How You Can Receive Credit for Prior Learning at TESU
Maybe you've spent years working in health care, aviation, law enforcement or IT. Maybe you served in the military, finished a corporate training program or picked up hands-on skills through an apprenticeship. Here's the good news: a lot of that knowledge can turn into real college credit.
TESU looks at your work experience, military training, certifications, apprenticeships and workforce training to figure out how it might translate into college credit, whether you already know you have credit-worthy experience or you're not sure where to start.
And you'd be in good company: 57% of all Thomas Edison State University (TESU) students earn Credit for Prior Learning (CPL).
There are many ways to earn credit for your prior learning at TESU, including:
- Professional Learning Review, TESU’s own evaluation of workplace training and professional credentials
- American Council on Education (ACE) and National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS)
- Thomas Edison Credit by Exam Program (TECEP) and other credit-by-exam programs
- Portfolio Assessment
With so many paths available, it can feel like a lot to take in. So, let's break down the four main ways you can earn Credit for Prior Learning.
1. Professional Learning Review
TESU has already reviewed hundreds of outside training programs, licenses and certifications, organized by industry, and decided exactly how much college credit each one is worth. If your training is already on that list, you don't need to test or write anything. You just need to show proof.
A few important things to know:
- Professional Learning Review (PLR) credit is tied to the specific organization that sponsored your training or issued your credential. A similarly named certificate from a different provider won't qualify, since our review looks closely at the actual curriculum and how it was taught, not just the industry standard.
- Credit is only awarded when the required documentation is provided (specific instructions are available on each PLR page).
- Reviews happen at a program level, not for individual students. So, if your specific training isn't listed yet, you can still explore ACE or NCCRS credit or just ask an advisor about other paths.
Cost: Free.
Effort: Low. Since the credit evaluation is already done, all you need to do is provide the required documentation following the instructions on each PLR webpage.
Who this is great for: Anyone with a license, certification or completed training program from one of the currently reviewed areas. For example:
- A journeyman electrician who has completed an IBEW apprenticeship
- A graduate of an approved New Jersey technical-vocational high school program
- A public safety professional with a national EMT license
Browse Professional Learning Review credit by industry
Professional Learning Review transcript documentation policy and instructions
2. American Council on Education and National College Credit Recommendation Service
TESU generally accepts credit recommendations published by the American Council on Education and the National College Credit Recommendation Service, known as NCCRS. These organizations independently review workplace training, military training and courses from platforms such as Sophia, Study.com and Coursera, then recommend how much college credit each is worth.
To use this pathway, here's what you'll typically need to do:
Credit limits: You can bring in up to 90 credits toward a bachelor's degree, or 45 credits toward an associate degree, from ACE and NCCRS combined.
Cost:
- First transcript, or registration: $20
- Each additional transcript: $15
- Electronic delivery arrives within about an hour; paper copies take three to seven days plus shipping.
NCCRS: Free. NCCRS doesn't charge a fee for its credit recommendations, since it evaluates courses on a contracted basis with the sponsoring organization rather than reviewing individual students. Any cost you'll run into comes from the sponsoring organization's own transcript fees, which vary, so it's worth checking with them directly.
Effort: Medium. You'll need to do some legwork to get your credit recognized. For ACE credit, that means setting up a Credly or Study.com account. For NCCRS credit, that means requesting an official transcript from the organization that sponsored your training. Either way, the final step is the same: get that official transcript sent to TESU's Office of the Registrar.
Who this is great for:
- Military members turning specialized training and job experience into credit through the ACE Military Guide
- Adult and online learners who have taken courses through Sophia, Study.com or Coursera to knock out general education or elective requirements
- Working professionals who have completed corporate training programs, certifications or apprenticeships and want an official transcript to back it up
3. Credit-by-Exam
If you already know a subject inside and out, why sit through the class? TESU's own credit-by-exam program, TECEP, lets you take a test instead of a course. Pass the exam, earn the credit. We also accept results from other credit-by-exam programs such as CLEP and DSST.
Before you register, it helps to:
- Browse available TECEP exams and review the test description for your subject. It includes the exam topics, format and sample questions, so you'll know what to expect.
- Check that you have the most current test description, since exams get updated from time to time.
- Use TESU's free study resources, or a relevant textbook, to fill in any knowledge gaps.
Cost:
- Lower-level TECEP exams, 1000 to 2000 level: $53 per credit attempted
- Upper-level TECEP exams, 3000 to 4000 level: $80 per credit attempted
- Most TECEP exams carry three credits, so a typical exam runs roughly $159 to $240, often far less than paying for the full course.
You may also want to budget a small amount for study materials, though TESU offers several free options.
Effort: Medium. There's no essay or portfolio to write, but you do need to prepare and pass a real, comprehensive exam.
Who this is great for: Someone with deep, real-world knowledge of a subject but no formal license or certificate to show for it. Say you've spent 25 years in a management role; a general management TECEP exam could turn that experience directly into credit.
Browse TECEP exams and test descriptions
4. Portfolio Assessment
Some of your most valuable learning doesn't come with a license, certificate or transcript, or perhaps your exact credential just hasn’t been reviewed for PLR credit. That learning came from years of hands-on experience: past jobs, training programs, volunteer work, hobbies, community involvement and more, and TESU sees the value of it. Portfolio assessment lets you document that knowledge and align it to college-level courses yourself. You'll take the PLA-1010 course to learn how to identify course-equivalent learning and build a strong portfolio, and TESU's Office of Portfolio Assessment will give you the specific learning outcomes to write toward.
Because this is knowledge you've already gained, there's no textbook required. You've already done the learning; you just need to show it.
A few things portfolio assessment can't be used for: physical education activity courses, practicum or field experience courses such as clinicals or internships, capstones and most English composition or math courses. TECEP, CLEP or DSST exams tend to be a better fit for those.
Cost: You pay for three credits but can attempt up to 15 credits, meaning you could potentially earn up to five courses' worth of credit for the price of one.
Effort: High. This is the biggest time investment of the four options, and that's by design. It's built for people with rich, real experience to document, so plan to spend real time gathering evidence and writing.
Who this is great for: Someone who can point to real proof of their learning, such as work samples, photos or performance reviews, and who can write clearly about what they know and how they learned it. Think: a small-business owner who has managed marketing and finances for years, or a community volunteer who has led programs and events without a formal credential to show for it.
Portfolio assessment course description database
Applying Your Credit to a Degree
Once you earn Credit for Prior Learning, you can usually apply it to any part of your degree program, including your area of study, as long as it's appropriate, completed within the review's effective dates and backed by the right documentation. If you have a large credit award, talk with an advisor early on; they can help map out a plan for your specific program. And if you have a credential that was awarded credit through PLR but your completion date doesn't align with the PLR's effective dates, you can petition for a PLR Effective Date Exception, which may still allow you to receive the credit once you provide some additional documentation.
Ready to Get Started?
TESU's Center for Prior Learning Credit Discovery can help you get the most credit you're eligible for. To get started, email cpl@tesu.edu with the following information:
- First name
- Last name
- Phone number
- Email address
If you have them handy, attach any of the following: a resume, certifications, ACE transcripts, CLEP, AP or DANTES exam results, military transcripts or licenses. A CPL advisor will review what you send and reach out to schedule time to talk through your options; they may ask for a bit more documentation along the way to get the full picture. Questions in the meantime? Just reach out at cpl@tesu.edu.