StraighterLine
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Distance learning is a fairly new, but quickly growing, method earning your college education. Obviously CLEP exams and DSST exams are some of the more typical routes for earning distance credit, but the college scene is changing rapidly and there are some new and exciting methods now available. There are typically two walls that distance students run into:
- Students find that they want to earn their college credit remotely, saving time and money, but they struggle to take a standardized test (like CLEP). They prefer the pace and atmosphere of a class.
- Students are trying to earn some upper level credit, and have exhausted the available DSST tests. Note that CLEP does not have any upper level exams (300 and 400 level).
That is exactly what happened to me. It came time for me to begin my Junior year, and I was out of options. I took as many DSSTs as were applicable to my degree, but it did not equal the 60 upper level credits I needed to finish my last two years of school. I began researching different options and found StraighterLine – and they became my key to finishing school.
Who They Are
StraighterLine’s entire goal is provide quality, affordable college classes for online students. They do not care where you live or what your schedule is – these are classes you do on your own time. You have videos to watch, a textbook (many of these are available online for free, with the purchase of your class!) to read, and exams to take. The exams are scheduled according to your availably and proctored through ProctorU (review of their service coming later). When you finish the class (and earn the required minimum grade), you can transfer your class credit with a push of a button.
In addition, StraighterLine offers 100% guarantee that your credits will transfer if you are attending one of their 100+ partner colleges and universities. These partners include Thomas Edison State University and Liberty University! If your university is not one of their partners, StraighterLine courses are accredited by the American Council of Education (ACE) and recommended for approval.
What They Are Not
If you are looking for the “classroom experience” with a professor to dialogue with and a chatroom with required postings, then StraighterLine is not for you. It is 100% self-paced (although they do have excellent student services if you have questions or concerns), and is for the students who are willing to work autonomously.
How It Works
You pay per month, plus the cost of your course. Meaning you can take as many courses as you can do (or attempt to do) at one time. StraighterLine costs $99 a month, plus each course. Courses are normally around $59. Textbooks can be rented as hardcopies if you desire, but most courses come with the e-version of the textbook for free.
You literally can not beat this pricing when it comes to college courses. That is because StraighterLine is rethinking the “college experience.” When you step out of the college bubble, and say no to debt, the whole world opens up with new and different options. College does not have to become a financial burden. Instead it can be an incredible opportunity to learn from interesting and talented men and women, who are masters in their field.