If experience really is the best teacher, then adults returning to school after years of working deserve some credit. This is where Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) comes in, awarding credit for college-level skills and knowledge gained outside the classroom. These programs are growing in Riverside/San Bernardino counties and statewide as colleges discover surprising benefits and impact.
“Our work in CPL is changing the lives of veterans and working adults that never thought college was for them,” says Dr. Sigrid Williams, Associate Professor of Administration of Justice at Norco College, and Credit for Prior Learning Coordinator for the California Map Initiative, a California Community College Chancellor’s Office effort to expand CPL opportunities across the state (Photo: Dr. Sigrid Williams, top row-center, with Map Initiative staff). “Offering CPL shows we value their work experience.”
Up to 45 units of CPL may be granted in total from college-level examination programs, military training, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or credit for hands-on work experience, including student-created portfolios, industry credentials and experience, or apprenticeships and internships. High school articulation and noncredit or professional development learning can also be evaluated for credit by faculty in the appropriate discipline.
“CPL saves them time, money, and other resources,” Williams says. “Their experience can earn the equivalent of an entire year of college credit.”
Credit for Prior Learning not only keeps money in student pockets, it also reduces the need to take out loans, and saves GI Bill benefits. With 15 CPL credits awarded, these savings amount to more than $14,000 for a working adult student and $26,000 for veterans returning to school. Working adults gain $115,000 in long-term economic benefits, while veterans see a $135,000 impact over 20 years (map.rccd.edu).
Statewide, the economic impact of serving 250,000 Californians through CPL is projected at $32.4 billion, with $3.7 billion in immediate savings and $28.8 billion in long-term benefits over 20 years. To date, the program has generated $187 million in economic impact (map.rccd.edu).
CPL can be crucial for veterans, as the 36 months of educational benefits they receive upon reintegrating into civilian life are not enough to complete a 4-year bachelor’s degree. With CPL, however, they can potentially preserve enough eligibility to complete a bachelor’s or even go on for a master’s degree.
A wide range of courses can be waived with CPL. For some industries, faculty workgroups of subject-matter experts have developed industry-specific CPL credit recommendations. Recommendations have been developed for Administration of Justice, Automotive Technology, Computer Information Systems, Emergency Medical, Fire Technology, Fire Technology – Wildland, and Real Estate, with more on the way. Further information on these can be found on the Map Initiative site (map.rccd.edu).
Williams recounts how instituting these recommendations has helped bring in new students:
“I’m a professor in Administration of Justice. I went to the Corona Police Department, which is in our service area. I went to all the briefings and I said, ‘How many of you don’t have a degree?’ I’d get a handful in each briefing raise their hand. I said, ‘How would you like to get a degree that instead of taking two years, you can get in about a year and four months? This is what we can offer you. We have credit for prior learning. Come see us and we’ll get you enrolled.’ Since then, I’ve had six officers come to Norco College that would not have otherwise gone to school.”
According to statewide research, those officers and other working adults will see greater success in achieving their educational goals. In fact, adult learners with CPL graduate at almost twice the rate (49% vs 27%) of those with no CPL (map.rccd.edu). Yet, despite its potential, fewer than 11% of qualified students currently benefit from CPL, while 84% of working adults say it would strongly influence their college choice.
The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office aims to develop college capacity and procedures to ensure that at least 250,000 Californians, including 220,000 working adults and apprentices, and 30,000 veterans, receive offers and awards of CPL by 2030. As “Top Performing” CPL colleges, Norco, Moreno Valley, and San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) are doing their part to help reach that goal. Norco was an early pioneer in the adoption of CPL and has served as a model for other colleges looking to develop it. SBVC, for its efforts, won the 2024 College of the Year from the California Map Initiative (map.rccd.edu).
Williams, who leads Norco’s program, thinks it is all worth it:
“This work is just so transformational. Seeing our students, seeing working adults coming to college and realizing that they too can reap the rewards of an education, to go back out into the workforce and better themselves. I mean that’s what gets me going in the morning.”
For colleges that want to develop or expand their CPL offerings, the California Community Colleges Map Initiative website (map.rccd.edu) offers extensive information and free support resources.
