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Open Course Tuition Information

To earn a degree from Thomas Edison State University, you must be an enrolled student. Becoming an enrolled student requires you to select an annual tuition plan. While there are no costs for taking the Saylor courses associated with the Open Course option at Thomas Edison State University, students must also register for and successfully complete Thomas Edison State University (TECEP®) exams and portfolio assessments and other assessments to earn credit for the course requirements and tuition costs for the PLA-100 and PLA-200 courses for students who select the PLA courses. For those new to Thomas Edison State University who are not yet enrolled students, there are also costs associated with the application and enrollment process.

The cost of earning credit at Thomas Edison State University through the Open Course option depends on several factors, which include whether you are a New Jersey resident who qualifies for in-state tuition and which assessments you use to earn credit. The chart below lists a summary of the tuition and fees associated with the Open Course option. Currently enrolled students would not be subject to the application fee, annual enrollment tuition and technological services fee.

2023-2024 Tuition and Fees In-State Out-of-State
Application Fee $50

$50

Residency Waiver Fee** $3,354

$3,354

Per Credit Tuition Option (per credit attempted) $419 (per credit) $545 (per credit)
CLEP® Exams (estimated cost for single exam) $80 $80
NCCRS Exam* (estimated cost for single exam) $25 $25
Portfolio Evaluation (First 12 Credits) $389 $389
Portfolio Evaluation (Subsequent 6 Credit Increments) $221 $221

*The $25 fee for NCCRS exams comes from using the online proctoring service, Proctor U. If you use your own qualified proctor, this fee is waived.

**To be paid by students who do not intend to meet the University's academic residency requirements (16 credits).

2017-2018 TECEP® Fees Matriculated Non-Matriculated
TECEP® (per credit attempted) $52 (per credit) $77 (per credit)

Portfolio Assessment Review Fees 
The costs associated with earning credit via Portfolio Assessment are structured around how many credits a student earns after they complete the PLA-100 and PLA-200 online courses.

PLA-100 and PLA-200 are online courses with the same tuition model governed in the Per Credit Tuition Plan (see chart above). Once a student completes PLA-200, the first 12 credits they attempt through portfolio assessment costs $389. After the first 12 credits earned via portfolio assessments, students pay $221 for every additional six credits. These prices are consistent for students using in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.