Air Power

Preface

If you are interested in alternatives to the traditional 4 year college experience and expense this info is relevant for you

The most common ways to fast track earning college credits as well as spending as little money as possible is the focus


College Credits and Costs Alternatives:

Phase 1: Earn College Credits Without Taking Classes ~ 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

    • DANTES 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
Phase 2: Alternative College Options
Competency-Based Education (CBE)→ 역량 기반 교육
CBE Institutions use Subscription-Based Tuition: Many charge per term, e.g., you pay for a 6 month term of college class access, not per credit hours Finish faster, pay less: Since tuition is charged per term (not per credit), the faster you complete courses, the more value you get. Many students finish their degree in under 3 years. For example, at Western Governors University, students pay $4,000 for six months of "college" During the six months, you can complete as many courses as possible - there are "assessments" at the beginning of each course and if you can pass the assessment you get the credit hours and move on to the next course(s).
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
College recommendations:
Excelsior University accepts up to 113 semester credits, including CLEP, DSST, Sophia, Study.com, ACE, NCCRS, JST, and industry certifications, letting you finish a bachelor’s with as few as 7–12 in‑house credits.
Excelsior also accepts 24–28 graduate‑level transfer credits toward master’s degrees, including ACE‑evaluated industry certifications.
This includes Google, Amazon, IBM, and other ACE/NCCRS credentials that can replace most MBA coursework.
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

Phase 3: Oʻahu High School → College Pathways / 오아후 고등학교 → 대학 진학 경로
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
Phase 4: FAFSA + Ways to Pay for College
    • Free 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 is 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
Phase 5: Ways to Apply to College (Application Platforms) & Financial Tools (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