Transitioning Back into College

This is the second in a series of blog posts written for workers transitioning back into civilian life. Beginning a college degree can seem daunting. Here, Greg Swenson responds to questions and provides an account of his recent experiences choosing a college degree program, understanding course transfer credits, and weighing university options. 

What did you think it would be like to complete your college degree after you stepped on from the work?

I had several assumptions that weren't exactly accurate:

1. College credits from many years ago wouldn’t be useful;

2. Work is more important than worrying about going back to college;

3. University is extremely expensive and not worth the cost.

   
   

These assumptions sound reasonable. What was your experience?

I had college credits from high school and two and a half years of university classes before I withdrew to enter the work. After the work, it felt pretty defeating to apply for jobs and have to constantly check the "High School Diploma" box for my highest level of education, especially when realizing how many other applicants I was competing with. That realization led me to start down the road of finishing a college degree. Here are some things I learned:

1. My credits did count. In fact, all 100 of my credit hours from 15 to 20 years ago transferred to both schools I was admitted to. A few classes from my previous major didn’t transfer as exact equivalents to my new school, but that didn’t matter in my case because I was changing majors anyway.

   
   

2. A college degree is more attainable than in the past. Online school is very common nowadays, and many big-name universities offer diplomas identical to those earned by in-person students at a lower cost and with a more flexible schedule. Most of my classmates have full-time jobs while they complete their degree.

   
   

3. There are many surprisingly affordable options for college. For all tuition and books, my university costs about $417 per credit hour. Students who are not dependents and had little or no income in the previous year qualify for the Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) maximum Pell Grant award of $3,700 per semester. Additionally, the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) for students reduces federal taxes by $2,500 a year, or up to a $1,000 cash refund. These credits reduce a student bill from $5,000 per semester to about $800 per semester out-of-pocket. And that’s before factoring in scholarships, which are quite abundant at most universities.

   
   

As a quick calculation, someone with no previous college experience who qualifies for the full Pell Grant and tax credit can get a full 120-credit bachelor’s degree from UA at a rate of 15 credit hours per semester for a total out-of-pocket cost–before scholarships–of $16,400. I was paying that much for just one year of tuition, room and board almost 20 years ago.

This type of Pell Grant funding is available to all qualifying U.S. citizens who haven’t finished a college degree. I would strongly encourage any transitioning workers who haven’t earned their bachelor’s to at least fill out the FAFSA application. If they decide to work at the same time, it is still very doable to take on several college classes alongside their job. As a distance-learning student, I’ve noticed that many of my classmates are returning to school in midlife because they hit a wall in career advancement without a degree.

It seems like trying to figure out where to start – what major to choose, where to go to college, and so on – is overwhelming. How did your college search process unfold?

I wanted to earn my bachelor's degree without being tied to a specific location or limiting my work opportunities. My criteria were:

1. A fully online program

2. A well-known university

3. Affordable tuition

4. The same diploma as on-campus students

   
   

I was surprised to find that many institutions met these requirements. To narrow my search further, I needed to choose a major. Since I had always viewed my engineering studies as a pathway to business, I decided majoring in business would be a better fit for my interests moving forward. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was where I studied before, but they had very few online undergraduate programs. Some research into institutions with strong online undergraduate business programs yielded a top-ten list, half of which looked like viable options.

I first checked with the University of Illinois Chicago, but I needed certain business prerequisites to start in their program. Next, I went well into the onboarding process with Oregon State University before I realized their program would cost significantly more than expected. OSU uses an unusual quarter-based system and requires more general education courses than other schools. This unexpected setback reinforced the importance of looking beyond just the cost per credit hour.

The University of Alabama is the institution I finally decided on. UA ranks 5th nationally in U.S. News’ Best Online Bachelor's in Business Programs and checks all the boxes in my search criteria. I’m more than halfway through my second semester with UA and I would recommend their program to others. Most instruction is asynchronous, but professors are accessible as needed and the course content and exams are rigorous. It’s definitely helpful to be a self-starter in a fully-online program, but regular deadlines for assignments and exams ensure that everyone stays on track.

I do wish UA offered more online business majors, particularly one focused on data analytics. That said, there are many affordable online programs for obtaining certifications in specific areas, which is the route I plan to pursue. By enrolling through the summer and fall semesters, I should be able to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in December of this year. Overall, I feel really grateful to finally be earning my bachelor’s degree with nearly the same time investment I had originally planned on 20 years ago.

A special thanks to Greg for explaining his recent experiences in such helpful detail. For further information and support for life transitions, please reference the Practical Resources Guide.