Colleges are now granting credit for life experiences in order to attract and enroll students.
The landscape of higher education is changing, as colleges and universities across the nation embrace the concept of awarding academic credit for prior life skills. This shift, driven by a national momentum, aims to help students save time and money, while also attracting and retaining a more diverse student body.
In Pittsburgh, this trend is evident in initiatives led by organizations like Vibrant Pittsburgh. This coalition connects businesses and civic leaders to address workforce needs and supports the recognition of life experience as college credit. This approach is designed to combat enrollment declines and talent shortages.
Traditionally, colleges have required students to submit portfolios or take tests to demonstrate prior learning. However, recent advances include using databases and artificial intelligence to more quickly translate industry certifications, such as Amazon Web Services and CompTIA, into academic credit.
One example of this innovation can be seen at Miami Dade College, which has septupled the number of credits for prior learning awarded since 2020. This approach has helped attract students who might otherwise enroll in online for-profit universities.
However, not all faculty members are embracing this change. Some express concerns about potential impacts on course enrollment and revenue, as well as the quality equivalence of training received outside traditional coursework. Despite these concerns, the momentum continues due to severe declines in the number of traditional high school graduates and urgent business demands for talent.
In Pittsburgh, the Regional Upskilling Alliance is connecting job centers, community groups, businesses, and educational institutions to create comprehensive education and employment records. This initiative aims to help more workers get credit for skills they already have.
Pennsylvania, like many states, is facing one of the nation's most severe declines in the number of 18-year-old high school graduates. To address this, colleges and universities are expanding their credit for prior learning programs. For instance, Thomas Edison offers up to 30 credits towards associate degrees for police academy graduates.
California's community colleges are also expanding their credit for prior learning programs as part of a plan to increase the proportion of the population with educations beyond high school.
This shift towards recognising prior learning is particularly beneficial for adult learners and those with nontraditional backgrounds. Fifteen percent of undergraduates enrolled in higher education full time and 40 percent enrolled part time are 25 or older. Nearly 38 million working-age Americans have spent some time in college but never finished.
Research and pilot projects emphasise the importance of performance assessments that capture deeper learning, creativity, and higher-order thinking skills. These assessments are designed to be equitable, inclusive, and aligned with curriculum and instruction, which could strengthen how colleges, including those in Pittsburgh, validate competencies gained outside the classroom.
In conclusion, the push to award college credit for prior life skills is fostering innovations in assessment and credit recognition. This trend is closely tied to regional workforce initiatives and is helping local institutions adapt amid demographic challenges and evolving student needs.
- The concept of awarding academic credit for prior life skills is combating enrollment declines and talent shortages by attracting a more diverse student body, as seen in initiatives like the Regional Upskilling Alliance in Pittsburgh.
- Not all faculty members are fully embracing this shift, as some express concerns about potential impacts on course enrollment and revenue, as well as the quality equivalence of training received outside traditional coursework.
- Pennsylvania, like many states, is facing severe declines in the number of 18-year-old high school graduates and is addressing this by expanding their credit for prior learning programs, such as Thomas Edison offering credits for police academy graduates.
- The trend of recognizing prior learning is particularly beneficial for adult learners and those with nontraditional backgrounds, as it strengthens how colleges, including those in Pittsburgh, validate competencies gained outside the classroom through equitable, inclusive, and aligned performance assessments.
