Course Catalog / BMU 103 / Lesson 3 of 5

BMU 103

Lesson 3: Choose Your Path

About 8 minutes, plus 60 minutes for your action step

Quick review

What is the difference between recommended credit and accepted credit?

See the answer

Recommended credit is what your transcript suggests. Accepted credit is what a school agrees, in writing, to count.

School ads all sound good. With a target and a credit folder, you can compare schools on what matters instead of on advertising.

Start where you are: What do you know right now about the school you are considering? Its accreditation? Its total cost to finish? How many of your credits it will take? Most people only know the cost per credit.

Five questions to ask every school

• Accreditation: "Who accredits your school?" Look it up yourself in the U.S. Department of Education's database of accredited schools.
• Credit evaluation: "Will you evaluate my transcripts before I enroll, and give me the result in writing?"
• Total cost: "What is the full cost per credit, including fees, books, and technology charges?"
• Transfer out: "If I move, will other schools accept your credits?"
• Format: "Can I finish online or part time if my schedule or location changes?" This matters a lot for military families who move.

Check accreditation and transfer

Credits do not always transfer. A federal study found that students who transferred lost about 43 percent of their credits, on average (GAO, 2017). Students who moved from for profit schools to public schools lost about 94 percent. Check that the school's accreditor is recognized in the Department of Education's database. You can also search the database of CHEA, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Then ask any school you might transfer to later if it takes these credits.

Do your recon

Run every serious school through official comparison tools before you talk to a recruiter. The VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool shows caution flags and complaint records. Service members can also check TA DECIDE, the Defense Department's comparison tool for schools approved for Tuition Assistance.

Red flags

• Pressure to enroll fast.
• Vague answers about cost.
• Promises that "everything transfers."
• Only spoken promises, never written ones.

A good school will slow down and show you the numbers. Compare at least three options, including your local community college, which is often the lowest cost starting point.

Worked example: three schools, ranked

An illustrative composite. The person and details are made up.

1. School A: $250 a credit, accepts 12 of your credits in writing, 48 left. About $12,000 in tuition.
2. School B: $199 a credit, will not evaluate before enrolling, plus a $150 tech fee each term. Unknown total. Red flag.
3. School C, the community college: $140 a credit, accepts 15 credits in writing, 45 left. About $6,300 in tuition.
4. Ranking: C, then A. B is off the list until it puts an evaluation in writing. These numbers are made up for the example. Use real quotes.

Common mistakes

• Comparing cost per credit only. Fix: Compare total cost to finish, after transfer.
• Trusting a school's own site for accreditation. Fix: Look it up yourself in the federal database.
• Comparing only one or two schools. Fix: Compare at least three, including a community college.

Check your understanding

Pick an answer, then open "See the answer." Try as many times as you like.

1. Where should you check a school's accreditation?

1. A. The school's website
2. B. The U.S. Department of Education's database
3. C. A recruiter's email

See the answer to question 1

The best answer is B: The U.S. Department of Education's database

• A: Not quite. Check it yourself. To improve: reread Five questions to ask every school, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. An outside source you can trust.
• C: Not quite. That is not an independent check. To improve: reread Five questions to ask every school, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

2. School X costs $50 less per credit but accepts none of your credits. School Y accepts 15. Which is likely cheaper to finish?

1. A. School X, because it is cheaper per credit
2. B. It depends on total cost to finish, and School Y may well win
3. C. They cost the same

See the answer to question 2

The best answer is B: It depends on total cost to finish, and School Y may well win

• A: Not quite. You would pay for more credits. To improve: reread Five questions to ask every school, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. Compare total cost after transfer.
• C: Not quite. Credit transfer changes the total. To improve: reread Five questions to ask every school, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

3. A recruiter calls three times in two days and says a discount ends Friday. What does this lesson say?

1. A. Act fast so you don't miss it
2. B. Treat it as a red flag, and slow down and ask for numbers in writing
3. C. Give them your benefits info right away

See the answer to question 3

The best answer is B: Treat it as a red flag, and slow down and ask for numbers in writing

• A: Not quite. Pressure to enroll fast is a red flag. To improve: reread Red flags, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• B: Correct. A good school will slow down.
• C: Not quite. Protect your information. To improve: reread Red flags, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

4. Your family may move next year. Which question matters most?

1. A. "Can I finish online or part time if I move?"
2. B. "Is your cost per credit the lowest around?"
3. C. "How fast can I start classes?"

See the answer to question 4

The best answer is A: "Can I finish online or part time if I move?"

• A: Correct. This protects your progress.
• B: Not quite. Cost matters, but it does not protect your progress if you move. To improve: reread Five questions to ask every school, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.
• C: Not quite. A quick start does not help if you cannot finish after the move. To improve: reread Five questions to ask every school, then explain to yourself why the correct answer works.

Next up: Lesson 4 helps you fund it in the right order.

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