Strayer University

Information on this page is still in the tentative stages and not everything has been confirmed. Information may be missing or incomplete. Students who attempt to take this route should be aware that they are doing so at their own risk.

Introduction
Strayer University is a for-profit school. It is part of the same company that owns Sophia.org. Aside from accepting Sophia courses, they accept StraighterLine, CLEP, and DSST credits. Tuition at Strayer is relatively expensive at $1480 per course (approximately $493 per semester credit) and, unlike other schools, the faculty will choose for you which course you should be taking next. Students should be aware that Strayer uses the quarter credit system where their 4.5 credit classes are worth 3 semester credits at schools that use semester credits.

While it is not recommended for students to obtain their degree through Strayer, Strayer is a potential source for relatively inexpensive (and hard to find) RA credits for both Thomas Edison State University and Charter Oak State College students. This is potentially also a good option for Excelsior College students. Strayer offers a number of challenge exams for just $20 apiece. These exams are proctored with ProctorU and should be similar to TECEP and UExcel exams. Many of Strayer's challenge exams are worth upper-level credit.

Challenge Exam Access
If the thought of potentially paying only $20 for 3 UL credits is appealing to you, this does have some caveats. You need to read all of the instructions below to decide whether or not you wish to attempt this:


 * 1) Check out the list of challenge exams; scroll down to the bottom and choose to "Show all entries".
 * 2) Determine how many challenge exams might apply to your COSC/TESU degree. If you are seeking a degree in General Studies/Liberal Studies, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, or Business Administration, you are most likely going to find at least a few exams that might work.
 * 3) If you have found 2 or more exams to take, especially if 1 or more are upper-level, proceed. Otherwise, stop and consider carefully whether or not this is worth the potential time/expense.
 * 4) Make sure that you have completed everything that you plan to complete at Sophia. This step is not completely necessary but may provide the best results. At minimum, it is suggested that you complete Algebra, English Comp I & II, College Readiness (even though most other schools do not give credit for this), and Communications at Work.
 * 5) Start studying for the exam(s) you plan on taking. You're going to want to start taking exams ASAP in order to have the best chance of this working. The lowest tier of Study.com or an InstantCert.com membership may provide useful study materials, though neither are geared toward this process. There may also be free study materials available.
 * 6) Apply to Strayer - preferably as a nondegree-seeking student. This step is essential. During the application process, make sure you list any previous credits you have (such as those from Sophia). This will help ensure that you're not duplicating credits.
 * 7) Tell Strayer that you will be paying out of pocket. Students who plan to obtain a degree from TESU and who qualify for financial aid should use that aid to take courses directly at TESU in order to avoid the residency waiver fee. If you have signed up as a nondegree-seeking student, you do not qualify for financial aid anyway.
 * 8) Decline or opt-out of the auto-enrollment process.
 * 9) As soon as your application is in, you should be able to start scheduling and taking exams immediately even while waiting for your transcripts to be processed.
 * 10) Strayer may require you to take at least 1 course through them. (Information uncertain.) Students should be prepared to pay for a course in order to transfer their challenge exam(s) elsewhere. If you take 2 challenge exams + 1 Strayer course, your cost per semester credit is going to be around $170. 3 exams + 1 course drops the cost per semester credit down to about $128. 4 exams + 1 Strayer course, $105 per semester credit. (Costs are all approximate.) The more exams you are able to complete, the lower your cost per semester credit. If Strayer tries to make you take 2 or more courses through them, tell them that your budget/schedule won't permit you to take 2 courses at this time. Since you are paying out of pocket, they should hopefully not care that you not taking two courses.
 * 11) After taking all exams you want/need (and finishing your course, if you were required to take one), withdraw from Strayer.
 * 12) Send your Strayer transcript to the school where you are actually completing your degree.

Essential Information Regarding Challenge Exams
You are only permitted to take a challenge exam one time. For this reason, students should be relatively comfortable with the subject in question before attempting one of these exams. Strayer does not provide any study materials for the exams.

Taking a Challenge Exam
Strayer does not make it easy to find out how to take a challenge exam. However, the process is relatively straightforward:
 * 1) Create an account with or log in to ProctorU.
 * 2) Add Strayer University as a school you are attending.
 * 3) Schedule the exam at least 3 days in advance or pay a premium fee.
 * 4) Take the exam.

Information is taken from this PDF (must be logged in to Strayer account to access).