before the deadline.
This is where so many English majors go wrong. They allow their mind to take over their writing. Prose that used to flow naturally and for the simple joy of writing, now forces itself into rigid formulas, adhering to the stylistic checklists of academia. The mind produces writing which earns top marks from professors—but in that writing there is no life, no passion.
It’s almost counterintuitive, but as an English major, you need to constantly be reminding yourself why you were drawn to English. For every paper you write, write a story or a poem or an article of your own. Talk to other people about their projects, tell them about yours. Immerse yourself in the craft that you love, simply because you love it.
Remember that great writing comes from the heart. Your passion—not your mind, not the grade—gives your writing life.
4. Be valuable
"Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man. For him all doors are flung wide.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The critics of English majors have a point. The same way a bachelor’s degree in dance doesn't qualify you for a salaried position at an accounting firm, an English degree isn't a surefire way to lock down a "real job" fresh out of college. The type of knowledge and skills that you gain by studying English, while useful in the right circumstances, are simply not the primary tools you’ll use to be successful at most jobs.
I know you love writing. That’s great! Writing is not a skill everybody has. (And the fact that articles like this one are published every day on countless corporate websites proves that there are jobs out there for writers.) But this is what you need to understand: in most positions, writing alone won’t be enough to sustain you.
There’s demand right now for writers who can research products and present their findings in easy-to-consume ways. Journalism is hungry for storytellers that understand both politics and the mind of the reader. Writing sales copy for a direct mail marketing campaign is different than writing sales copy for a website which is different from writing a post for social media designed to boost brand engagement.
Developing skills like these demonstrates an ability to adapt your writing to be applicable in a business setting. Additionally, by preemptively learning these skills, you add extra value to yourself as an employee, which gives you an advantage over other English majors who are after the same job, but only took creative writing and poetry classes in school.
5. Use your capstone project to give yourself a leg up
"Words are where most change begins.” - Brandon Sanderson
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, what you choose to do for the capstone project is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an English major. Not just because earning your degree depends on successfully completing the project, but because the capstone is your last real opportunity to separate yourself from the crowd and get an edge in post-college life.
Choose a project that showcases your skills or helps you learn something immediately useful.
For example, in the future I intend to start a publishing house. I have a passion for stories, and being an author and a publisher is a long-standing dream of mine. It’s what drew me to English in the first place. But I’m also very business-minded, and my studies reflected these intersecting interests. As a result, my capstone project was about how marketing principles could be applied to fiction writing in order to reverse the general downward trend in reading across the entire population.
Sure, it sounds a little dry based on that description, but this project gave me valuable insight into realistic, and immediately applicable techniques for getting more people to read what I write.
6. It’s okay to go after a “risky” major.
"Real joy seems to me almost as unlike security or prosperity as it is unlike agony.” - C.S. Lewis
Earning an English degree isn’t the easiest way to find success in life. It’s definitely not the most “secure” path. But maybe it’s your path. And that’s okay.
Real-world application should influence what you choose to pursue in college. It would be irresponsible to ignore the opportunities that some degrees would open up to you.
However, choosing your major based solely on how the world sees its value is a quick path to misery. If you have little or no interest in a subject, you’re unlikely to develop a passion for it. Without passion, motivation suffers and resentment rises. Maybe you start off only hating an assignment—but soon you hate the class, then the subject, then college itself.
If you’re forcing yourself to do something that you hate, you’re probably going to fail. So don’t do that to yourself. If you plan on finishing college, it’s probably best that you study what you’re interested in.
College is what you make it. No single course of study is innately more valuable than all others. An arts major can go on to be more successful than a business major. The value that you get out of your studies and what happens after you graduate depends entirely on you.
Still, there is a pressure to pick the most “valuable” degree to pursue.
My advice? Don’t stress about it, because it’s not that important.
Every major is valuable if applied in the right circumstances and pursued intentionally. Don’t set yourself up for failure just because biochemical engineers earn a higher salary than staff writers.
If you love writing, study what you love. If you want your degree to be more valuable, focus on expanding and refining your gifts. If you want to make yourself more valuable, adapt and acquire skills that compliment your writing.
Most importantly, if it would bring you joy—be an English major.
Looking to explore your degree options? Students that earn their degrees through Accelerated Pathways can save up to $30,000 over the course of their degree. So, take some time and reach out for a custom advising session and learn more about your college options.
Every year, we get a lot of questions from students and their families about more affordable and flexible college options.
Here are some of our favorite alternatives to traditional college that can help you finish sooner, save more money, and have a flexible college schedule.
1. Take online courses
A 2019 survey found that 60% of students enrolled in online courses say their school has taught them soft skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and writing skills, that employers desire. The survey also found that 84% of students agree or strongly agree that their online education was worth the cost.
So why not take some of these flexible courses? Depending on transfer policies, it’s possible for you to take online courses from any number of schools and transfer those credits to the school you want to graduate from.
2. Work for a company with tuition reimbursement
Many companies offer college tuition reimbursement for employees who are going to school. From Amazon and Apple to Starbucks and Siemens, these educational benefits are a great way to make college more affordable. Often, the degree major you choose doesn’t even have to be related to your job at the company. To get you started, here are 10 companies that offer tuition reimbursement.
3. Use competency-based courses
Competency-based college alternative programs are rapidly growing, signaling a radical change in higher education. Competency-based education measures a student's knowledge and skills instead of simply how much time they spend in a classroom.
Programs such as the University of Wisconsin’s Flexible Option or Prior Learning Assessments from Thomas Edison State University are making it easier for students to get college credit for the knowledge and skills they’ve learned outside the classroom.
4. Use adaptive learning
Innovations like ALEKS harness artificial intelligence to customize learning anywhere in the world. Better yet, for only $20 per month, they offer college credit for subjects such as statistics, algebra, and math for a fraction of the cost of traditional classes. For many students, this means you can take your transcript from ALEKS directly to your university
5. Focus on skills-based training
College isn’t the only way to build your skills. To make your resume even more impressive, you can spend the time and money you save on your lower-cost degree on targeted self-study of the latest, industry-specific skills. Sites such as LinkedIn Learning and Duolingo offer low-cost or free online courses on everything from Excel and coding to foreign languages and graphic design.
Upon completion, you can receive certificates to demonstrate your proficiency to a future employer. Several massive open online course (MOOC) providers such as Coursera and Udemy are also in on the certificate trend.
6. Create a portfolio
Many fields such as graphic design, computer programming, journalism, music, and film are heavily favored toward students who have demonstrated experience. Most employers in these kinds of fields want to see a portfolio of work that you’ve completed, not a mere degree. And you don’t need college to start building a winning portfolio, particularly if you can find great mentors in your field.
7. Get credit by exam
By utilizing CLEP, DSST, and other exams for credit, you can complete general education topics at your own pace. You can buy study books to help you prepare, use a test prep tool to practice, and then drop in to your local college testing center for the 90- to 120-minute exam.
If you know all of the material, why should you pay full price to sit through an entire semester of it?
8. Find industry-specific training
In fast-changing technological fields, colleges aren’t always nimble in responding to current employer needs. That’s where training boot camps come in. A growing number of technology careers do not require a degree, but rather they prefer certifications from sites like Codecademy or skills that can be learned through mentors and real work experience. There’s no college involved here, yet this training can still lead to very good jobs.
9. Find internships
People may assume that internships are only available to college students, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Adult internship opportunities are available to people of all ages and educational backgrounds—if you know where to look.
If you want to land an internship, start by searching within your network. Do you have friends, neighbors, or family members who could help you get a training opportunity? You can also search for internships on LinkedIn, and by joining a professional association for the field you’d like to work in.
Remember that adult intern candidates have two key advantages. First, they tend to demonstrate higher levels of professionalism than their younger counterparts. And second, adult interns often have fewer scheduling restrictions than college students.
10. Start a business
Do you have an idea for a unique product or service that solves a problem and makes people’s lives easier? If so, you might be able to turn your idea into a full-blown career. For example, the Home Edit was founded in 2015 by two women who wanted to start a home organizing business. Today, the company has more than 3.9 million Instagram followers and a recently released Netflix series.
Airbnb was founded by three roommates who were struggling to pay the rent for their San Francisco apartment. A large conference was scheduled to take place in the city, and since the city’s hotels were fully booked, the men decided to rent out air beds on their living room floor. If you have an idea that you think is marketable, you might be able to turn your idea into a career.
There you have it: 10 alternatives to college that can help you make an efficient and flexible transition to a fulfilling career.
“Hi! I’m from the Internal Revenue Service, and I’m here to help.”
Heard that before? Probably not.
I’m a homeschool dad and for 34 years of my career, I worked for the Internal Revenue Service. As a result, I’ve seen a lot of tax returns, and I know how confusing the system can be. With April 15th around the corner, here are some common questions about education deductions and how to take advantage of them.
What is a 1098-T and what are you supposed to do with it?
A 1098-T is what colleges give to both you and the IRS to prove you paid tuition that year.
Before you enroll in a school, check out the Department of Education’s database for accredited institutions. It is these institutions that can and should issue Form 1098-T when an enrolled student pays tuition and other costs associated with their enrollment.
Remember, you must be in pursuit of academic credit and will not receive a 1098-T for amounts paid for any course involving sports, games, or hobbies, unless it is part of your degree program. Room and board, insurance, medical expenses, transportation, or personal living expenses also do not qualify. All eligible expenses incurred are tabulated for the calendar year and reported on Form 1098-T.
The 1098-T is then used with the filing of your personal Form 1040 or Form 1040A. It will also help prove your eligibility for education deductions.
What are the most common ways to not be taxed on education expenses?
The two most common places to save money on education-related taxes are through the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit.
To claim either, you must meet all three of the following:
You, your dependent, or a third party pay qualified education expenses for higher education. (Tuition would qualify, but room, board, and transportation do not qualify. The purchase of homeschool curriculum does not qualify as an education expense, as it is not in the pursuit of a degree from an accredited educational institution.)
You, your dependent, or a third party pay qualified education expenses and are an eligible student enrolled at an eligible education institution. (You can’t go to just any school and get a tax write-off. Make sure your institution qualifies.)
The eligible student is yourself, your spouse, or a dependent you listed on your tax return (i.e. you have to be you.)
If you’re eligible for both the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit in the same year, you have to choose one or the other--you can’t claim both. Which one should you pick if it comes down to it? Take a look at the details and differences below.
1. The Lifetime Learning Credit
The Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC) is a tax credit for qualified tuition and related expenses paid for eligible students enrolled in an eligible educational institution. There is no limit on the number of years you can claim the credit and it is worth up to $2,000 per tax return. This money is given to you in reimbursement for college education expenses. This credit can help pay for undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree courses, as well as courses to acquire or improve job skills.
With the LLC, you receive 20% of the qualified expenses, up to $2,000, as a credit, which you can use to pay any tax you owe. The LLC is not a cash reimbursement, and you will not receive any of the credit back as a refund. However, $2,000 can go a long way toward any taxes you owe.
Claiming this credit means a little more paperwork, but is still doable. You’ll have to complete Form 8863 and attach it to your Form 1040 or Form 1040A. (Detailed instructions here.)
2. The American Opportunity Tax Credit
Although the LLC does not create a “refundable” credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit may. The AOTC is a means by which you may receive a check from the IRS for your educational costs. After you have worked through the credit calculations and determined the amount you are due, you use that amount to offset income tax on your return. If you have paid all of your income tax and some of the credit is left over, the IRS will send you that money. Not only do you get a savings, you get a check too! That’s a refundable credit.
Like the LLC, you will be required to fill out Form 8863. The additional worksheets will help you determine if you qualify for a “refundable” credit. Let’s say you were required to purchase a computer to take online courses in pursuit of your degree. Is that purchase a qualified expense for either of these credits? It can be under the AOTC if you are enrolled in an eligible institution.
Be sure to work through the chart and decide which credit will work best for you, before you make the computer or any other education related purchase. The credit may actually pay for it!
Which credit should you choose? Take a look at the chart included on page one of the instructions for Form 8863. It may answer many of your questions for which credit to use.
There you have it: the two most common tax-reducers for families with students in college. You should seek out the advice of a tax professional during the preparation of your personal taxes.
Feel free to post comments below and if there’s enough interest, I’ll write another post.
But being so thoroughly familiar with the ins and outs of the college system doesn’t do us any good unless we’re sharing that knowledge with readers like you.
In this post, I’ve gathered every Accelerated Pathways blog post that can help answer the question “how does college work?”
Whether you’re hoping to get started on your scholarship search or just want to know what in the world “PSY 134” means, we’ve got your back. Our goal with this post is to take the confusion out of college.
If you’re considering college, it’s important to know how the system works, especially if you’re hoping to transfer colleges at any point. That all starts with knowing how bachelor’s degrees are structured.
So, how are you to know what level of education you need? Is a high school diploma enough? Is the master’s degree really the new bachelor’s? Do you need a Ph.D. in order to be taken seriously in your field? Let’s figure it out.
What is the difference between a BA and a BS, and which one should you choose? In this blog post, one of Accelerated Pathways' Academic Advisors answers this question for good.
Community college isn’t guaranteed to save you money. But if you’re savvy about how it works, it miiiiight be an okay option. Here are 8 ways to ensure you’re not throwing your money away on community college.
Dual credit is kind of like kale and Christmas decorations–too much of a good thing is indeed... too much. It is easy to get carried away earning college credits that won’t ultimately apply to your chosen degree. But how many should you take?
Advanced Placement courses or dual enrollment are two great options for earning dual credit in high school—but which is better for your student? In this article, we discuss the differences between them to help you answer this question.
Transfer credit can be an efficient way to save thousands on college... as long as you know those courses will transfer. But how do you know which courses will transfer before taking them? The answer: college course codes.
40% community college students tend to lose most of their credit upon transfer, but you don’t have to be one of them. This post teaches you the steps you can take to ensure your community college credit transfers safely to your bachelor’s degree.
What if FAFSA? How does financial aid work? What does "aid" even mean? In this post, one of our very own Admissions Counselors answers these questions and demystifies the term "financial aid" once and for all.
What is a 529 savings plan? How does it differ from a prepaid tuition plan? Are these things you should have? And if you do have one, what can you do with it? In this post, we answer all these questions and more.
While you may think getting your degree—no matter what it takes—will set you ahead, student loan debt might actually end up being the ball-and-chain you carry around your neck for decades.
Students often assume student loans will be an inevitable part of their college experience. But they don't have to be. Here are 4 very real, very helpful things you can do to ensure you graduate debt free.
Considering your degree's long-term effects on your finances can save you from a life of debt. How can you ensure you're not investing too much money in your degree?
Check out how four perfectly normal decisions (that don’t even seem “that bad”) can send your college costs soaring thousands of dollars higher than you expected.
If you’re stressing about choosing a major, you’re not alone. This free ebook, What Should I Major In, will walk you through every step you need to consider when picking a college major, so you can begin your studies with confidence!
Is trying to pick a major stressing you out? Put down the pros and cons list and stop Googling every emphasis, minor, and elective you find. Here’s why your college major doesn’t matter as much as you think it does.
I’m sure you’ve heard how important STEM is. But do you even know what STEM is? Or why it’s important? Or if it’s right for you? This post will help you answer those questions.
Being uninterested in STEM doesn’t mean you’re doomed to be a starving artist. Despite common belief, you can work in the arts, education, or social sciences and earn an above-average salary.
As an artistic book worm, I was an unlikely accountant for sure. However, by pursuing this most unlikely degree choice, I discovered accountants are more than stern, semi-monastic gurus of great financial mysteries. They're organizers on steroids.
Like any artistic endeavor, music isn’t a surefire way to secure a comfortable job with status and money to spare. You’re often going to be working twice as hard for half as much, all for your heartfelt love of the chromatic scale. Will a music degree give you the extra edge you need?
Leadership in its simplest form is beneficial, proactive influence. Even if you’re an entry-level employee at a coffee shop, movie theater, or fast casual restaurant, you can take the initiative and show leadership.
I know deciding whether to get a marketing degree or self-teach feels like a huge, scary, life-defining choice with no going back. But that’s not true. Truth is… you might want to do both.
Majoring in communications isn’t a cop-out. In fact, it just may be the perfect way to prepare for your future career—as long as you keep these six tips in mind.
Everyone knows that going to college is simply the best way to set yourself up for success down the road. Or is it? In this post, we delve into this question.
We all know college isn’t necessarily right for everyone. But before you trade your walk across the stage for a walk out the door, here are four things every college dropout should know.
Going to college is no longer a no-brainer. So before you take out a $30,000 loan for something you may not even need, ask yourself the hard question: should you go to college?
College is important. Especially in today’s society, with so many jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree as a minimum bar to entry. But is it important for you? This can be a challenging question to answer...
At 17, everyone told me I needed to go to college. So, just like all of my friends, I visited a college campus.
It only took a single tour to realize college wasn’t for me.
I wanted to do so many things—get a full-time job, start my own company, travel, live on my own, and so much more. How could I do all of that while being locked into a four-year commitment, not to mention the $40,000 per year price tag?
So I decided not to enroll in college. Instead, I’d keep working towards everything else I wanted to do. I got a retail job, built a piano-teaching business, and lived on my own.
That’s when I discovered Accelerated Pathways.
Accelerated Pathways: The Start of the Rest of My Life
A short time later, Accelerated Pathways became an unexpectedly large part of my life. I landed an unpaid internship with Pearson to help build the student community. Using the skills I was learning in my marketing classes (I’m a marketing major), I helped plan and market the very first national student event for Accelerated Pathways students. When that was over, the director of Student Life hired me.
The years that followed were filled with countless trips all over the country to run events designed to bring students together. Through this, I was able to enhance my book-learning with real hands-on marketing experience and build a relationship with my now-husband.
Fast-forward to now.
Having just finished my last course in November, I’m 22, the same age as most college graduates. But, while the average graduate is fresh, inexperienced, and laden with debt, I have four years of work experience in my field. I’ve traveled extensively over the last 3 years. I have already built the life that I’ve always dreamed of.
I married the love of my life, another Accelerated Pathways student, and—not surprisingly—someone who truly aligns with my values and goals. Thanks to Accelerated Pathways, we’re both debt free, which means every penny we make goes to building a life we love.
Where Am I Now?
About a year ago, my husband and I bought a Sprinter van and converted it to a full-fledged home where we live full time, driving anywhere we want. (Some of our favorite places we’ve visited are the Wenatchee National Forest in Washington; Toronto, ON, Canada; Squamish, B.C., Canada; and the Redwoods in California. We’re about to drive to Mexico and all the way down to Central America with some friends who also live in their converted Sprinter van!)
We’ve also built a social media brand and business around our unique lifestyle. (Check us out on YouTube and Instagram!)
Turns out, thousands of people want to know how to live a life like ours. They constantly ask us how we were able to pay for our tiny home on wheels and college. Every single time, we blow them away by telling them we’re completely debt free!
Some semesters, I focused solely on school and earned a crazy amount of credit in a short amount of time. Other months, I only got around to finishing a few courses. But because of the flexibility of not being on campus, my degree never slowed me down or distracted me from my other goals. Now I have a degree, experience, and the life I’ve always dreamed of!
Looking back, I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to work towards my goals and explore my possibilities without being tied to a four-year commitment.
If I hadn’t been blessed with the freedom Accelerated Pathways gave me, I’d have just graduated a few months ago without experience. I’d be stuck with around $37,000 in student debt, and I’d be looking for my first entry-level job. What a world of difference that would be compared to my life now.
I’m Not the Only One
Because of my job in the Student Life department, I’ve had the privilege of meeting hundreds of other students very much like me. It continually blows me away how much they’re able to accomplish at a young age. It’s not that any of us are smarter or more talented than the average student—it’s that we have the freedom to push ourselves to accomplish the things we care about.
The reality is, when given the ability to accomplish the goals we care about, chances are, we’ll rise to the occasion.
Do you have a dream that you think is impossible until you’ve finished your degree and paid off your student loans? I’m living proof that it’s possible NOW. You can graduate on your schedule, without debt, and with the experience you need to accomplish your big goals. Click here to learn how!
