Anyone ever taken cheap online classes?

[randallr]

Anyone ever taken online classes? Here is my dilemma: To sit for my CPA exam I need to acquire a total of 150 credit hours of secondary education. This is about 21 credit hours more than I need to graduate from my current university. My current university is extremely expensive and I don't see much point in paying their rate to just accumulate credit hours. Anyone have any solutions? I was thinking that some online courses would be the cheapest and easiest solution.

 

[Thomas]

Yeah, I'm doing that through my local cc right now. I don't know how your state regulates it, but I can only take up to 15 accounting-specific credit hours on-line, the rest has to be in a classroom.

To me it kinda sucks and it kinda doesn't - depends on the class and subject matter. I think that classroom profs tend to be better than the on-line profs, because there's no teaching on-line - for me it's been reading, homework (on-line), quizzes, and exams.

This, though, may be important: if it's an accounting-specific course, you've got to be sure the course is qualified for CPA exam credit. I think the tipping point is whether a CPA actually teaches the class, but that may vary according to your state.

If you're talking about filling up random hours to hit 150, then a lot of the above caveats probably don't apply, and you can sign up for whatever sounds good to you.

 

[randallr]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Yeah, I'm doing that through my local cc right now. I don't know how your state regulates it, but I can only take up to 15 accounting-specific credit hours on-line, the rest has to be in a classroom.

To me it kinda sucks and it kinda doesn't - depends on the class and subject matter. I think that classroom profs tend to be better than the on-line profs, because there's no teaching on-line - for me it's been reading, homework (on-line), quizzes, and exams.

This, though, may be important: if it's an accounting-specific course, you've got to be sure the course is qualified for CPA exam credit. I think the tipping point is whether a CPA actually teaches the class, but that may vary according to your state.

If you're talking about filling up random hours to hit 150, then a lot of the above caveats probably don't apply, and you can sign up for whatever sounds good to you.

Thomas,

I'm finished with all of my accounting courses, so much of the above doesn't apply. I will have my account degree already I just need to acquire pointless credit hours. I was thinking about taking some cooking classes at my local cc. That being said...how hard is it to establish residency? I am from Michigan but I am living in Ohio and want to take courses here on the cheap. I have lived in Ohio for 4 years, paid taxes here for 3 and will be starting my full-time job here.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by randallr

Thomas, I'm finished with all of my accounting courses, so much of the above doesn't apply. I will have my account degree already I just need to acquire pointless credit hours. I was thinking about taking some cooking classes at my local cc. That being said...how hard is it to establish residency? I am from Michigan but I am living in Ohio and want to take courses here on the cheap. I have lived in Ohio for 4 years, paid taxes here for 3 and will be starting my full-time job here. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hmmm, based on the OSU page re: residency, it seems to be up to the uni to determine residency for tuition purposes. As far as state taxation, it seems that if you lived there for the full year, you're a resident. BTW: I don't really see how you could get much out of an on-line cooking class, but I may be behind the curve on technology.

 

[randallr]

Originally Posted by Thomas

Hmmm, based on the OSU page re: residency, it seems to be up to the uni to determine residency for tuition purposes. As far as state taxation, it seems that if you lived there for the full year, you're a resident.

BTW: I don't really see how you could get much out of an on-line cooking class, but I may be behind the curve on technology.

Well, the cooking classes would be on-site! Have you looked into online CPA prep-course that count for college credit?

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by randallr

Well, the cooking classes would be on-site! Have you looked into online CPA prep-course that count for college credit?

I'd hoped they'd be on-site!

I've not looked into the on-line CPA prep-course, right now I'm just accumulating the hours - although that seems to kill two birds with one stone. Unfortunately, this semester puts me at the max of 15 that Texas allows for on-line upper-level accounting credits. Anything after that is in a classroom, but the good news is that I've 9 hours left (and the Mrs. OUGHT to be graduating law school in December, which frees up my evenings!).