Get Free College Credits for Your Life Experience and Knowledge

Most students want to save money and graduate as quickly as possible. One easy way to accomplish both goals is to ask whether your school grants credits for experience and knowledge you have gained over the years.

Getting life experience credits may seem like a scam used by diploma mills, but many accredited colleges and universities recognize that your knowledge gained in previous careers, the military, other universities, and other types of prior learning is a legitimate step towards getting your degree.

Types of Credit Granted

Ask your college or university if they offer any of the following types of college credit for life experience. If you are still searching for the right school, the answer to this question may help you in your decision.

• College credits from other schools This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but be sure to dig up any old transcripts from other colleges and see if your school will accept them as transfer credit. Even that one summer class you took at the community college nine years ago might count.
• CLEP tests These tests are administered by the College Board and allow you to test out of introductory courses at a fraction of the time and cost of a regular college class. Click here for more detailed information on CLEP tests.http://CLEP tests article
• Tests offered by the school Many college and universities have developed their own tests for assessing students’ mastery of various subjects and are often free. Ask your college whether the school offers tests for class credit.
• DSST exams Members of the military may be eligible to take exams through the DANTES program. DSST exams cover a variety of subjects, some of which focus on more practical knowledge, such as Principles of Public Speaking.
• ECE These exams are administered by Excelsior College and cover 51 subjects. They are offered for free for military members but are also available for non-military students. They are not as widely accepted as CLEP tests and DSST tests, so be sure to check with your school to see if you can get credit for them. Some ECE’s may be applied to certification in nursing and teaching.
• GRE subject tests Normally used for prospective graduate students, Graduate Record Examination tests assess a student’s ability in eight specific subjects including Computer Science and Psychology. Some schools may use these subject tests as a basis for granting undergraduate credit, so check to see if that’s a possibility with your college or university.
• ACE CREDIT program The American Council on Education reviews workplace courses and military service schools and works with colleges to approve these classes for college credit. There are hundreds of organizations and courses represented, so check to see if you may have participated in some of these training programs or workshops.
• Personal portfolios Some colleges will accept personal portfolios as evidence of competency in a certain subject area. Check to see what their requirements are, but they typically include a collection of work samples, your resume, work assessments by supervisors or peers, a list of certifications or awards you have received, etc.
• Independent study  Ask your college or university whether they offer credit for independent study in your area of expertise. You may still have to pay for a regular class credit, but you could save time by using your knowledge to explore a certain area of study in depth. For example, if you are a store manager, you could research different managerial styles and psychological approaches and write a paper with your conclusions of their validity.

It’s worth spending a little time investigating alternative ways colleges grant credit. You could save a lot of money and time getting your degree.