How I got 33 college credits with $2400...

Here's how I finished 33 college credits with just my graduation party money...

So, I have another friend that graduated with me who was also an only child (yeah, we needed each other), and her mom introduced us to "Unbound" (previously College-Plus and Lumerit Scholar).

The company, helps students unconventionally get a college degree through various in-seat and online classes, alongside tests that allow students to in essence “test out” of classes.

It is not a university in and of itself (at least not at the time of this writing), but it helps students find colleges that work with them to help students graduate early, while traveling, or just on their own terms due to any number of life situations.

Anyways, although neither my friend or I officially signed up to get help from Unbound (just because I thought I could do it myself, however it's still a great resource), but instead it helped me learn about CLEP and DSST tests.

CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program, and during 2012 when I took them, a CLEP test cost $100, plus any fee that a university or testing center charged, which was normally only around $20. Each test generally awarded 3-6 credits. Many colleges have testing centers, and I attended the 2 nearest colleges to me to take these tests.

They are a means of “testing out” of such classes as English Composition, College Algebra, Intro to Psychology, Macroeconomics, and History of the Western World, just to name a few.

I received a score sheet as proof of my passing, and I also have an online account with CLEP, and CLEP keeps my scores on hand for 20 years or so, etc. The point of taking these CLEP tests were to start accumulating gen-ed’s that I could then transfer to a college or university. What I did was either buy an official study guide for the tests online (usually for about $20), or go to a blog entitled http://www.free-clep-prep.com/ (hey Justin) by a guy who has taken almost all of the CLEP exams, and provides his own suggestions on what to study for each test.

Then, my friend and I would study together each week, travel and take the test together (usually took a couple hours), and go out to eat after, YUM!

Which brings me to a word of warning. These tests will only work for you if you know that your college will accept them. For me, the college I was looking at did, as well as a few other colleges in my area, so I believed I was safe.

I took 5 tests that first year out of high school, and received 27 college credits, all for maybe a little over $600 due to test center fees and study guides. The next year, I took DSSTs, which were a whole different animal...