TTI- Guide to Start

 

Overview

TTI is a program for those looking for a quicker, easier, and cheaper alternative to the classic college degree. It’s very friendly for students that grew up in the religious education system as it allows you to receive accredited college credits on Jewish subjects, such as Gemara, Chumash, Jewish History, Hebrew or Yiddish as a language, and so on. There is also no credit limit per semester, so a student can complete their degree as fast or slow as he/she wants. The Bachelor’s degree can be done from anywhere in the world, as exams are taken online and proctored remotely.

 

Time of completion varies for every student based on the degree they decide to pursue, but main factors would be how much motivation and free time a student has, as well as how fast a student can accumulate the knowledge needed for the exams and how many credits he/she was able to transfer to the program. Students can transfer in as many previously earned credits as fit into their degree plan. A degree with TTI can take anywhere from 6 months to 2/3 year to complete.

 

The total cost of TTI program will also vary based on the number of credits transferred and how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive. I would estimate that the average student will pay somewhere between six and eleven thousand dollars by the time they receive their degree. The TTI membership is $775 for the basic Bachelor’s degree, and is included in the total cost of the degree. It is required to pay this fee up front when ready to begin. The phone system is very straightforward and easy to use. The cost of each credit is $45 per credit, although there are other degree requirements that are taken into account that cost more than the sum of $45x120 credits to earn a degree. All of this is written in the guide that you will receive from TTI. In addition, there is a $25 charge for every exam a student takes. Before graduation, there are multiple big fees a student can pay their respective college, but there are ways to get them waived and covered which your advisor should be able to tell you about.

 

Now, how do you get the ball rolling?

 

1. Call TTI (Testing & Training International) Hotline - Phone No: 877 RING TTI (1-877-746-4884)

On this phone call, the student will speak to a representative of the company who will guide you the process on enrolling in TTI and the partnering college from which you’ll ultimately receive your degree from. The student will give TTI a synopsis of their background and what you’re looking to achieve which will help them decide if TTI can achieve those goals. An idea about how many credits are transferable and how much the whole degree will end up costing will be formed, and the student will be able to figure out if this is something that makes sense. I started TTI without any Yeshiva credits and have received every single one of my college credits through this program.

 

2. Initial Call with Advisor and Degree Plan Breakdown

After completing the enrollment process and receiving a hard copy registration packet, the student should receive a call, or email to set a time for a call, with their respective advisor assigned to them by TTI program. The assignment will be based on student’s gender and degree they are pursuing. On this call the student and adviser will talk in depth about which and how many credits are eligible for transfer. This will also depend on which degree the student is pursuing. Some degrees have more required credits than others, therefore capping the number of credits allowed to be transferred. After this is all calculated, the advisor will be able to determine which courses the student is required to complete, in addition to discussing the elective courses with the student based on their strength, weaknesses, and interests. Financial flexibility will also play a part into the degree plan, as certain courses are more expensive than others and/or eligible for financial aid. This will be the student’s decision as some of the more expensive courses are easier and faster options than the others. A full or partial (to be followed up and completed once the student completes the first part of courses) degree plan will be set up and then the student is on their way to accumulating credits. If financial aid is a necessity to a student, make sure to discuss this with the adviser on this call to make sure he/she assigns the right courses and the most financially flexible courses to the degree plan.

 

3. Preparing for Exams

Step 1 is for the student to create an online account to download study material. Some guides costs $10 to download, some are free. A study guide will provide a student with a syllabus detailing exactly which part of the textbook a student must study, accompanied by study questions and a practice exam to help the student prepare more thoroughly. If a student would like to take a textbook out of a TTI library, they can. Textbooks vary in price from $40-$60, of which around 60-70% is refunded upon return within 3 months. TTI does provide occasional webinars for a lot of the basic secular subjects such as English, Math, and Science.

All transactions in TTI libraries are conducted in cash/check only so make sure to come prepared. Libraries are usually located in the same location as exams and are opened for 15 minutes before each testing session. Students who are not located in a city with an established TTI presence can have the materials shipped to them. Just call the TTI testing office and have them set it up. This would probably be something good to talk about though on that first call with the sales representative.

 

4. Registering/Taking Exams

Once a student is ready to sit an exam, they should make a reservation for that said exam on the TTI hotline. A student can sit any exam they wish during any in-person session and sometimes can sit multiple exams on the same night depending on the time allowance for that specific exam. Online exams give the student flexibility to test whenever it works for them. In Brooklyn, the deadline to sign up is 9pm the night before the session, but each testing location has their respective deadlines. A schedule for testing sessions can be found in the packet you receive after signing up. Arrive at your testing location a bit early to get settled in. Make sure to bring your ID and a black pen in case your location/proctor does not provide you with one. Most exams are closed book, but the program will provide you will include a copy of the text within the test for those which you can book inside. You will not be allowed to use any textbooks during the exam. Each exam has its respective time limit based on length and difficulty. Once an exam is complete it will take 3-6 weeks for you to receive your grade and for it to be sent to your college. Should a student wish/need a grade sooner, a rush fee can be paid to have it expedited. The amount of that fee will depend on how fast you need it. 

 

 5. Finishing Up

A mandatory online Capstone course is required from every student to complete to receive their degree. It’s an 8-week course that requires roughly 10-15 hours a week of your time and has weekly tasks that prevent you from going ahead and finishing early. This course is offered roughly every 2 months and a student can start it at any point once they have accumulated a minimum of 105-116 credits that have already been graded and sent to the college. Those credits must include a student’s English writing requirement, ethics credits as well as other course requirements.

Once a student has finished their 120 credits and has paid all the graduation fees, they must wait until it has been processed by the college, which is when they’ll receive their diploma.

 

The task of accumulating 120 credits may seem daunting, but you’ll get there quickly and need to trust the process, one credit at a time. Feel free to reach out any time with questions you may have.

Good Luck!

 

Once you finish your Bachelor's degree, you may decide you want to obtain a Master's degree in a specialized field. TTI offers degrees in Education and Special Education, ABA, Social Work, Accounting, Business, Technology, etc.

Each degree is carefully overseen for halachic and hashkafic sensitivities. In addition, while these degrees are offered by noted partner institutions, tuition is significantly lowered for TTI students, making this the most competitive college program out there.

(for more information, see testingandtraining.com or contact us to speak to the author of this post)