There is a new way of earning college credit by exam, and for a limited time, it's free. It is called UExcel, and it has been developed by Excelsior College and Pearson VUE. The new program is currently being tested, and students can sign up to take a free exam at one of 1,000 testing centers around the world at no cost.

To take advantage of the free offer, just register to take one of the beta exams in Calculus, Physics, Political Science or Psychology. After signing up for a user name at the Web site, you can register for an exam and then enter the promotional code UEXCELFREE at checkout. Due to the number of people trying to register, it might take several attempts to use the promo code. Using the promo code will save you $85.00 on the cost of the exam.

Excelsior and PearsonVUE say nearly 3,000 colleges and universities accept credit-by-exam credits, and the UExcel credits will be treated like any CLEP or DANTES exam credit. UExcel will send a transcript to any school you designate, and if your school needs more information about the exam they can check the UExcel Web site or contact the Assessment Unit at Excelsior College at 1-888-647-2388 (ext. 166).

The free credit-by-exam promotion is only running for a limited time. It is set to expire September 30^th, 2008, or until Excelsior decides it has collected enough data for analysis. Because the program is in beta testing, students will not receive scores at the testing center. Instead, they must wait until all beta participants have taken their exams. Exam results will be mailed to the student within four months of the exam date. Students will also be able to check their exam scores online at that time at www.pearsonvue.com.

Add to:                     

School scholarships have always been offered by brick-and-mortar institutions, but more distance learning-only schools are following suit, too. Case in point: Western Governors University.

WGU has announced a scholarship video contest, which students can apply for through www.wgu.edu. The Grand Prize is a $7,500 scholarship and $500 in cash. Second prize is a $3,000 scholarship and $500 in cash. Third prize is a $2,000 scholarship OR $500 in cash. Runner's up will receive $100 gift certificates for Amazon.com, which a student could use to purchase text books. The first five qualified entries will get $50 Amazon gift certificates.

What is WGU looking for in a video? Just explain how earning a degree from Western Governors University would improve your life or the life of someone you know. All contest submissions are due by August 11th and the top five finalists will be posted August 15th, so get those submissions in as quickly as possible if you are interested. The grand prize $7,500 scholarship will go a long way at WGU.

Western Governors University was founded and is supported by 19 state governors. WGU is also supported by 20 corporations and foundations. It is both regionally and nationally accredited. This makes WGU a good option for students who hold nationally accredited degrees who may want a regionally accredited graduate degree.

WGU offers degrees in education, business, IT and healthcare. One of the things that make WGU different from many distance learning programs is that its programs are competency-based. You study for your degree through a variety of different methods, and when you are able to demonstrate your knowledge of a particular competency, you advance through the program. This makes WGU programs truly self-paced.

Tuition at Western Governors University is $2,890 per six-month term for undergraduate degrees, and $3,250 per six month term for graduate degrees.

Add to:                     

SHOPPING-BUY NOW, SAVE LATER

Shop for other gifts now. Do you have any winter birthdays to buy for? What about your cousin's upcoming wedding? The deals are now. So if you have the funds then buying those gifts now means saving some money and being ahead of the game with your winter to-do list.

Stock up for yourself. Not that you are really looking to shop for yourself right now, but if there is a great deal on something you'll need within the next year, now may be the time to get it. Many retailers have buy 2, get 1 free sales going on during the holidays. If items on your gift-giving list are also things you need, now may be the time to buy the extra item and get one for free.

Watch for deals on restaurant gift cards.

Does your 2008 budget include a monthly date night out to a restaurant? Do you also have a few restaurant gift cards to pick up for others? Well now may not be the time to picky when deciding where to go out to dinner in the upcoming months. Many restaurants offer deals around the holidays that give you a free gift card when you purchase others totaling a certain amount. For example some give you a free $5 gift card for each $25 gift card purchased. Others up your required spending to $100, but you get a $20 gift card for free. Now is the perfect time to get all of your gift cards for others at one location and keep the free one for yourself. If your budget allows you may want to pick up gift cards for your upcoming date nights. Buying enough for the next few months and getting some for free can really increase your savings.

Pay cash. This may seem like a no-brainer, but paying for everything with cash will help you save money down the road. Not having to deal with interest from credit card purchases down the road is the best way to pay for your purchases now and save money later.

Hit the clearance aisles. Getting a jump start on your 2008 holiday expenses can save you a lot of money. The day after Christmas is now considered one of the busiest shopping days of the years. Retailers know shoppers will be out and about and they have merchandise to clear out. This is the time to stock up on holiday cards, gift wrap and decorations. You'll be way ahead in regards to time and money for the next holiday season.

Add to: