AP or CLEP in Texas

[supermom]

My son is 14 and finished most of his highschool work. We'd like him to start testing out of as many college courses as he can at this time. We are in Texas. Is there any financial assistance for taking these tests? I don't know that I understand what the difference is between the AP and the CLEP. Could some one explain it to me and tell me if there is a reason to choose one over the other. Does one help him obtain grants or scholarships when he is ready to go to college, or do both of these tests actually hinder his ability to get a scholarship?

I really don't know where to start. WOuld it be advisable to just go to the local college and talk to a counselor to learn about our options?

Thanks.
Monica

[Jann in TX]

Each college will have its own limits on how many credits (if at all) they will give for AP or clep.

If too many credits are awarded your son may loose Freshman status and that will cut down (but not totally eliminate) scholarship opportunities.

We chose to have our dd use the dual enrollment option at our local CC instead of AP or CLEP. They have a written agreement with the Texas universities that dd is interested in attending--and they will accept all of her CC credits (limited to 2 classes per semester) and still let her keep entering Freshman status for scholarships (but she would be classified a Sophomore by the second semester she is there).

Also note that while some universities will accept AP or clep credits they may or MAY NOT count toward meeting the requirement for so many hours in an area... in some cases if you clep out of History 101 and need 6 hours towards your degree you would still need to complete 6 MORE hours--meaning you have to take harder classes compared to your peers... just something to ASK the admission counselor to clarify.

[supermom]

This is all good to know and consider. Looks like I need to go talk with an admissions counselor to help me figure out the best route for him to take.

Monica