If you are thinking about an online degree, then you should know that you may be eligible for transfer of credits for life experience. Let's answer the questions, what are life learning credits, who is eligible for them, and which are some of the distance colleges that accept life learning credits.
Transfer Credit for Life Experience
At the undergraduate level, life credit may be the one area that students are the least familiar with and utilize the least to their advantage. Life credit is available at most accredited colleges.
Life credit is also known as life experience credit, life achievement credit, life learning credit or even credit for life experience, all meaning the same thing. You will need to know the terminology to research, but also must require about life credit at the Student Record Office of the university you plan to attend.
Simply defined, life credits are work or life experience that can be translated into college credit. Credits that may be eligible are certifications/licensure, military experience, examinations, work experience, or corporate training.
You may be asked to submit a portfolio, take an examination, write a paper or submit copies of exams/certification records or classes taken to be considered, depending upon the university. Some universities will require you to be over the age of 25 and have at least 4 years of work experience similar to the degree in which you are applying to be considered, so be sure to inquire about the policy at the college you will be considering.
Different colleges also allow different numbers of transfer credit, but I have seen them allow up to 21 life credits, which transfers to about 7 college courses at the bachelor degree level.
Your information is then assessed and if you qualify, then you will potentially save money and time in the long run. Life learning credits are usually only accepted at the bachelor level. Geteducated.com warns that if you are promised life credit at a graduate level, then be aware, as you may be dealing with a degree mill.
The Role of the American Council of Education (ACE)
If you are interested in learning more about life credit and tranferring it to your distance degree, then you can research The American Council of Education (ACE). This governing body is a higher education organization that represents accredited universities in the US.
Through their CREDIT (College Credit Recommendation Service) program, an organization submits courses taken by its employees and the ACE faculty evaluators, which are credentialed and must be faculty from an approved university, review the course to evaluate if it can be equivalent to college credit. If it is, then the information is provided in the ACE National Guide. Here you can view the organization of interest and its courses that have been evaluated and deemed equivalent for college credit. For example, if I worked for Walt Disney, Co. and took the class while employed there, Disney Advance Studies in Hospitality Course, then I may be eligible for life credit for a course in hospitality toward my degree. The list is quite extensive.
Summary and Online Universities to Consider
In summary adult learners who receive life credit:
-Have corporate/workforce or professional training programs
-Are Military personnel
-Have taken credit by examination
-Can provide proof with a portfolio/work experience- in which case you inquire at the university
A few worthy universities to look into that offer life experience credit toward an online degree are Thomas Edison State College, Peru University and Excelsior College. Bear in mind that many accredited online universities and state universities offer distance learning programs to look further into.
Credit in College
There are several forms of "credit" when it comes to going to college. They are life credit, transfer credit, and continuing
education credit or units (also known as CE's or CEU's). You will need to become familiar with each of them as you pursue your online education.
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1. Life Learning Credits: How They are Applied Toward an Online Degree