ripvanwinkle
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Post by ripvanwinkle on Jun 6, 2019 0:12:34 GMT -5
I decided to finally finish my Associates degree Science at a local CC this fall. I'm only 20 credits shy. Or so I thought. Over the years life has got in the way of finishing. I've gone to 3 different CC's so I contacted them and got my transcripts so I could take them in to admissions and show them I have prior credits. Imagine my surprise when they said my credits were "too old". Non transferable. 30+yrs too old. Ripoff. . What's the logic behind that? I'll bet it's just a way for them to money grab. Anyone else run into this?
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Jun 6, 2019 2:14:51 GMT -5
Money grab, but think how much technology and the world has changed in 30+ years. Depending on the subject, those classes so many years ago may not be relevant.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been in school, but are you able to take any CLEP testing as a shortcut?
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Jun 6, 2019 6:10:54 GMT -5
My master's degree program was like that. All of the credits expire in five years, so I had a five year time frame to complete the full program or it would all become worthless. That was my major hesitation to start the program (since i am working full time), but I went ahead and got it over with in two years.
One of my friends also did this back in the late 90's, and it was some masters program for leadership, so it wasn't exactly a skill that would quickly become dated. She took a couple of years off to care for her father at the end of his life, and after he passed it was too late for her to finish the degree and she lost all her credits. She still regrets not finishing it, and we had a lot of discussions about this before I went back to school.
I don't know if it is a money grab or not. Presumably it would prevent some people from coming back or from finishing what they started (like my friend), so they would lose out on as much tuition as they gain from making people retake old classes. I had suspected they did it to improve their five year graduation percent for for their reporting statistics, or because they were fussy academics that wanted to make up a bunch of useless rules to force people to jump through hoops.
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bobosensei
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Post by bobosensei on Jun 6, 2019 6:15:16 GMT -5
For lower level courses it is also about making sure you remember foundational material. I went back to school for a certificate in software engineering. I needed a certain kind of calculus class that required a previous math class I had in high school - nearly 2 decades earlier. I had the option to test into the class, but I had to take lots of free online courses (Kahn Academy) to bring my memory back. And despite testing out I still had memory gaps and had to refresh certain skills during the class. To me that was about making sure I could handle the class. It wouldn't be fair to the professor or other students for me to suck up resources needing the extra help on concepts that were required.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jun 6, 2019 6:41:43 GMT -5
The 5 year rule on credits was in place when I was in graduate school in the 1970's.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Jun 6, 2019 7:24:48 GMT -5
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Jun 6, 2019 7:35:37 GMT -5
The 5 or 10 year rule also applies in the area of employment. What you did for employment in any particular technical field 5, 10, 20 plus years ago and have not done since in your most recent jobs is not relevant in any position in the same field one is applying for today. Those past skills are considered too rusty/outdated and the candidate is put in a 'No' pile.
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Jun 6, 2019 8:57:47 GMT -5
I decided to finally finish my Associates degree Science at a local CC this fall. I'm only 20 credits shy. Or so I thought. Over the years life has got in the way of finishing. I've gone to 3 different CC's so I contacted them and got my transcripts so I could take them in to admissions and show them I have prior credits. Imagine my surprise when they said my credits were "too old". Non transferable. 30+yrs too old. Ripoff. . What's the logic behind that? I'll bet it's just a way for them to money grab. Anyone else run into this? Every single person I know who went back to school to finish a degree program years later.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jun 6, 2019 9:51:21 GMT -5
Sorry you found out that way, but yeah, that's how it works. I have credits for a very specific post-graduate certificate. I wanted the knowledge and skills, but I didn't want to be pigeon-holed into certain job assignments due to that certificate. I never officially filed for the transcripted certificate. It's now been more than five years since my last class. I cannot get the certificate. I don't need it, but it's still kind of weird.
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Jun 6, 2019 10:07:51 GMT -5
I graduated college in 2005 and knew back then credits were only good for so long if you didn't complete the degree. A friend of my wife's goes back to school about every two years which everyone knows because she makes a big deal out of it on social media. She regularly runs into this issue and has had to re-take classes.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jun 6, 2019 10:31:28 GMT -5
Very common. This is nothing new. When I was working on my MS, I just squeaked in under the 10 year deadline for about 12 graduate credits. This was back in 1993, and the graduate classes I took in 1983-84.
These were STEM classes.
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grumpyhermit
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Post by grumpyhermit on Jun 6, 2019 10:33:24 GMT -5
Not to mention the fact that you are trying to aggregate credits from multiple schools into one. Most schools have caps on the number of transfer credits they will allow. The credits would also need to slot in to one of the school's current program curricula.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Jun 6, 2019 10:39:58 GMT -5
This brings back some memories. Some friends of mine whose parents were trying to save money on college costs sent them to community college for 2 years, with the plan to send them to a university to complete their 4-year degree. The problem is, not all of those credits transfer. So, they ended up spending 5 years going to college, while most of us who went to a typical 4-year college finished our degrees in 4 years.
Welcome to "the system". So sorry it happened to you.
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Jun 6, 2019 11:35:08 GMT -5
I ran into this with calculus... I'd taken it as a junior in high school, and by the time I got my associates, it was out of date. Fortunately, I had audited the class with my group so that I could help them study (we were in a painful program of specific classes in order to get into an apprenticeship program. Most of us were hired together and took the course together.) The teacher had me for other classes, so he changed me from "audit" to "A" for the class, even though I never did a single homework assignment or test. If I wasn't on his good side, I would have had to wait a few semesters to take that class again.
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Jun 6, 2019 12:48:12 GMT -5
Not me, but my mom. She has a degree in elementary education, but it's from a neighboring state. After she married my dad and moved to our state, had kids, stayed home for a decade, etc., she went to find out if she could transfer her teaching certificate to our state and get back to work. No soap radio. She would basically have to do all the classes over again and get another degree in the same field.
I can see needing to take several classes to find out how the curriculum has changed, etc., but I don't agree with her needing to basically get another BA in Education.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jun 6, 2019 13:05:30 GMT -5
College courses for "credit" expiring or not being accepted was alive and well in the 90's too. It was one of the driving factors in my decision to go to night school to get my BS. My first Associates degree courses were really old - but I had continued to take night courses at the Jr. College and had picked up an additional Associates over the years. If I remember correctly I managed to "negotiate" getting the University to give me credit for some of the more recent courses (to take the place of a "100 or 101 level general education" University course - as they seemed willing to cut me some slack because I had been taking courses right up until I applied to the University.
I personally think it's AOK for schools to say that course 5 years or older aren't transferable - especially if you've been out of school for those 5 years. It takes a bit of adjustment to get back into the classroom. And I think "forcing" someone to take a "general ed" kind of course might ease them back into school thus givng them a better chance at better grades (not feeling so overwhelmed) and completing their degree. On the other hand, this doesn't stop you from negotiating your "work experience" into getting some courses waived. Especially if the degree you seek is basically what you already do at work (or close to it).
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Jun 6, 2019 13:09:03 GMT -5
I decided to finally finish my Associates degree Science at a local CC this fall. I'm only 20 credits shy. Or so I thought. Over the years life has got in the way of finishing. I've gone to 3 different CC's so I contacted them and got my transcripts so I could take them in to admissions and show them I have prior credits. Imagine my surprise when they said my credits were "too old". Non transferable. 30+yrs too old. Ripoff. . What's the logic behind that? I'll bet it's just a way for them to money grab. Anyone else run into this? While I feel bad for you, I completely agree with this. Imagine if you last studied robotics, technology or medicine 30 years ago. Your old knowledge is no longer relevant.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jun 6, 2019 13:17:32 GMT -5
This brings back some memories. Some friends of mine whose parents were trying to save money on college costs sent them to community college for 2 years, with the plan to send them to a university to complete their 4-year degree. The problem is, not all of those credits transfer. So, they ended up spending 5 years going to college, while most of us who went to a typical 4-year college finished our degrees in 4 years. Welcome to "the system". So sorry it happened to you. BUT, I am sure that for a motivated kid there are ways to coordinate the Jr. College courses with the University/College degree program. My friends who did the "jr college and then 4 year school" had their college paths mapped out (they coordinated between the Jr. College and the University they wanted to attend) - so they knew going into the Jr. College what courses would transfer or what they would need to do once they got to the University/College they had their eye on. All of my friends - managed to get a 4 year degree in 4 years - even though they started at the Jr. College. I was the only "loser" who had no ambition to go to a 4 year school - so I only completed an Associates and went to work full time. I think back in the day the Jr. College and the local Universities/Colleges had some sort of "program" or "agreement" to make it easier to funnel students from programs at the Jr. College to the 4 year schools.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jun 6, 2019 13:23:45 GMT -5
Not me, but my mom. She has a degree in elementary education, but it's from a neighboring state. After she married my dad and moved to our state, had kids, stayed home for a decade, etc., she went to find out if she could transfer her teaching certificate to our state and get back to work. No soap radio. She would basically have to do all the classes over again and get another degree in the same field. I can see needing to take several classes to find out how the curriculum has changed, etc., but I don't agree with her needing to basically get another BA in Education. I wonder if it was because she didn't keep her "teaching certificate" current.... back in the 2000's I worked with a couple of people who had previously been teachers (gradeschool and HS) - they mentioned that they did stuff every year to keep their "teaching certificate" viable or active or something... because their fall back plan was to go back to teaching.
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Jun 6, 2019 13:37:51 GMT -5
I assume it was something like that - and I'm sure the rules tightened up between the early 80s (when she stopped working) and the mid-90s (when she thought about going back).
Just seemed like a waste to me. Like there should have been a tract for getting back on track (!) - like a test and having her maybe do some student teaching again to observe her skills.
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oped
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Post by oped on Jun 6, 2019 15:22:27 GMT -5
Not me, but my mom. She has a degree in elementary education, but it's from a neighboring state. After she married my dad and moved to our state, had kids, stayed home for a decade, etc., she went to find out if she could transfer her teaching certificate to our state and get back to work. No soap radio. She would basically have to do all the classes over again and get another degree in the same field. I can see needing to take several classes to find out how the curriculum has changed, etc., but I don't agree with her needing to basically get another BA in Education. I wonder if it was because she didn't keep her "teaching certificate" current.... back in the 2000's I worked with a couple of people who had previously been teachers (gradeschool and HS) - they mentioned that they did stuff every year to keep their "teaching certificate" viable or active or something... because their fall back plan was to go back to teaching. Could be but more likely state to state issue. Sometimes that’s like going through the process from the beginning so program age might be a factor. In PA i have an old certificate good 99 years, although I still need to do those hours/credits to keep current.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Jun 6, 2019 15:33:23 GMT -5
The 5 or 10 year rule also applies in the area of employment. What you did for employment in any particular technical field 5, 10, 20 plus years ago and have not done since in your most recent jobs is not relevant in any position in the same field one is applying for today. Those past skills are considered too rusty/outdated and the candidate is put in a 'No' pile. And that is why I am no longer working as a chemist → I went back to university got a dual finance/accounting degree and over time rolled into contract management. Next stop (in a few years or earlier) → retirement
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jun 6, 2019 16:24:08 GMT -5
The 5 or 10 year rule also applies in the area of employment. What you did for employment in any particular technical field 5, 10, 20 plus years ago and have not done since in your most recent jobs is not relevant in any position in the same field one is applying for today. Those past skills are considered too rusty/outdated and the candidate is put in a 'No' pile. And that is why I am no longer working as a chemist → I went back to university got a dual finance/accounting degree and over time rolled into contract management. Next stop (in a few years or earlier) → retirement That is bizarre. I actually interviewed a woman a few years ago who was a chemist and then went back to school for finance/accounting. I don’t suppose you ever interviewed in Pa? How funny would that be?!?!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2019 16:38:19 GMT -5
Yes, I ran into this for graduate school. I never finished my dissertation. A lot of people ask me why I don't just go back. It doesn't work that way.
I didn't realize, though, that they were as strict on undergraduate degrees. Every once in awhile you read a "feel-good" story about some professional sport athlete who went back and got the degree that he had promised his mother he would get. I somehow doubt that they started over, but maybe they did. Is it possible that you could finish without starting over at the last community college that you attended? That is, you wouldn't be trying to transfer credits. I know my daughter-in-law was interested in a second bachelor's degree almost twenty years later, and she only needed the 30 credits for her new major.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jun 6, 2019 16:43:04 GMT -5
When I went back to school a few years ago in CAD Technology, many of my undergraduate credits (I graduated in 1981) were used to cover the math, science and English requirements. I only had to take the program classes.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Jun 6, 2019 17:02:35 GMT -5
And that is why I am no longer working as a chemist → I went back to university got a dual finance/accounting degree and over time rolled into contract management. Next stop (in a few years or earlier) → retirement That is bizarre. I actually interviewed a woman a few years ago who was a chemist and then went back to school for finance/accounting. I don’t suppose you ever interviewed in Pa? How funny would that be?!?! No, I have never even been to Pa. But you are right → that would have been funny
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oped
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Post by oped on Jun 6, 2019 17:12:06 GMT -5
When I went back to school a few years ago in CAD Technology, many of my undergraduate credits (I graduated in 1981) were used to cover the math, science and English requirements. I only had to take the program classes. I think graduating changes something? It’s not the first degree...
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jun 6, 2019 17:32:20 GMT -5
When I went back to school a few years ago in CAD Technology, many of my undergraduate credits (I graduated in 1981) were used to cover the math, science and English requirements. I only had to take the program classes. I think graduating changes something? It’s not the first degree... Depends. The medical technology program wouldn't accept any of my science credits because they are well over five years old doesn't matter I graduated. They said they would consider my work experience but would prefer my credits be recent. Nope not starting another bachelor's just for you program. UNO would not allow me to take statistics because my College algebra credits are over two years old. However to take immunology thru UNMC they didn't care. IWCC didn't care how old my math credits were just that I had them. All my credits are still good with them. For graduate programs it depended some I talked to valued my work experience others were more strict about the age of my credits. While I know it's not impossible but the whole credit expiration date thing at least in my case has made going back to school a PITA. If I could do it over I should have gone straight thru. As far as the OP you are going to be hard pressed to find any school that will take a random pile of 30 year old credits. Too much has changed and it's quite possible many of the classes you took no longer have an equivalent course. All colleges only take so many credits for credits sake. The rest need to meet the graduating requirements of your chosen school. If you transfer it either needs to be between schools with a reciprocity agreement or you need to do a audit to make sure what you take counts. I did one every semester to make sure I was on track to enter as a junior. You can't assume it's all the same thing.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Jun 6, 2019 17:33:08 GMT -5
Yes, I ran into this for graduate school. I never finished my dissertation. A lot of people ask me why I don't just go back. It doesn't work that way. I didn't realize, though, that they were as strict on undergraduate degrees. Every once in awhile you read a "feel-good" story about some professional sport athlete who went back and got the degree that he had promised his mother he would get. I somehow doubt that they started over, but maybe they did. Is it possible that you could finish without starting over at the last community college that you attended? That is, you wouldn't be trying to transfer credits. I know my daughter-in-law was interested in a second bachelor's degree almost twenty years later, and she only needed the 30 credits for her new major. Some of those athletes continued school during off season so it's not like a five plus year gap between going to school. I remember a few who talked about going to school during off season. So maybe that is how they did it - I don't know all the details since drawing on memory!! And we know how memory is for us old folks. May go and google the two names that come to mind and see if can find confirmation of this
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jun 6, 2019 17:48:30 GMT -5
I know in today's world many of the professional athletes take online courses, probably in the off season. I know that is what those who have gone pro from my college have done. Those young men are very proud of their degrees, even if they finished to please their mothers. They have usually matured enough to understand the reason mom wanted them to graduate and appreciate the degree. We have one currently playing in the NBA and he not only has his mother pushing him to finish, he now has his wife. She also played hoops and has a graduate degree. She is probably putting more pressure on him than his mother.
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