I love it when you send me stories to share about how Homeschooling for College Credit helped your family. Carol from Minnesota wrote to me that her family saved nearly $100,000 just by implementing HS4CC strategies during high school. I checked her math, and her numbers are correct. It’s astonishing that by combining CLEP and her local dual enrollment courses that her daughter saved this much money at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul.
Jennifer, with CLEP and PSEO (dual enrollment), I just calculated we are saving $96,780 at the University of Northwestern St. Paul. Some of that is from CLEP, and most was free through dual enrollment. We are saving far more money by CLEPping and dual enrollment than we could get in scholarships. -Carol, HS4CC Parent in MN
Their target school, The University of Northwestern St. Paul, is a private Christian university in Minnesota.
For high school students, the university waives tuition, books, and fees. Many states and private universities offer this benefit, and Carol selected this college for her daughter’s dual enrollment (called PSEO in Minnesota) based on this free tuition benefit. After high school graduation, all students pay the full price tuition and fees linked above.
Price during high school: $0 per credit (PSEO or CLEP)
Price after high school: $1,005 per credit
Without smart planning, Carol and her daughter may have overpaid for her degree. Tuition is approximately $35,000 annually, which is a direct cost (you will receive a bill). Factor in the reduced time on campus living in a dorm (reduced by 3 years), and she saved another $30,000 ($10,000 per year).
- Scholarships save MONEY, but they don’t save TIME. Time is money!
- Dual enrollment (PSEO) allows academically motivated students to start college classes in high school. If you stay put, like Carol’s daughter did, you have access to academic advising and planners that can help you make sure every credit counts towards your future degree.
- Using CLEP exams allowed Carol to choose an appropriate homeschool curriculum that aligned with their family values while earning college credit – students can start CLEP at any age, but dual enrollment usually has age or grade eligibility requirements.
- Using CLEP exams and dual enrollment allowed Carol’s family to make credit accumulation a “pay-as-you-go” situation, which is ultimately the most affordable option for many parents.
- This university’s CLEP policy READ HERE
Which CLEP & DSST exams did she take?
Here is her list of CLEP and DSST exams she passed and how many credits she received:
- CLEP Spanish, 16 credits
- DSST World Religions, 3 credits
- CLEP College Composition, 4 credits
- CLEP Western Civilization 1, 4 credits
- CLEP Western Civiliztion 2, 4 credits
- DSST Health and Human Development, 3 credits
COLLEGE CREDITS AWARDED: 34
During the two years she participated in dual enrollment (PSEO) she completed another 2 years of perfectly planned college courses. Carol’s daughter will enter college as a freshman and then her rank will be bumped to junior status. She’s eligible for all the freshman scholarships and may be eligible to use the unused three years towards a graduate degree. Time and time again, HS4CC teens cash flow degrees and graduate debt-free. I love stories like this!
Read more Happy Stories on our website HERE
I am so thrilled to hear stories like this! Thank you for sharing the details. We are in our first year of seeking CLEP credits for our oldest student. He is a Sophmore. I wish I would’ve known all of this sooner, but at least we can figure it out for his 5 younger siblings.
You are at the EXACT right time! Most parents do a little in the first couple years, but students are so much more capable around 11/12th grades, that they can really gain traction!