Frequently Asked Questions
- Coaching - What Is It?
- What Is a Typical Coaching Session Like?
- How Are the Coaches Selected and Trained?
- How Do We Assign Students to Our Coaches?
- Why Do I Need a Coach?
- Can I Do This by Myself?
- How Do We Measure Success and Ensure Quality?
- Is There Parental Involvement?
- How Long Will It Take?
- Does It Ever "Not Work"?
- How Much Should I Expect to Pay the First Year?
- Can I Pay For CollegePlus! Using 529 Plans, Grants and Federal Aid?
- How Can I Justify The Cost Of A Bachelor’s Degree?
- Can I Get Into Graduate School?
- Can I Transfer Credits From PCC, BJU, PHC, Etc.?
- What Is the Recommended Age to Start?
- Who Is It Designed for?
- Think You’re Not the Best Test-Taker?
- Is It Possible To Combine High School And College?
- Can Students Who Are Under 21 Enroll In Thomas Edison?
Coaching — What Is It?
Coaching can be defined as one-on-one mentoring between a coach and a student. The goal of a CollegePlus! coach is to help students excel in their studies and develop the motivation and skills that are important for future leaders.
Go to top or get answers to other common coaching questions
What Is a Typical Coaching Session Like?
A typical coaching session takes place by phone every two weeks and lasts 30–45 minutes. After discussing the priorities of the call, the coach will lead the student in a time of reviewing the progress made since the previous call. Any questions that the student has will be answered.
The coach will then lay out a specific plan of action and will assist the student in every aspect of implementation.Before ending the session, the coach will communicate clear goals based on realistic expectations for progress to be made between now and the next coaching call.
How Are the Coaches Selected and Trained?
Our coaches are chosen based on three criteria. They must:
- Be dedicated Christians and proven teachers of others.
- Be thoroughly familiar with the accelerated distance learning process through personal experience.
- Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
Once coaches are selected, CollegePlus! provides them with an intense training and certification process in which they learn the systems and processes unique to CollegePlus! The coaches also receive ongoing training and performance feedback from our management team and clients.
How Do We Assign Students to Our Coaches?
Coaches are assigned first by gender, then by availability, and finally by degree similarity and student/coach personality. CollegePlus! has a policy of assigning male students to male coaches and female students to female coaches. This allows for a deeper relationship to develop between the students and coaches. While CollegePlus! works with a large quantity of students, our focus remains on offering a service of consistent quality.
Where possible, degree similarity between the student and his coach is taken into account. However, because CollegePlus! coaches have access to all the program’s resources, and to each other, they are capable of offering assistance to any student, regardless of their degree.
Why Do I Need a Coach?
It is possible to earn a degree through distance learning working alone. However, some have found this unfamiliar process overwhelming. It is for these students that CollegePlus! was designed. With CollegePlus!, a coach is there to offer assistance in making a customized degree plan and in carrying out that plan to completion. Because a coach is there to worry about the logistical details, students are able to fully concentrate their efforts on their studies.
Can I Do This by Myself?
Students can complete a college degree using accelerated distance learning methods on their own. However, with CollegePlus!, students are guided step by step through making the best use of their time, avoiding costly mistakes, both of time and money. Each CollegePlus! coach has earned his or her own degree through this accelerated distance learning process and offers valuable advice, lots of encouragement, and accountability for making progress. Without the accountability and motivation of a coach, it is difficult for students to maintain a steady pace. CollegePlus! provides comprehensive study modules and coaching feedback clearly communicating what to study and a plan for how to study it.
How Do We Measure Success and Ensure Quality?
CollegePlus! certified coaches begin by helping a student develop concrete goals and objectives for their education. We measure success by whether a student is making consistent progress towards those goals and objectives. In addition to the coach’s reviews, the student’s development will be periodically reviewed by a master coach to ensure that the student is progressing and receiving the highest quality education possible.
The exams our students take (CLEP and DANTES) are nationally accepted and are approved by the American Council on Education (ACE). The online classes taken by students are regionally-accredited by one of six regional accrediting boards, and as such, meet the highest level of academic requirement.
Is There Parental Involvement?
CollegePlus! strongly encourages a student’s parents to remain involved in this time of schooling since parents can offer encouragement, counsel, wisdom, and advice complementary to that of the coaches. Should any problems arise during the course of study, these problems would immediately become apparent to at least one of these individuals involved (student, coach, parents, etc.) who could bring them to the attention of the others for resolution, thus maintaining the quality of the degree program.
How Long Will It Take?
CollegePlus! is all about customization to the students’ needs. While some students with previous credits are able to complete their studies in as little as a few months, the standard program is set up on a two-year schedule. If a student would like to study at a faster pace, it is entirely up to him.
Does It Ever “Not Work”?
Even though the CollegePlus! program is extremely flexible and customizable, it is understood that CollegePlus! may not be the right fit for every student. This is why we have developed an extensive application process to make sure that CollegePlus! is the right program for you before you have actually enrolled.
How Much Should I Expect to Pay the First Year?
The CollegePlus! coaching fee does not cover books, course fees, college tuition, etc. We estimate that most students should plan to spend between $3,500–$4,000 on their degrees in the first year:
- $2,699–$2,999 CollegePlus! tuition (add $300 for international students)
- $250 on initial study skills materials
- $80–$90 per exam (at least 1 exam per month)
- $10–$30 per exam on books
Can I Pay For CollegePlus! Using 529 Plans, Grants and Federal Aid?
Because CollegePlus! is not an official college but rather a coaching system, it cannot accept FAFSA, HOPE, TTF, Pell grants, or other forms of federal aid as payment for services. In most cases, however, the student can use these funds to purchase study materials and, dependent on the college’s position, cover enrollment costs with the degree-granting college. The same is generally true for 529 Plans.
Grant availability is dependent on the applicant’s eligibility for the funding, which varies in amount and application. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), is a recommended resource for those looking for assistance in these areas, as well as Grants.gov. For more information on 529 Plans which are unique to each state, please visit 529 Plan Information.
How Can I Justify The Cost Of A Bachelor’s Degree?
In 2000, the median income for men age 25-34 with a bachelor’s degree was $42,300* - 60 percent higher than the $26,400 average income for a man with a high school degree only. When you consider the final price tag of an education at a traditional brick and mortar school, CollegePlus! is a bargain. And with CollegePlus!, you are getting much more than just an academic education, you are being prepared for leadership.
*Source: National Center for Education Statistics, National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, 2000.
Can I Get Into Graduate School?
Because Thomas Edison State College degrees are regionally-accredited (the highest form of accreditation) through the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, their degrees are transferable to any college or university in the nation.
Can I Transfer Credits From PCC, BJU, PHC, Etc.?
CollegePlus! has had a number of students who have transferred out of Pensacola Christian College, Bob Jones University, Patrick Henry College and other non-accredited schools into CollegePlus!. In such cases, CollegePlus! has accepted courses that students have completed through non-regionally-accredited schools and transferred their courses through proficiency exams, such as CLEP and DANTES, that document the study already completed on an accredited level. This is the most efficient method possible to take this learning and turn it into accredited credit.
What Is the Recommended Age to Start?
CollegePlus! requires a student's knowledge level and ability to at least be equivalent to that of a junior in high school. In most cases this would be comparable to age 16 and older. However, maturity and internal motivation have proven to be far more important at determining a student’s eligibility than his age. Please keep in mind that a number of students are combining and even replacing the last two years of high school with college. Many earn their entire bachelor's degree before they graduate from high school.
Who Is It Designed for?
CollegePlus! is not just for “gifted” or “genius” students. We have found that determination and diligence are far more important to success than “giftedness.” Being smart is an added bonus, but it is the students who have the will to succeed that are the most successful in CollegePlus! and in life.
Think You’re Not the Best Test-Taker?
You’re not alone. Many of our students who have not tested well in the past have benefited greatly from the study skills courses that CollegePlus! offers. Through the assistance of our innovative coaching program, these students become highly successful at earning credit through exam.
Is It Possible To Combine High School And College?
Every family faces decisions about college. For some it may be a far distant decision. For those with college aged students that decision may have come sooner than anticipated. Many send their children off to college with their fingers crossed hoping for the best; while others choose against college and find their effectiveness hampered due to a lack of credentials.
Combining high school and college through CollegePlus! is the answer. CollegePlus! is specifically geared for homeschool students and families who think outside of the box and take personal ownership/responsibility for their education. For those families asking whether distance learning is the best option for their degree, the opportunity to combine and replace high school with college while your student is still in high school only makes sense.
How does it work? As the first two years of college are well known to be a review of high school, CollegePlus! homeschooled students use their Christian based high school textbooks and additional resources to prepare them for college level exams. Yes, it is true! High school students are making significant progress and are even completing their entire accredited bachelor's degree while they are still in high school.
Can Students Who Are Under 21 Enroll In Thomas Edison?
At the time of enrollment in Thomas Edison (most likely 1–2 years after beginning the CollegePlus! program), the student will be instructed by his coach to write a simple letter of appeal to accompany his enrollment at Thomas Edison. This simple appeal process has proven 100% successful, and we have seen many younger students graduate through Thomas Edison.
Eric, Iowa
