Alternative College Credit
Colleges give credit for non-traditional learning that occurs outside of college classrooms. This non-traditional learning includes job training, military training, and other forms of education, which are typically earned through testing or by passing a class. The American Council on Education (ACE) evaluates these programs and lists over 36,000 of them (https://www.acenet.edu/National-Guide/Pages/default.aspx ). Colleges call this type of credit "alternative credit" or "credit for prior learning." Advanced Placement (AP) tests taken during high school are a well-known example of alternative college credit, as they give college credit while the classes and tests are taken at a high school, not a college.
Alternative college credit greatly increases credit options for homeschooled students due to a wide range of course sponsors and courses. This credit can be applied to high school and transcripts. Further advantages of alternative credit programs include no age restrictions, self-paced study options, and much lower costs compared to college tuition. To earn these credits, all that is required is an ID, a payment, and a passing score or grade. The disadvantage is that alternative credit courses are not universally accepted, and each college has its own criteria.
Note to International Students: Alternative college credit can be earned outside the United States.
Alternative credit through testing
We earned and transferred alternative credit from CLEP testing to our college. The most well-known testing programs to receive college credit are the Advanced Placement (AP) courses, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and DSST exams. Most colleges accept at least one of these three testing programs, but the rules vary from college to college. They offer a flexible way for students to earn credit through in-depth subject knowledge or self-study. Taking a two-hour test to earn 3 or more college credits may seem convenient, but these tests are challenging and require a thorough understanding of the subject, because earning this credit is 100% dependent on the test score alone.
Advanced Placement (AP) exams (https://ap.collegeboard.org/) cover 39 college-level subjects and are accessible to all students. These AP tests are administered in May of each year at High schools, and students must register well in advance. Homeschool students can take AP tests by registering at a high school, and the cost is $98 per test. Homeschool students will have to self-study these subjects. Colleges vary in how they credit AP tests. Some colleges will give credit for a "3" score, while others will require a "4 or 5" score, and still others will not give any credit but may waive the subject requirement. The College Board, which sponsors the SAT college entrance exams, also sponsors AP tests.
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CLEP exams, sponsored by the College Board (https://clep.collegeboard.org/) since 1965, offer 34 exams that cover college-level courses at an affordable cost for students. These exams can be taken online and typically cost $93 per exam. However, Modern States (modernstates.org), a charity, will cover the exam, proctoring fees, and provide study materials through their "Freshman Year for Free" program, so that cost is not a barrier to earning college credit. There are other low-cost study courses offered by vendors such as (study.com) and (instantcert.com) for CLEP exam preparation. If you speak Spanish, French or German well, one CLEP test can give you up to 9 college credits.
DSST exams (from Prometric) (getcollegecredit.com) cover 34 college-level subjects. DSST was established so that military personnel could earn college credits by taking college-level exams. These exams are available to everyone, can be taken online year-round, and cost $100 per exam. There are low-cost study courses offered by vendors such as study.com and instantcert.com for DSST exam preparation.
There are several things to consider about testing for college credit. However, in all cases, planning and selecting a college before taking these tests was recommended to our parents, as not every college accepts these alternative credits. A college may allow credit for some of the tests but not for others. The AP tests, although well accepted by colleges, offer the least flexibility; they are given at a set time at a local high school only once a year, in the spring, over a two-week period. In comparison, CLEP and DSST testing can be taken at the student's home, when they are ready, with little advanced planning. CLEP and DSST testing requires an ID, a payment, and an internet connection. There are no age requirements or prerequisites.