CreditforPriorLearning

Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) provides students an opportunity to earn credit at Neosho County Community College for knowledge and skills gained through work and life experiences.  To encourage and assist students to complete degrees, NCCC may award college credit for prior learning. 

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Policy and Requirements

1. A maximum of 21 credit hours can be awarded for prior learning, using any of the methods listed below.
   1. Degree seeking students must complete at least 18 credit hours at NCCC.
   2. Certificate seeking students must complete at least 50% of certificate hours at NCCC.
2. The learning evaluated must demonstrate current knowledge in the field for which credit is being sought.
3. All courses for which credit for prior learning is awarded must have equivalent courses in the NCCC curriculum.Partial credit will not be awarded.
4. Students must provide validated documentation stating the courses, knowledge, skills, and clock hours completed.

Students should be aware that credit for prior learning awarded by Neosho County Community College may not apply upon transfer to other schools.      

Converting Prior Learning to College Credit

Students may receive credit at Neosho County Community College by demonstrating knowledge using one of the following prior learning assessment (PLA) methods:

Certificate Evaluation

Third party, industry-recognized certifications may be presented for evaluation for college credit.  Credit may be awarded for classes covering the equivalent outcomes.  A $10 validation fee per certificate will be charged. 

Credit by Examination

Students awarded credit by examination must be enrolled at NCCC.  NCCC accepts the results of the College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement (CEEBAP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) for credit by examination.  NCCC is not a College Board test center; thus, students who participate in these programs must have their test results forwarded to the College.  Please check with Registration for specific courses and credit hours available through credit by examination.  Courses receiving “pass” as a grade will not be used in the computation of the student’s GPA, but courses for which letter grades are awarded will be used in determining the student’s cumulative GPA.  The registrar will post credit by examination to the student’s transcript at the direction of the appropriate departmental faculty.  A fee of $100 per test must be paid prior to posting on a transcript.

Students should understand that transfer policies of other higher education institutions may differ in credit accepted.

1. College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement (CEEBAP)

   Students desiring advanced academic placement and university credit for those courses validated by such placement may do so by using the CEEBAP examination.  Students completing the CEEBAP examination with a score of three to five, depending on the subject, will receive appropriate college credit recorded as “pass.”  A fee of $100 per test must be paid prior to posting on a transcript.  Contact Registration for specific information. 

   State Universities in Kansas have established standard acceptance of AP Exam Scores.  NCCC adheres to this state-established standard.  With the exception of three exams, NCCC shall award credit for all AP exams scores at 3 or above for the equivalent course.  The following exams require scores above 3 for credit to be awarded:

   AP Exam	Score
   ART 288 Art History I / Art 289 Art History II	4
   PHYS 100 Physics 1	4
   PHYS 101 Physics 2	4

    

2. College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

   Students with non-traditional educational experiences may have such experiences validated by the CLEP examination.  

   CLEP Subject Examination: State Universities in Kansas have established standard acceptance of CLEP Exam scores at or above the American Council of Education’s (ACE) credit-granting recommended score of 50 for the equivalent course.  NCCC adheres to this state-established standard. Students meeting the established criteria will be awarded college credit with a grade of “pass.”  The subject examinations will be used to validate life experience on a course-by-course basis.  No CLEP subject examination credit will be awarded for any course in which college credit was earned prior to taking the test.  A fee of $100 per test must be paid prior to posting on a transcript.  Contact Registration for specific information.    

3. Departmental Examination

Proficiency exams are available in some departments.  Students demonstrating a sufficient level of proficiency on the course outcomes measured in the exam may earn credit.  The responsible Dean or division chair will review, and as applicable, seek advice from full-time faculty.  A fee of $100 per test must be paid prior to posting on a transcript.  Contact Registration for specific information.   

Portfolio Assessments

Portfolio assessments are available for some courses.  The student must complete at least nine credit hours at NCCC with at least a “C” and have a declared degree objective before credit for prior learning will be reviewed and any recommendation for awarding credit will be made. Students must prepare a portfolio documenting learning acquired outside the classroom.  Portfolio components may include work samples, reports, job descriptions, performance evaluations, certifications, awards and honors, and other items of evidence.  The documentation will be evaluated to determine if course outcomes have been met.   The responsible Dean or division chair will review, and as applicable, seek advice from full-time faculty.  A review fee of $100 will be charged per portfolio, and a fee of $100 per class must be paid prior to posting on a transcript.

Military Credit

NCCC is a recognized member of the Service Members Opportunity College (SOC), and as such, will award college credit for military training as appropriate up to 20 credit hours.  To be eligible to receive military training credit, students must submit supporting documents, such as DD214 or AARTS transcripts to the registrar for evaluation.  The recommendations of the American Council on Education Guide Book are used to convert military training to college credit.  No letter grades will be issued for military credits.                                         

Please contact NCCC’s Registration Office for more information:

Registrar

620-432-0348

registration@neosho.edu