Quick Highlights:
- Capella University, Purdue Global, and Walden University are notable for offering college work experience credits.
- Many online colleges offer credit for work and life experience. This can help you save on tuition and accelerate your degree completion. Work experience credits vary by college. However, some cover a significant portion of degree requirements.
- Not all experiences qualify for college credit. They must be related to the study field and verifiable by the college. Consult an academic advisor to verify eligibility.
- Be sure to fill out FAFSA forms for online programs to access financial aid like grants and scholarships. These will further reduce tuition costs.
You have a few options if you are searching for online college credit for work experience. Many affordable online degree programs provide students with credits for their work and life experience. This option is also called a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Program at many colleges. A PLA is an excellent way for students to accelerate their learning while maintaining a good work-life balance.
In addition to work experience credits, you can reduce your college costs by filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). With online college FAFSA forms, you can further reduce the cost of going to school. FAFSA for online degree programs may involve getting grants, scholarships, or loans for school.
You can also look for online colleges offering financial aid to reduce your tuition costs even more. Online college financial aid comes in a variety of forms. Work experience credits, scholarships, and grants are just a few ways to decrease the amount of money you spend on your education.
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What Are Work and Life Experience Credits for College?
With work and life experience credits, accredited university programs can lower your tuition costs. For example, you may get work experience credit in a counseling degree program if you worked in a mental health clinic. Likewise, you may be able to get work experience credit if you worked in an accounting office and plan on pursuing an accounting degree.
Getting college credit for work experience isn’t available for every career or life experience. It is only an option if you have achieved college-level knowledge through life and work experience. In addition, the amount of work experience online college credit you receive will vary based on the college you go to.
Some cheap online colleges will give you work credits to cover the majority of your degree requirements. Other schools will only give you a few credits for your work and life experience. You should take time to research online colleges that give credit for work experience. Be sure to compare your choices before you begin any degree program.
Proving Your Work and Life Experience
In addition to your work experience, your college may also ask you to prove what you have learned through an exam. Depending on where you go to school, this may be called credit by exam or prior learning experience exam. You basically have to prove that you have the appropriate knowledge and abilities through an essay, exam, or portfolio.
Regardless of your experience, it is essential to remember that your college may not accept it for college credit. Typically, the experience must be related to the field you want to study. In addition, the college must be able to verify that your experience actually occurred. You should talk to an academic advisor before you begin your course of study. They can help you determine if your work history will qualify you for a credit for work and life experience.
One learns from books and example only that certain things can be done. Actual learning requires that you do those things.
Frank Herbert
FAFSA
If you aren’t able to get life experience college credit, you should still fill out your FAFSA forms online. There are many cheap affordable online colleges where you can qualify for FAFSA. With FAFSA, you can apply for financial aid for online degree programs and reduce your tuition costs. Online colleges also use this form to determine how much you are given in grants and scholarships.
The Benefits of Getting Work Experience College Credit
Some cheap online colleges don’t offer work experience college credit. But many accelerated degree programs do. Before you enroll in the most affordable online college, check to see if they offer work and life experience credits. By finding colleges that give credit for work experience, you can these benefits:
Discover Reduced Tuition Costs
Searching for online colleges offering financial aid is just one way to save money on school. But by getting college credit for work experience, you may also be able to save money on your tuition. Many colleges charge less for life experience college credits than they do for traditional credits.
Enjoy Having a Shorter Time Until Degree Completion
When you get a work credit, accelerated degree timelines become possible. Depending on where you go to school, you may be able to get work credit for half of your degree program or more. This means your accelerated online degree could take just two years for a bachelor’s degree instead of four.
You Can Go at Your Own Pace
A convenient aspect of many colleges offering PLAs is that you can go at your own pace. You don’t have to attend classes at a set time. And you can work on your assignments when it is convenient for you. This is ideal for working students or those with family and other responsibilities.
How Do I Convert Work Experience to a Degree?
Many people want to know how to get college credit for work experience. First, you have to find a college that accepts work experience for online college credit. Then, you need to turn in the appropriate forms and documentation. For example, you may need to get a supervisor to sign off on your application for work experience credits.
If you are just starting your work experience, you should keep a time log for all of the hours you work. In some cases, your school may require you to write a journal entry for each workday to document your learning. Each school is different. Talk to your academic advisor about how to get college credit for work experience at your specific college.
The Best Affordable Online Degrees to Earn College Work Experience Credits
Whether you want the fastest online degree or cheaper tuition, credit for work experience can help. To help you begin your search, here are three top online colleges offering financial aid and work experience credit:
Capella University
Capella features grants and scholarships. But this school helps students save money through what they call Credit for Prior Learning (CPL). With CPL, you can gain college credits for your prior work experience, industry certifications, and learning.
To participate in the CPL program, you must demonstrate that you have college-level knowledge. This can be through work training, certifications, and self-instruction. There are two main paths to getting college credits. The first option is for industry certifications. The second is to petition for CPL credit if you can show you’ve mastered the knowledge for a specific course.
Purdue Global
Purdue Global is another school with excellent online college financial aid programs. This university also offers college credit for work and life experience. Purdue’s PLA program is particularly useful if you have served in the military or been in the workforce for many years. You can even get credit for your volunteer work.
Once you apply, you can receive credit by taking an Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (ASK) exam. You also have the option of submitting an experiential learning portfolio. The portfolio assessment is $1,500. However, if you qualify, your online college financial aid funds may cover the fee. Purdue states that portfolio submitters earn 33 credits on average. They also save nearly $11,000 on tuition.
There are a variety of experiences that qualify for Purdue’s work experience program. Your supporting documentation may include certifications, military ranks, performance evaluations, and more. You may be able to submit samples of your work, such as lesson plans and computer code. Likewise, you can ask your supervisor to verify your abilities and knowledge.
Walden University
Walden University is another school that offers some of the fastest online degree programs. With some of the school’s affordable online degrees, you can gain college credit for your work experience. At Walden University, these credits are typically awarded through prior learning assessment (PLA) portfolios.
Basically, a PLA portfolio gathers together documents that show your work experience. This may be a resume from your previous jobs, a narrative essay, or a certification. You can use your volunteer work, job experience, military service, and corporate training for PLA credits.
After you submit your portfolio, a faculty member will assess your experience. Then, they will give you credit for your college-level learning. If you have significant experience, you can earn up to 75% of your undergraduate credits. As a result, this affordable online degree option can save you a lot of time and money on your degree.
Discover the Most Affordable Online Degree Options
These are just a few colleges offering degree credit for work experience. You’ll want to look into all of your options before making a final decision. Be sure to check out our rankings of the Best Online Colleges to get a good overview of what is available.
To further reduce the cost of your degree, you should turn in your online college FAFSA forms. With FAFSA for online degree programs, you may be able to decrease the costs associated with college. Money for online college is also often provided through scholarships and grants. These don’t have to be paid back.