Why many colleges are giving more credit for learning outside the classroom

Colleges Rethink the Classroom: Awarding Degrees for Real-World Expertise

For decades, the traditional path to a college degree has been a well-trodden one: high school diploma, followed by years of lectures, labs, and late-night study sessions. But a quiet revolution is underway, with educational institutions increasingly recognizing that valuable learning happens far beyond campus walls. From the battlefield to the boardroom, individuals are accumulating knowledge and skills that are often overlooked by traditional academic frameworks.

This shift is gaining momentum, driven by a growing understanding that awarding credit for prior learning can unlock educational opportunities for countless students, particularly those who have served in the military or gained significant experience through their careers. It’s a move that promises to save students time and money while better aligning educational credentials with the demands of the modern workforce.

Bridging the Gap: From Military Service to Academic Credit

Alice Keeney’s experience is a stark illustration of the challenges many veterans face. After enlisting in the Navy in 2003, she underwent rigorous training in naval nuclear power, a field demanding advanced physics, chemistry, and intricate operational knowledge. She not only mastered these complex subjects but also became an instructor, shaping the next generation of nuclear warfare officers.

Keeney’s decision to join the Navy was strategic, fueled by the belief that her acquired expertise would translate seamlessly into civilian academic pursuits. She envisioned a college career where her extensive military education would allow her to bypass introductory courses and accelerate her path toward a degree, perhaps even a graduate program, with the aid of her G.I. Bill benefits.

However, upon enrolling in chemical engineering at Cal Poly Pomona in 2012, Keeney encountered a significant hurdle. Her Joint Services Transcript, a document designed to translate military training for civilian employers and educational institutions, yielded not a single college credit. The frustration was palpable; she was being asked to retake courses like general chemistry, a subject she had taught and applied extensively during her military service.

“It was frustrating to look at my transcript — for somebody who has the experience I have, who has the training that I have,” Keeney recounted. “There were classes listed like general chemistry — I should never have had to take that.”

The Power of Prior Learning: Beyond the Military

While military service is a prominent example, the concept of credit for prior learning (CPL) extends to a wide array of life experiences. Individuals often arrive at college campuses with a wealth of knowledge gained through demanding jobs, dedicated volunteer work, or even deep engagement in personal hobbies. These experiences, while not earned in a traditional classroom setting, represent significant learning and skill development.

Recognizing this, a growing number of universities and colleges are actively developing and expanding pathways to award credit for these competencies. California’s community college system and the Cal State University system, in particular, have made substantial strides in formally acknowledging and valuing this experiential learning over the past decade.

This initiative has garnered significant attention, with state leaders like Governor Gavin Newsom championing a “skillset mindset.” This approach emphasizes the demonstration of skills and knowledge, regardless of how they were acquired, moving beyond a sole reliance on traditional grades or credentials. The governor has specifically lauded community colleges for their efforts in ensuring that military members are not required to repeat educational components they have already mastered during their service.

Saving Time and Money: The Tangible Benefits of CPL

The advantages of awarding credit for prior learning are not merely theoretical; they translate into concrete benefits for students. Research consistently shows that students who receive CPL save both valuable time and tuition dollars. A comprehensive national study by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) revealed that students entering college with just 12 credits awarded for prior learning could reduce their educational costs by anywhere from $1,500 to $10,500.

Furthermore, these students can shave an average of nine to 14 months off their overall time to degree completion. This acceleration is particularly impactful for adult learners who may be balancing studies with work and family responsibilities.

Boosting Student Momentum and Success

Beyond the financial and temporal savings, CPL offers significant psychological benefits. Students who begin their college careers with a foundation of recognized prior learning often experience a heightened sense of momentum and accomplishment.

“Students begin their college careers with a sense of momentum and accomplishment,” stated Tina Barlolong, a veteran and CPL counselor at Palomar College. This initial boost can be a critical factor in student retention and success.

Data supports this observation. The same CAEL study found that students who received credit for prior learning were significantly more likely to complete their degrees, with a completion rate of 49% compared to 27% for students who received no such credit. This national study, which tracked over 200,000 students, predominantly over the age of 25, at 72 institutions for more than seven years, highlights a clear correlation between CPL and degree attainment.

“That student immediately feels valued, they feel seen, and they’re going to take more advanced level classes, they’re more likely to take more units,” explained Su Jin Jez, CEO of California Competes, a nonpartisan policy and research organization. This validation can prevent the deflationary experience that Alice Keeney encountered, where her extensive prior knowledge was seemingly dismissed.

The risk, as Jez points out, is that a system that fails to recognize prior learning can inadvertently send a message to students that their experiences are not valued by the academic world. This can lead to disillusionment and potentially discourage them from pursuing higher education altogether.

Meeting Workforce Demands: A Critical Need

The imperative to recognize prior learning is deeply intertwined with the nation’s need to meet evolving workforce demands. Su Jin Jez’s personal experience with her father, an Air Force plane mechanic with two decades of specialized experience, underscores this point. Despite his extensive practical knowledge, he struggled to gain academic credit, ultimately opting for a different career path that, while stable, did not fully leverage his highly specialized skills.

“We did fine, but he would have earned more,” Jez reflected, highlighting not only a personal loss but also a societal one, as the workforce missed out on the contributions of a highly skilled individual.

Advocates like James Cahill, who champions CPL for veterans, have witnessed similar scenarios firsthand. His son, a medic who served in Iraq, received no credit for his battlefield experience when he enrolled as a premed student. This meant he depleted his G.I. Bill funds on courses covering material he had already mastered in high-stakes, real-world situations.

Cahill’s advocacy gained urgency during the pandemic, a period that exposed critical shortages in fields like nursing. He argued that had robust CPL policies been in place, countless veterans with relevant medical training could have quickly entered the workforce, bolstering the healthcare system during a crisis. The same logic applies to other vital professions, including teaching and law enforcement, where veterans often bring unique leadership and problem-solving skills.

A Long History, Renewed Urgency

The concept of awarding academic credit for military training is not new. The American Council on Education has been evaluating military coursework for decades, aiming to facilitate veterans’ transitions into civilian life. However, a significant gap remains: there are no federal mandates requiring colleges and universities to universally honor these experiences with academic credit.

In recent years, CPL has experienced a resurgence in attention as a powerful tool to encourage enrollment and re-enrollment in higher education. This is particularly relevant for the significant population of adults who have some college credit but have not yet completed their degrees. In California alone, approximately one in five adults over 25 fall into this category, representing a vast pool of individuals with demonstrated interest in post-secondary education who were, for various reasons, sidetracked.

From Programming to Photography: A Student's Journey

Benjamin King’s story exemplifies how CPL can create unexpected opportunities. His initial college attempt was cut short by early fatherhood. He later found stable employment in computer programming, but a company downsizing left him jobless and at a crossroads.

Seeking new direction, King enrolled at Palomar College, drawn not to his programming background but to a passion for photography. While working in the campus photography lab, he discovered a knack for mentoring younger students, drawing on his own experiences as an older student.

His engagement and guidance did not go unnoticed. Faculty members encouraged him to apply for an adjunct faculty position in the photography department. The catch? He needed an associate degree, and the application deadline was fast approaching. Encouraged by faculty, King pursued credit for his prior learning.

Through Palomar College’s expanded CPL process, King assembled a portfolio of his photography. Faculty review of his work allowed him to earn credit for several photography courses, enabling him to complete his degree swiftly and secure the adjunct position. Now, he finds deep fulfillment in teaching and continuing to mentor students, sharing his journey and offering encouragement to those facing similar challenges.

Navigating the Landscape: Challenges and Progress in California

Despite the growing recognition of CPL’s value, the process of obtaining credit for prior learning can still be complex. Navigating these pathways often requires more than just student initiative; faculty and counselors themselves may not always be fully aware of the available options on their own campuses.

Wilson Finch, vice president of initiatives at CAEL, likens the national CPL landscape to an “overgrown garden” that requires significant “pruning and cleanup” to become truly accessible and useful. Public colleges and universities in California are actively engaged in this process, with legislative efforts over the past decade providing a significant impetus.

Veterans have been a primary focus of this legislative push. While they constitute a smaller percentage of the overall student population, they represent the majority of students currently receiving CPL. Many begin their academic journeys at community colleges.

In 2012, a bill was passed requiring the chancellor of California Community Colleges to identify courses that could be satisfied through military credit. However, progress was slow, with some legislators expressing frustration that uniform policies for awarding credit for military education, training, and experience were still lacking years later.

Subsequent legislation, such as Senator Richard Roth’s SB 1071, aimed to mandate district-level policies within community colleges to ensure consistent credit awards for veterans. Further efforts, like AB 1002 passed in 2021, targeted the CSU and UC systems, seeking to streamline the process across the state.

Advocates point out that delays in implementing these policies have meant that many veterans have missed out on deserved college credit. However, the expansion of CPL is expected to benefit a much broader student population beyond the military. A 2020 CAEL study indicated that nearly three-quarters of non-veteran students who received CPL successfully completed their credentials.

The California Community College Chancellor’s Office has set an ambitious goal: to ensure that at least 250,000 Californians receive credit for prior learning by 2030, with a significant portion of these credits directed toward non-veteran students. Initiatives like the Mapping Articulated Pathways (MAP) Initiative are providing community colleges with the training, technology, and policy support needed to achieve this goal.

Building a System That Works

The effort to streamline CPL for veterans has served as a catalyst for improving the system overall. Brent Foster, Cal State’s assistant vice chancellor and state university dean of academic programs, notes that each campus within the CSU system now has its own CPL policy, a result of a comprehensive review and redesign process.

“That was the whole reason many of us went back to the drawing board with CPL,” Foster explained. While public colleges and universities have largely established their own CPL policies, the effective implementation remains an ongoing process.

“It’s not a light switch you flip, and it just runs,” Foster cautioned. “You have to make sure the bones are good.” This involves ensuring that counselors, faculty, and other staff are equipped to guide students through the process. A 2018 survey by the Chancellor’s Office identified a lack of awareness as the primary barrier to CPL utilization.

“It’s an important reminder as we intake students,” Foster emphasized, “that we need to look at the whole student and what kinds of experiences might help them graduate faster and save money.”

At Cal Poly Pomona, administrators are actively engaging with faculty, department chairs, and advisors to foster understanding and buy-in for CPL initiatives. While these changes came too late for Alice Keeney to avoid taking unnecessary courses, her experience has become a valuable case study, driving improvements in CPL processes across the CSU and community college systems.

Elke Azpeitia, director of the Veterans Resource Center at Cal Poly Pomona, highlights the importance of fostering an understanding of CPL’s value beyond policy. “I think having allies in universities who see value in education that isn’t just structured in a college scenario or university scenario,” Keeney added, “That’s a big thing.” This shift in perspective is crucial for ensuring that all forms of learning are recognized and valued, paving the way for a more equitable and efficient educational future.