As a tutor at a small four-year college that primarily serves working adult learners, I am constantly reminding my students of the valuable life and career experiences they bring to the table. Many students (and institutions) do not adequately value prior learning. In other words, if it didn’t take place in a classroom it doesn’t count. In most cases, students highly value their prior learning but have trouble getting a college or employer to recognize its value. The truth of the matter is there are several ways colleges and universities evaluate prior learning and award college credit for your demonstrated knowledge. Our fast-paced world has created an urgent need for changes in the ways education and assessment take place. There are many alternatives to the traditional classroom. There are variety of ways people learn, whether it's through job training, independent study, distance learning or through their general life experiences. In fact many experts agree that experiential learning leads to the most valuable and comprehensive educational outcomes.

This article will highlight just a few of your options for getting credit for life experience. However, it is always a good idea to speak to the education institution, employer, or other organization you wish to recognize your level of education attainment and learn more about their specific policies. First, you should consult with the experts in the schools and organizations you are interested in or involved with. Inquire with the registrar’s office, advising department and admissions office at the colleges and universities you are interested in and ask about their policies regarding the award of credit for life experience and prior learning. If you are employed, check with your employer’s training and development office or the human resources office to learn if academic credit is awarded for employee sponsored training and development. Some corporations have well developed corporate universities with academic credit already built in to employee training programs. However you will need to let your company know you are interested in this offering. Next you will need to mentally take stock of the skills and knowledge base that you possess. Do you think you might be able to quantify that informal learning into college credit? Do you think you could compile your past experiences into a portfolio? Would you be able to pass a college level examination in the field you hope to earn credit for? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are that with a little research and a conscientious effort you just might get the credit you deserve for your prior learning.

One of the most popular ways of earning college credit for prior learning is the College-Level Examination Program. CLEP provides students of any age the opportunity to demonstrate college-level achievement through several examinations in college courses. There are 2,900 colleges that grant credit and/or advanced standing for CLEP exams. With CLEP you may be rewarded for what you've learned through independent study, advanced high school courses, noncredit adult courses, or professional development. The cost of a CLEP exam is $65, effective July 1, 2007. Some consider this an absolute bargain compared to hundreds and even thousands of dollars in tuition. CLEP exams are free to military service members. To learn more about CLEP, visit their website here.

The DSST is another program that provides you with an opportunity to earn college credit for what you have learned outside the classroom. Accepted or administered at over 1,900 colleges and universities nationwide and approved by ACE (American Council on Education), the DSST program enables people to use knowledge acquired outside the classroom to accomplish educational and professional goals. Annually, over 90,000 DSSTs are administered to individuals who are interested in continuing their education. Made available by Thomson Prometric, DSSTs are used by adult education programs, the US Department of Defense, 2- & 4-year institutions as well as corporations and municipalities nationwide. You can choose from 37 test titles in the areas of Social Science, Business, Mathematics, Applied Technology, Humanities, and Physical Science. To find out more, download forms, take practice tests and locate accepting schools visit their website.

For individuals associated with the military, a program called DANTES sponsors a wide range of examination programs to assist service members in meeting their educational goals. The examinations are administered on more than 560 military installations by the DANTES Test Control Officer (TCO), who is normally the Education Services Officer or Navy College Education Specialist for the military installation. About 150,000 DANTES-sponsored examinations are administered each year to military personnel. For more information visit the DANTES website here.

Another good information resource is American Council on Education's (ACE) College Credit Recommendation Service (CREDIT). This program connects workplace learning with colleges and universities by helping adults gain access to academic credit for formal courses and examinations taken outside traditional degree programs. Colleges and universities have trusted ACE to provide reliable course equivalency information to facilitate credit award decisions. Corporations, labor unions, professional and volunteer associations, schools, training suppliers, and government agencies, offering courses from Arabic to Waste Management, participate in this added-value service. For more information visit the ACE CREDIT website.

In addition to CLEP Exams, DSST, ACE and DANTES there are a wide variety of methods utilized for Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) or Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) including evaluation of a portfolio, military transcripts, and much more. The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) is a good resource for learning more about issues related to adult and experiential learning. To visit CAEL online go here.

Additionally, the published book titled, “Earn College Credit – For What you Know,” written by Janet Colvin, explains the PLA process in great detail. An older book titled, Preparing the Portfolio for an Assessment of Prior Learning by Roslyn Snow (Paperback - April 16, 1999) is also an informative resource. Both books are available for purchase on Amazon.com. Today, many Colleges and Universities offer portfolio assessment using online assessment tools. If you plan on applying for credit for life experience, you should explore the PLA courses offered by the institution. Remember with a little extra effort and leg work you can get the college credit you deserve. Don’t sell yourself short or make an unnecessary investment of time and money. Your knowledge and experience may place you further along the path towards a college degree than you might have imagined!