Prior Learning Credits

Save time and money. Earn credit from work and life experience.

Adult students can receive prior learning credits for the knowledge they have already gained before enrolling at Keystone College. The College believes that learning acquired outside of the classroom is valuable and may be eligible for college credit.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is an assessment of previous work, training, and life experiences that allows students to earn credit toward degree completion by demonstrating relevant college-level knowledge.

Undergraduate students can earn up to 75 credits through any combination of Prior Learning Assessments or transfer work. In contrast, graduate students can earn up to 9 credits.

Students interested in pursuing Prior Learning Assessment should follow these steps:

• Submit an updated resume to the Office of Retention and Student Success at success@eraglobe.com.
• Once ready to pursue Prior Learning Assessment, submit an Intent to Pursue PLA form on MyKC and pay the associated fee ($125) to the Office of Retention and Student Success. 
• Work with the Career Services Success Coach to compile supporting documentation andevidence by creating an ePortfolio. 
• Receive PLA Evaluation. A charge of $100 per approved credit is due if the assessment meets the learning outcomes for the course.

Process

1. Students interested in exploring Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) opportunities should submit an updated resume to the Office of Retention and Student Success at success@eraglobe.com.
   • The Office of Retention and Student Success will provide the most up-to-date information regarding the PLA process.
   • The student and an office representative will discuss the student’s prior experiences, future goals, potential courses (learning outcomes) for assessment, etc.
2. When the student is ready to pursue Prior Learning Assessment, they must submit an Intent to Pursue PLA form in MyKC. Submission of this form requires a $125 fee.
   • The Intent to Pursue PLA form will automatically be distributed to the Office of Retention and Student Success and the Registrar.
   • The Office of Retention and Student Success will explain the next steps and place the student in contact with the Career Services Success Coach to begin portfolio creation.
   • The Registrar will enroll the student in the PLA Workshop Moodle course. The Registrar will also contact the appropriate Department Chair to express PLA intent and begin conversations regarding assigning appropriate faculty for review.
   • The student will utilize the PLA Workshop Moodle Course and work with the Career Services Success Coach to prepare assessment materials, including an ePortfolio, resume, supporting documents or evidence, and a statement of achieved learning outcomes.
   • The student has 6-8 weeks to submit an ePortfolio and other required documents to the PLA Workshop Moodle Course for review.
3. Once the PLA materials are complete, the assigned faculty member will review and determine if the student has successfully demonstrated knowledge of the identified learning outcomes.
   • The Career Services Success Coach will notify the assigned faculty and the Registrar of a completed ePortfolio and other required documents.
   • The assigned faculty submits a completed PLA Evaluation and identifies whether credit can be awarded or not.
   • The Registrar notifies the student of the results of the PLA evaluation and enters the appropriate credits. If the student meets the course learning outcomes, a charge of $100 per approved credit is due. If the student does not meet the course learning outcomes, the student is provided with an explanation and has an opportunity to appeal the decision.
   • The completed evaluation form will be distributed to the Office of Retention and Student Success, the Registrar, and Academic Affairs for authorizing faculty payment ($50 per course, per student).
   • The review process may take 2-3 weeks.

Appeal Process:

When a student is appealing the Prior Learning Assessment evaluation, the following procedure must be initiated by the student within three weeks of initial notification of the results:

• Write an appeal letter to the Provost/Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs stating their justification and providing document to support the appeal and course learning outcome. This appeal should include the edited ePortfolio addressing the deficiencies provided in the notification of the PLA Evaluation.
• The Provost/Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs will contact the Department Chair and request:
  1. a new faculty member to review the portfolio if the student appeal is related to faculty bias allegations, or
  2. the same faculty member to review the corrected ePortfolio
• The faculty member has 2-3 weeks to review the corrected ePortfolio.
• The faculty member completes a new PLA evaluation identifying if credit can be awarded or not.
• The Registrar notifies the student of the results of the PLA evaluation and enters the appropriate credits. If the student meets the course learning outcomes, a charge of $100 per approved credit is due. If the student does not meet the course learning outcomes, the student is provided with an explanation and has an opportunity to appeal the decision.
• The completed evaluation form will be distributed to the Office of Retention and Student Success, the Registrar, and Academic Affairs for authorizing faculty payment ($50 per course, per student).
• This appeal is final.