You have /5 articles left.
Sign up for a free account or log in.
Adult students who receive college credits for prior learning are more likely to complete academic programs than their peers without prior learning assessment (PLA) credits, according to a new report from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
The report examined student outcomes at 72 U.S. colleges and universities. Even after controlling for other factors that influence completion, it found that prior learning assessment increases student completion by 17 percent, and by 30 percent for all forms of prior learning assessment other than credit recommendations for military training. Prior learning assessment also saves students time and money, according to the report.
"The report also showed that PLA’s positive impact on completion persists across all learner demographics, including gender, age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, academic performance and institution type," the groups said in a news release. "However, despite PLA’s broad potential, only about 11 percent of adult students at the institutions participating in the study earned PLA credit. Black students, Pell Grant recipients and students who lived in lower-income communities were least likely to have participated."
