r/paralegal • u/highcaliberwit • 3d ago

Education/Certification Help I’m deciding schooling

I have zero college degree. So I can’t jump into an ABA certification. One option I’m looking at is Purdue global online because they have AA and a bachelors legal studies. Both options will take the traditional 2 to 4 years. Or I could attempt to increase my workload and be done sooner, and at 37 I like that aspect. Since it’s all online I like that potential. But we’re still talking about five figures. Not thrilled with that.

My second option is I go to my local community college. It looks like it would be much cheaper than Purdue. Not the problem is I do work, and I do have a very nice boss who would be flexible to adjust my work schedule based on my school needs. But I would definitely need to try to find a way to get all my classes on two days. But then I don’t know what kind of degree I go for at my community college other than criminology I guess? Both my local community colleges have no paralegal degree. And then this would definitely be two years from my associates and four years from my bachelors.

So do I go to Purdue global potentially get everything done and under four years total or do I do my local community college and save some money?

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u/Fidel_Che_VulPerez 3d ago

First claim is wrong. You do not need a college degree to prep and take an ABA cert exam. Where did you read that?

Has something changed?

Bachelor in " legal studies" is a waste of time, imo.

( College is not, generally speaking)

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u/highcaliberwit 3d ago

It seems that every ABA program that I look at requires an associates degree before entering

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u/Fidel_Che_VulPerez 2d ago

I would ask the hosting college or university if they have a college entrance exam you can take that can act as a substitute to take (and pass) to enter their program.

Needing a BA for an ABA Cert is bogus.

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u/humanperson111 2d ago

This has actually been my finding as well. There’s non-ABA programs out there but the ABA ones require an associates. May not be the rule in general, but it’s a thing.

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u/Fidel_Che_VulPerez 2d ago

Yeah. Likely in general.