Comments on: Hacking Higher Education, Part 3: How Mike Stankavich Earned His Bachelors Degree in 9 Months

By: Nail Training

Nail Training — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:56:13 +0000

With the economy as it as and the pay that one can expect to receive after they have acheived their degree what the trade off would be for going to a vocational school of some sort. I know that with the recession we have had a much larger enrollment in vocational schools, but where do you think the degree will take as in salary wise? I know you mentioned that you would be looking for a similar job, but was it sounds atypical to receive the salary of a graduate without a degree.

By: Mike Stankavich

Mike Stankavich — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:27:59 +0000

@Mike L, an unemployed friend of mine was able to get retraining funding from the State Dept of Labor (I believe it was that and not Federal). If you’d like more details, feel free to drop me a private email at mike@kwyk.net

By: MIke Lally

MIke Lally — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:14:37 +0000

Josh – Thanks so much for this series. I have been inspired. I am in a similar situation to Mike. 41, some college, no degree. I am really starting to feel it “hurt” a little now.

I have just been accepted to Excelsior and will begin the course/test planning process shortly. I am also currently unemployed and am *hoping* that I can convince either my local Job Stop (Dept. of Labor) or the Federal govt to pay. On the day I got my acceptance letter I also received notification that Pell grants were available to unemployed workers!

I am so excited about the prospects of getting my degree!!!!

Thanks again!

By: Mike Stankavich

Mike Stankavich — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:59:51 +0000

@Ash I should have checked before I responded A quick google search netted the following link. https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/Publications/Business_Catalog.pdf

By: Mike Stankavich

Mike Stankavich — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:57:19 +0000

Thanks for all the great feedback and kind words!

@Ash, please note that I actually attended Thomas Edison State College, not Excelsior. If I recall correctly, I was able to access a PDF version of the college catalog after I registered on the website. I’m not sure if that is true of Excelsior as well or not. For reference, here’s the link for my degree: http://www.tesc.edu/2828.php

@Larkland, thank you for sharing the options that you discovered for the UK system. Do you know if you have to be a UK resident to take advantage of those programs?

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:23:23 +0000

Wow, Mike! Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

If you need to change jobs, I think you’d make an excellent counselor for individuals trying to get degrees outside of the traditional school system.

Thanks again!

By: Eduardo

Eduardo — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:59:24 +0000

Well done Mike, great story…

By: Shane M.

Shane M. — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:43:06 +0000

Josh/Mike,

This whole series has been great. While this may not be the correct choice for a lot of people..I am willing to bet there are a whole lot of us out here that see it as an extremely cost effective option, and a smart route to accomplishing a personal goal. Thanks to both of you for sharing this!

By: Larkland

Larkland — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:21:44 +0000

Very good article actually. I went through the same thinking process since I was doing good in my career but no formal degree (lots of certifications). The route I took was the British one actually. Most British Universities will accept you for a Masters without a bachelors providing your experience and other learning is acceptable. I went with De Montfort University.

Also City and Guilds in the UK offers what is called a Senior Awards route. This basically gives a Diploma which is equivalent to a Bachelors or Masters using a combination of portfolio analysis, Thesis and Oral Interview. This one is fast and inexpensive if you already have a solid background. Most, if not all UK universities accept the Masters level diploma for entry to PhD programs, so it’s well respected.

It’s good to close the gap of having a credential since it makes your life easier when changing jobs.

By: Camille

Camille — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:29:36 +0000

Great post. Thanks for sharing and Mike, all the best for the rest!

Camille