Archives for September 2014

Do the Math: How a Competency-Based Education Can Lower College Tuition

September 30, 2014 -

If you’ve been thinking of going back to school, you’ve no doubt noticed the high cost of college tuition. As a working adult, college tuition is of special concern given that you likely already have other large financial responsibilities, from a home mortgage to supporting your family.

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the college tuition situation facing today’s aspiring degree holders and examine how the new wave of competency-based education programs could help returning adult learners like you save both time and money.

[Read more…] about Do the Math: How a Competency-Based Education Can Lower College Tuition

Looking for a “Life-Experience Degree”? Try Competency-Based Education Instead

September 6, 2014 -

More and more working adults who started college but never finished are seeking different ways to earn their bachelor’s degrees. For good reason—study after study shows that a college degree offers the promise of a higher-paying job, upward mobility, and significantly higher lifetime earnings.

Not surprisingly, many people are interested in discovering degree paths that accelerate completion and reduce costs. Analysis of Google search engine queries reveals that a sizable number of people are researching “life-experience degrees.” Programs that offer these degrees promise to translate a person’s life or work experience into credit without the workload of a typical college program. But as you will soon see, this option should be regarded with caution.

The good news is that another option—competency-based education—allows returning adult learners to legitimately leverage life and work experience to accelerate time to graduation and save money at the same time.

Let’s take a look at both options in detail. [Read more…] about Looking for a “Life-Experience Degree”? Try Competency-Based Education Instead

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Download an introductory guide (PDF) to the self-paced, competency-based UW Flexible Option programs, including details about costs, admission requirements, and more.

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