Is OnlineDegree.com Really Free?

Yep! It’s free to take as many courses as you want. Our goal is to make college more affordable and approachable for the millions of people that want to go to school. We’ve made sure it’s accessible to everyone regardless of their financial situation. Enroll in as many as you’d like.

How is this tuition discount possible with Excelsior?

Excelsior looks for innovative ways to help non-traditional students finish their degree. They partner with organizations that provide non-collegiate alternative credit programs that meet the academic rigor equivalent to college credit. OnlineDegree.com is one of those organizations and has 15 college-level courses that have been reviewed and verified by Excelsior. The courses provide 44 units of available credit that could be applied towards your degree…tuition-free. In addition to credit, Excelsior also offers all OnlineDegree.com enrolled students a 10% discount on tuition you can apply towards your degree.  Students are still responsible for additional fees that apply with Excelsior College (technology fee, SSAF fee, and graduation fee).

Are There Prerequisities or Things I Need To Learn Before Enrolling?

No! All of our college-level courses are introductory and meant for beginners without backgrounds in the particular subjects. You don’t need to prepare, or take anything before.  As long as you have your GED/High School Diploma, you can just register, choose the courses you want, and begin learning.

Can I combine received units from OnlineDegree.com with other units when I enroll at Excelsior?

The short answer is “yes!”, but check with an academic advisor at Excelsior. OnlineDegree.com has 44 units available through it’s courses that could apply.  You’ll want to inquire with an academic advisor though to confirm which courses could best apply to your specific major or degree of interest, and how they combine with other units you’ve earned.

What are the terms or limitations for Excelsior’s tuition discount?

Check with an Excelsior College advisor, but they will provide the tuition reduction per credit hour for those who meet the university’s admission criteria, and who enroll in a degree program. Application fees will be waived for eligible students as well. Tuition reduction will apply against the then current tuition price in effect for each credit. Reduction applies to course tuition only. All other fees (for labs, books, materials, etc.) and other charges will be billed at full rate to the student as applicable. Excelsior reserves the right to make changes in fees, costs, tuition, program, curriculum, regulations, program dates and to make additional charges for special features and services whenever such actions are deemed advisable. No other discounts are applicable. Students are still responsible for additional fees that apply with Excelsior College (technology fee, SSAF fee, and graduation fee).

Are There Any 3rd-Party Fees?

It’s completely free to take all of the courses, the textbooks, and generate a transcript. However, when you take a final exam, a 3rd-party online proctoring service, RPNow, needs to monitor you to make sure there’s no cheating. It’s standard practice for all online testing at the college-level. We’ve negotiated the fee on your behalf, and they will only charge you a small fee of $9. OnlineDegree.com though doesnt charge you anything for taking as many courses as you’d like…no fees or tuition, ever, period.

Are There Schedules or Set Class Times for OnlineDegree.com Courses?

Nope! No class schedules, and no fixed times. Our courses are available anytime, and completely self-paced. We understand how busy adults are, and we’ve created our system to accomodate anyone’s schedule. Our system always keeps track of your progress…grab a sandwich, go see a movie, etc. When you come back online, you’ll pick up right where you left off.

Does This Guarantee I’ll Be Accepted at an Eventual University?

No, no one can guarantee your acceptance other than the actual university where you’re applying. They always have the final decision. Each university has different guidelines and requirements on how they admit students into their school. This can include GPA, SAT/ACT scores, extracurricular activities you’ve participated in, etc. At many universities, transfer students have higher rates of acceptance vs freshman enrolling out of high school. That means earning units at a community college or through OnlineDegree.com can potentially increase your odds of getting into the school you want. Ask the eventual university where you’re applying to find out what things they take into consideration.

Does OnlineDegree.com “grant credit”?

Remember that OnlineDegree.com is not a university and does not and cannot “grant credit” – the option to grant credit always belongs to the college or university and will further depend on whether a course fits into your degree program. Our goal at OnlineDegree.com is to help you receive credit at a university by taking our free college-level courses. We want to save students time and money to get their degree. To do that, we work with a number of participating accredited universities who’ve agreed to recognize our courses directly, and our courses have also earned a recommendation for credit from the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) who’s recommendations are considered by over 1400 universities and colleges nationwide in their network.

What If I’m an International Student Outside of the United States?

Sorry, we’re not yet able to accept international students living outside of the United States.  Currently, OnlineDegree.com is available to U.S. citizens (living in or outside of the U.S.), or international students living within the United States.

We’re working on it, and we’ll update the site soon when things have changed.

Which OnlineDegree.com courses could apply towards my degree at Excelsior?

You can view a sample course mapping here. Although 15 courses at OnlineDegree.com can be accepted for a total of 44 credits, your particular major/degree will dictate which courses can specifically be applied. Check with an academic advisor at Excelsior.  You can also view our general Transfer Guide for more details.