The Center for Law and Social Policy recently published a brief focused on the current state of prior learning policies. This landscape analysis focuses on issues arising in the practice of the recognition of prior learning, policies that either encourage or limit its adoption, and key research needs and future directions for the field. Key highlights of this brief can be found below.
Prior Learning Policies (PLA) are institutional policies awarding credit for college-level learning acquired outside of the classroom. These learning experiences may be awarded through standardized examination, faculty-developed challenge exams, portfolio-based and other individualized assessments, and evaluations of non-college programs such as military training. Some barriers with access to PLA include transparency, affordability, and equity and inclusion of the types of credit-eligible experiences that are accepted.
- Research suggests that just one in 10 adult students (at 72 institutions studied) earn PLA credit.
- Nearly 40 percent of those institutions had adult student PLA take-up rates under 3 percent. Take-up rates for Black students and adult students with low incomes lagged take-up rates for other student subgroups.
- The cost of PLA is usually set by system or institution policy. In some cases, state policy may also inform the use of PLA. As of 2017, only one state (Indiana) offers state financial aid to cover the costs of PLA.
- Marketing of PLA opportunities with messages such as “prove what you know” and “demonstrate what you have learned” do not resonate with, and can be a hurdle to first-generation students who do not feel these types of opportunities apply to them and therefore do not seek them out.
- Faculty members play a key role in advancing PLA policies, however, recent findings suggest few faculty members are aware of PLA and/or involved in creating PLA policy on campus.
- A research study of over 400 community college faculty members in Texas found that only 13% of surveyed faculty surveyed reported any formal training or professional development related to PLA.
- PLA receipt is associated with a 17 percent increase in the likelihood of completing a credential, including a 24 percent increase for Latino students and 15 percent improvement for Black students.
