Air Power

Preface

This is a high‑level overview of alternatives to the traditional 4‑year college experience and expense

The most common ways to fast‑track earning college credits while spending as little money as possible are highlighted


전통적인 4년제 대학 경험과 비용에 대한 대안들을 고수준으로 개요한 내용입니다

적은 비용으로 대학 학점을 빠르게 취득할 수 있는 가장 일반적인 방법들을 강조합니다

College Credits and Costs Alternatives:

Earn College Transfer Credits → Without Going to College

College Credit Sources – Most Common to Least Common

  1. Sophia / Study.com / StraighterLine – #1 by a mile
  2. CLEP
  3. Military credits
  4. ACE
  5. DSST
  6. NCCRS – least used

What They Are

Sophia – Sophia Learning offers self‑paced, low‑cost online college‑level courses that are ACE‑evaluated with no proctored exams, meaning they come with recommended credit that transfer‑friendly colleges often accept.

Study.com – Study.com College Accelerator provides ACE‑evaluated online video‑based courses; students earn recommended college credit by completing quizzes and proctored finals.

StraighterLine – A subscription‑based online course platform that is ACE‑evaluated with proctored finals. Students can earn recommended college credit cheaply and quickly for transfer into partner schools.

CLEP – The College Level Examination Program is a national exam system run by the College Board that lets students earn college credits by passing proctored exams in subjects like math, history, psychology, and business. Colleges award credit based on your exam score.

Military credits – Accrue after beginning an active duty enlistment or commission.

ACE – The American Council on Education evaluates non‑college learning - online courses, corporate training, industry certifications, and military training - and issues credit recommendations that colleges can choose to accept.

DSST – The DANTES Subject Standardized Tests are a credit‑by‑exam program (originally for military) that evaluates college‑level knowledge through proctored exams, and colleges grant credit for passing scores. (DANTES = Defense Activity for Non‑Traditional Education Support)

NCCRS – National College Credit Recommendation Service evaluates non‑college learning - online courses, professional training, exams, and workforce programs - and issues credit recommendations that colleges can choose to accept, similar to ACE but used less often.

Source How Credit Is Earned Proctored Exam Approx. Costs
CLEP Pass the exam Yes $97 per exam – other fees ~$20–$50
DSST Pass the exam Yes $100 per exam – other fees ~$30–$50
Sophia Complete the course No Sophia = $99/month unlimited
ACE courses (Study.com) Complete course + proctored final Yes $199/month
ACE courses (StraighterLine) Complete course + proctored final Yes $99/month
ACE certificates (Coursera, edX) Complete full program No $49/month
Google Career Certificates Complete full certificate No Coursera $49/month
IBM Professional Certificates Complete full certificate No Coursera $49/month
Freshman Year Tuition Free (Test Out) → Spend Little to No Money
    • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) 대학 수준 시험
      • CLEPs are national exams granting college credit for knowledge
      • 이미 습득한 지식을 시험으로 대학 학점 인정

    • Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) 표준화 과목 시험
      • Similar to CLEP, DSST exams grant college credits and are widely accepted
      • 과 유사, 군인 및 민간 학생 모두 인정

    • Perspective｜관점
      • You can earn 30 college credits (or more) via CLEP/DSST and bypass one year of college classes
      • 일반적인 고등학교 졸업생은 CLEP/DSST 시험으로 30학점 (대학 1년치) 취득 가능 — 수업에 참석하지 않고도

    • CLEP / DSST Exams
      • These are short exams that are accepted by many colleges for credits – for example, I tested out of 30 hours of college via CLEP/DSST exams while I was in the Air Force, the 30 hours equals one year of college ~ these exams were free for me as a military benefit, but they cost over $100 each for civilians.
    • CLEP Website
    • DSST Website

    • Modern States website
      • A very rich guy funds CLEP exams using this website; this makes them cost free for civilians as well. You have to complete a short online course to prep you for CLEP exams & you send you’re your receipts for the exams and any other fee’s and they reimburse you for the CLEP exams and admin fee’s at test centers:
    • 1. Complete a Modern States course to prepare for a CLEP exam
    • 2. Request a free CLEP exam voucher from Modern States
    • 3. Register for the CLEP exam through College Board
    • 4. Take the CLEP exam at an approved testing center
    • Students Should Watch For
      • CLEP restrictions - some colleges accept CLEP only for electives or general education, not for your major
      • Processing (evaluation) fees - Some private universities charge “processing fees” (or invent a bureaucratic term for it) for each CLEP you submit - which can be over $100 per CLEP; while you're still saving money - this is really irritating
      • Fine print checks - If you know what college you're applying to, you can check the school’s catalog or contact the registrar’s office for fine print before taking exams - if there are hidden rules or exceptions, you can find them here
      • Registrar runaround - some registrar offices will bounce you to the Dean of Whatever school you’re entering to get their transfer credits approval policy; sort like they're telling you “We don’t want to give you a straight answer, and we hope you give up.”
      • Expiration rules - some colleges treat CLEP scores like they “expire” after X years - a CLEP itself never expires, but colleges sometimes impose their own internal cutoff
      • Transfer caps - colleges cap total transfer credits, typically ~60 semester hours for a four year degree - there are cool schools with much higher limits
      • Major‑specific blockages - can depend on the major or on the Dean of the school
      • Testing center admin fees - with Modern States covering the exam cost, some test centers charge additonal $20–$40 admin fees, Modern States usually reimburses these - but students need to save & send them receipts
      • Official transcripts - e.g., most colleges require official transcripts be sent directly from College Board to the colleges' registrar to accept CLEP credits; they will not accept them from you personally
    • Test Center Names ~ Codes
      • University Of Hawaii - Manoa 2600 Campus Road, QLCSS 307, Honolulu, HI 96822 Test Center Code: 4867, phone: (808) 956-3455
      • Status: They do restrict some testing to UH students only - so may only serve college students currently enrolled at UH for specific exams
      • Hawaii Pacific University 1060 Bishop Street, 6th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813 Visit Website – Test Center Code: 4352, phone: (808) 544-9334
      • Status: Supports HPU students and the public
      • University Of Hawaii - West Oahu 91-1001 Farrington Hwy, Kapolei, HI 96707 Test Center Code: 4959, phone: (808) 689-2752
      • Status: Public test center
      • Wayland Baptist University - Hawaii 99-080 Kauhale St, D-14, Aiea, HI 96701 Test Center Code: 1530 (808)-488-8570
      • Status: Open to any student
CLEP & DSST Exams → Full List with Credit Values

DSST credits are straightforward - every exam is worth 3 credits, the equivalent of one college class. Some CLEP exams are fixed at 3 credits, while others use a score-based credit scale that ranges from 3-12 credits. Just an example (I'm not bragging for once I promise), I earned 6 credits each on three CLEP exams - 18 credits is more than a full semester of college, just for taking tests for a few hours. The table shows the maximum credits each CLEP can award:

DSST Exams (3 credits each)

  1. Human Resource Management
  2. Technical Writing
  3. Introduction to Psychology
  4. American Government and Politics
  5. Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
  6. Ethics in Technology
  7. The Civil War and Reconstruction
  8. Substance Abuse
  9. Lifespan Developmental Psychology
  10. Introduction to Law Enforcement
  11. Introduction to Geography
  12. History of the Soviet Union
  13. General Anthropology
  14. Fundamentals of Counseling
  15. Criminal Justice
  16. Art of the Western World
  17. A History of the Vietnam War
  18. Introduction to Geology
  19. Health & Human Development
  20. Environmental Science
  21. Astronomy
  22. Principles of Statistics
  23. Math for Liberal Arts
  24. Principles of Public Speaking
  25. Principles of Advanced English Composition
  26. Introduction to World Religions
  27. Ethics in America
  28. Principles of Finance
  29. Introduction to Business
  30. Computing and Information Technology
  31. Principles of Supervision
  32. Personal Finance
  33. Business Mathematics
  34. Organizational Behavior
  35. Money and Banking
  36. Management Information Systems
  37. Foundations of Education
  38. Fundamentals of College Algebra
  39. Business Ethics and Society

CLEP Exams

  1. Financial Accounting (3 credits)
  2. Information Systems (3 credits)
  3. Introductory Business Law (3 credits)
  4. Principles of Management (3 credits)
  5. Principles of Marketing (3 credits)
  6. American Literature (3 credits)
  7. Analyzing and Interpreting Literature (3 credits)
  8. College Composition (6 credits)
  9. College Composition Modular (3 credits)
  10. English Literature (6 credits)
  11. Humanities (3 credits)
  12. American Government (3 credits)
  13. History of the United States I (3 credits)
  14. History of the United States II (3 credits)
  15. Human Growth and Development (3 credits)
  16. Introduction to Educational Psychology (3 credits)
  17. Introductory Psychology (3 credits)
  18. Introductory Sociology (3 credits)
  19. Principles of Macroeconomics (3 credits)
  20. Principles of Microeconomics (3 credits)
  21. Social Sciences and History (6 credits)
  22. Western Civilization I (3 credits)
  23. Western Civilization II (3 credits)
  24. Biology (6 credits)
  25. Calculus (4 credits)
  26. Chemistry (6 credits)
  27. College Algebra (3 credits)
  28. College Mathematics (3 credits)
  29. Natural Sciences (6 credits)
  30. Precalculus (3 credits)
  31. French Language Level 1 Proficiency (6 credits)
  32. French Language Level 2 Proficiency (9 credits)
  33. German Language Level 1 Proficiency (6 credits)
  34. German Language Level 2 Proficiency (9 credits)
  35. Spanish Language Level 1 Proficiency (6 credits)
  36. Spanish Language Level 2 Proficiency (9 credits)
  37. Spanish with Writing Level 1 Proficiency (6 credits)
  38. Spanish with Writing Level 2 Proficiency (12 credits)
Ways Oʻahu Students Can Earn College Credits & Advance Early ~ 오아후 고등학생이 대학 학점을 미리 취득하는 모든 방법

Oʻahu high school students can use to earn college credits, accelerate graduation, reduce tuition costs, or build career ready skills before stepping onto a university campus. Hawaiʻi’s public schools, UH campuses, and national programs all offer different “early college” routes, and each one provides a unique mix of academic credit, real world experience, or financial advantages.

This section organizes those options into simple program blocks Early College, Running Start, AP/IB, CTE, E School, ROTC, internships, and more - so you can quickly compare what each pathway offers, how it works, and why they matter. These are a blend, i.e., some programs save money, some save time, some build career credentials, and some open doors to scholarships or advanced standing at 4 year universities.

Program: Early College (Free) / Dual Credit 얼리 컬리지 / 이중 학점
Description｜설명: College courses offered while still in high school 고등학교 재학 중 대학 수업 수강
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Earns both HS + college credit, often tuition free 고교 + 대학 학점 동시 취득, 수업료 면제 가능
Program: Running Start (Cost Money - UH campus courses) 러닝 스타트 (UH 캠퍼스 수강)
Description｜설명: Students attend UH classes while in high school 고등학생이 UH 수업 직접 수강
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Same dual credit benefit, off-campus experience 이중 학점 취득 + 대학 환경 체험
Program: Associate’s Degree Pathways (AA) 준학사(AA) 연계 과정
Description｜설명: Mapped Early College sequence, HS diploma+AA degree 얼리 컬리지 과목 순서 → 고교 졸업장 + AA 학위
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Saves 2 years of tuition, enter 4-year as junior 2년 등록금 절감, 4년제 대학 3학년으로 입학
Program: AP (Advanced Placement) AP (대학 선이수 과목)
Description｜설명: College credit for passing AP exams AP 시험 통과 시 대학 학점 인정
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Can knock out general education requirements 교양 과목 면제 가능
Program: IB (International Baccalaureate) IB (국제 바칼로리아)
Description｜설명: College credit for passing IB exams IB 시험 성적으로 대학 학점 인정
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Globally recognized academic rigor 국제적으로 인정받는 학문 수준
Program: Career & Technical Education (CTE) 직업 및 기술 교육 경로
Description｜설명: HS programs lead to industry career pathway/certs 보건, IT, 기능직 관련 자격증 취득 과정
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Job-ready credentials or UH CC credit alignment 취업 자격 또는 UH CC 학점 연계
Program: HIDOE E‑School (online AP/advanced) 하와이 DOE E‑School (온라인 AP/심화)
Description｜설명: Online courses for DOE students statewide 공립 학생 대상 온라인 심화 수업
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Fills gaps when school doesn’t offer a course 학교에 과목 없을 때 대체 제공
Program: Early Admit / Concurrent Enrollment 얼리 어드밋 / 동시 등록
Description｜설명: Qualified high school students enroll directly in UH courses 자격 있는 고등학생이 UH 수업 직접 등록
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Earn college credit outside formal dual credit programs 공식 이중 학점 프로그램 외에도 대학 학점 취득 가능
Program: Work-Based Learning & Internships 현장 학습 및 인턴십
Description｜설명: Real-world experience through school or community partnerships 학교 또는 지역 연계를 통한 실무 경험
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Builds career skills, boosts college apps, may lead to certifications 진로 역량 강화, 대학 지원에 유리, 자격증 취득 가능
Program: ROTC / Service Academies / National Guard ROTC / 사관학교 / 주방위군
Description｜설명: Military-linked programs where service = tuition coverage 복무를 통한 등록금 지원 프로그램
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Full tuition scholarships, stipends, career pipeline 전액 장학금, 생활비, 안정된 진로 연결
Program: Apprenticeships & Gap Year Fellowships 도제 교육 & 갭 이어 펠로우십
Description｜설명: Paid training or service year with education award 유급 훈련 또는 봉사 후 교육 장려금 수령
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Earn while you learn, or serve and get college funding 일하며 배우거나 봉사하며 학비 지원 받기
Special Award: Seal of Biliteracy 이중언어 능력 인증
Description｜설명: Statewide recognition for bilingual proficiency 영어 + 제2언어 고숙련 공식 인정
Why it matters｜중요 이유: Diploma/transcript notation; scholarship signal 졸업장/성적표 표기; 장학금 평가에 유리
Top Colleges for Transfer Credits
College # of Transfer Credits Accepted Types of Transfer Credits Accepted
Excelsior University up to 113–116 credits CLEP
DSST
Military credits
Sophia / Study.com / StraighterLine
ACE
NCCRS
You can literally finish a bachelor’s with one cornerstone + one capstone
University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) – YourPace
(CBE College) – No CBE track for IT/Cyber		 up to 90 credits CLEP
DSST
ACE
NCCRS
Sophia / Study.com
They are one of the fastest finish schools in the country
Many students finish a bachelor’s in 6–12 months
Thomas Edison State University (TESU) up to 114 credits CLEP
DSST
ACE
NCCRS
Sophia / Study.com
TESU is famous for being the “credit king” of the Northeast
You can finish with one cornerstone + one capstone
Charter Oak State College (COSC) up to 114 credits CLEP
DSST
ACE
NCCRS
Sophia / Study.com
They are extremely flexible and allow DIY degree completion
Purdue University Global up to 90 credits CLEP
DSST
ACE
Sophia / Study.com
They also have ExcelTrack, which is CBE‑style and very transfer‑friendly
Western Governors University (WGU)
(CBE College)		 up to ~75 credits CLEP
DSST
ACE
NCCRS
Sophia / Study.com
They don’t take everything, but they take a lot, especially for IT/cyber
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) up to 90 credits CLEP
DSST
ACE
NCCRS
Sophia / Study.com
They are one of the easiest schools to work with for transfer evaluation
Traditional College Alternatives → Competency-Based Education (CBE) & Hybrid Subscription-Based Colleges
Competency-Based Education (CBE) → 역량 기반 교육
CBE colleges use subscription-based tuition, usually charging per term (8 weeks to 6 months) instead of per credit. Because tuition is flat-rate, finishing courses faster means paying less. Many students complete degrees in under 3 years, and some finish in 1-2 terms with enough transfer credits.
    • How CBE Courses Work
      • Most CBE schools follow the same model, best illustrated by Western Governors University (WGU)
      • Objective Courses: Begin with a pre-assessment. High scores allow skipping course content and going directly to the final exam. Passing the exam earns credits immediately.
      • Performance Courses: No pre-assessment bypass. No final exam. Students complete papers, projects, case studies, and scenario work. Passing review completes the course.

    • The full CBE universities in the United States listed below use CBE for every degree they offer, and all six deliver their programs 100% online
      • Western Governors University
      • Capella University - FlexPath
      • Purdue University Global - ExcelTrack
      • Northern Arizona University - Personalized Learning
      • University of Wisconsin System - UW Flex

    • These schools offer only partial competency based education, meaning they use CBE in some programs or courses but not across the entire university
      • University of Maine at Presque Isle - YourPace
      • Rasmussen University - Empowered Learning
      • Walden University - Tempo Learning
      • UMass Global (formerly Brandman)
      • Anderson University (SC) - FLEX
      • Indiana Wesleyan University - Self-Paced
      • Texas A&M Commerce - Select CBE Business Programs
      • Colorado Christian University - Partial CBE

Sophia.org Unlimited - Subscription-Based Sophia for $99/month unlimited general-ed and elective credits Sophia Assessment Style - No proctored finals, no midterms, no end-of-course exams - just open-note repeatable quizzes, short written Touchstones in most courses, and a few courses that are 100% quizzes
University of Maine at Presque Isle accepts up to 90 semester hours of transfer credit.
https://www.umpi.edu/yourpace/
UMPI YourPace competency-based education (CBE) style:
  • No proctored exams
  • Courses built around papers, projects, case studies, scenario work, written artifacts
CBE Colleges Offering Cyber & IT Degrees - Full CBE Schools
CollegeCyberITInfo
Western Governors University Yes Yes Cyber, IT, cloud, networking, software, data
Capella FlexPath No Yes IT & IT management
Purdue Global ExcelTrack Partial Yes Cloud, networking, security modules
Northern Arizona PL No Yes Computer Information Technology
UW Flex No Yes Information Science & Technology
Hybrid / Partial CBE Schools
CollegeCyberITInfo
UMPI YourPace No No N/A
Rasmussen Empowered Learning Yes Yes Cybersecurity, IT Support, Networking, Data Ops
Walden Tempo Partial Yes Cloud, networking, security modules
UMass Global Partial Yes BS IT, BS Computing Tech
Anderson FLEX No No N/A
Indiana Wesleyan Self-Paced No No N/A
Texas A&M Commerce No No N/A
Colorado Christian No No N/A
Transfer Credit Totals by School
SchoolMax TransferIT/CyberNotes
Excelsior University 113 credits Yes CLEP/DSST/Sophia/Study.com/ACE/NCCRS/JST/industry certs
UMPI YourPace 90 credits Yes Papers for remaining credits
TESU 114 credits Yes Cornerstone + capstone required
Charter Oak State College 114 credits Yes Cornerstone + capstone required
Purdue Global 90 credits Yes Modules + real coursework
WGU (Hybrid CBE) ~75 credits Yes Labs + papers; accepts ACE/CLEP/DSST/CCAF + approved certs
SNHU 90 credits Yes Standard online degree structure
    • College Recommendations - Excelsior University
      • Accepts up to 113 credits
      • Finish bachelor's with as few as 7-12 in-house credits
      • Accepts 24-28 graduate-level transfer credits
      • Accepts Google, Amazon, IBM, ACE/NCCRS certs for MBA coursework

    • College Recommendations - UMPI YourPace
      • Accepts up to 90 credits
      • Remaining courses are papers/projects

FAFSA Grants and Loans → Ways to Pay for College
    • Application for Federal Student Aid ~ FAFSA®
      • FAFSA is simply an online form students and families complete to apply for federal, state, and school financial aid programs which could include:
      • Grants
      • Loans
      • Scholarships
      • Work-study opportunities/funds

      Note: in the "Phase 1" section, getting the first year of college free is demonstrated via CLEPs + Modern States test vouchers/reimbursements for any fees ~ in this section, using FAFSA + the Hawaiʻi Promise Scholarship, a student can get their first two years of college tuition free.
      After FAFSA, Hawaiʻi Promise covers whatever tuition, fees, books, supplies, and transportation costs remain ~ so combining FAFSA + Hawaiʻi Promise makes UH community college free for most Hawaiʻi residents.
      Federal & State Aid Options
      • Federal Subsidized Loans - need‑based federal loans • no interest while you’re in school
      • Federal Unsubsidized Loans - available to all students • interest starts immediately
      • PLUS Loans - parent or grad student loans with a credit check
      • Hawaiʻi Promise - covers tuition, fees, books, supplies, and transportation for UH community colleges; together with FAFSA, community college is free
      • Air Force ROTC Scholarships - full or partial tuition, books, $300–$500 monthly stipend; for students earning a bachelor’s degree to become a commissioned officer in the Air Force or Space Force
College Application Platforms & Financial Tools → Ways to Apply & Save Money
  • States with Centralized Public University Application Platforms
    • UC Application – University of California system (UC Berkeley, UCLA, etc.)
    • Cal State Apply – California State University campuses (CSU Fullerton, etc.)
    • ApplyTexas – Most public universities in Texas
    • SUNY Application – State University of New York campuses
    • GAfutures – Public colleges + HOPE Scholarship tracking
    • CFNC – College Foundation of North Carolina; includes public universities
    • UW System Application – University of Wisconsin campuses
    • Apply Idaho – Free application for Idaho public colleges
    • UAOnline – University of Alaska campuses
  • Additional & International College Application Platforms & Methods
    • QuestBridge – For high-achieving, low-income students
    • NACAC Fee Waiver – National fee waiver form
    • Common Black College Application (CBCA) – One application for 60+ HBCUs; $20 flat fee
    • Study in Korea – Official Korean government portal
    • UCAS (UK) – England’s centralized application system
    • OUAC (Ontario, Canada) – Ontario Universities Application Centre
    • UAC (Australia) – NSW centralized application system
    • JASSO (Japan) – Japanese student guidance and scholarships
    • Uni-Assist (Germany) – Centralized processing for German universities
  • Top Platforms for Applying to South Korean Universities
    • Study in Korea – Official gateway for international students
    • Korean University Information System (KUIS)
    • Direct University Portals – SNU, Yonsei, KAIST, Korea University
    • Qogent Global – Third-party application support
    • Global Scholarships Korea Guide – Step-by-step application guidance
  • Common Application & Coalition Application
    • Common App – A single online application used by 1,000+ mainland colleges, including most private universities and many public universities outside Hawaiʻi
    • Lets students apply to multiple colleges with one application
    • Stores essays, recommendation letters, activities, transcripts
    • Required by many selective mainland schools
    • Not used by UH (so irrelevant for Hawaiʻi‑only students)
    Coalition App – A smaller application platform used by ~150 colleges, originally designed to support low‑income and first‑generation students
    • Some selective schools accept it
    • Has a “Locker” tool for storing essays and projects
    • Much smaller footprint than Common App
    • Barely relevant for Hawaiʻi students
  • American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC)
    • A federal tax credit that helps families pay for the first four years of college expenses
    • Maximum credit: $2,500 per student, per year
    • Refundable portion: Up to $1,000 refunded, even if you owe no taxes
    • Applies to each eligible student in the household
    • Can be claimed for four tax years per student

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