PLA at the Big 3 - Compared

[bjcheung77]

Prior Learning Assessment Fees - Big 3 Comparison
COSC is expensive at $350/course Matriculated Student or $450/course Non-Matriculated Student
You need to take the IDS 102: Prior Learning Portfolio Development course and get at least a C.
COSC PLA: https://www.charteroak.edu/prior-learning-assessment/
COSC Fee: https://www.charteroak.edu/catalog/2019-...t-fees.php

COSC Example: You need to PLA 18 credits, it will cost you the following:
IDS 102: $419/credit x3 = $1257
$350x5 courses = $1750
COSC Total PLA: $3007 for 18 credits

Excelsior Eligibility Requirements already cost you 4 credits at $510/credit
1) Complete Info Lit & Written English requirements
2) Register/Pass CCS 202 Prior Learning Assessment (3 credits)
3) Enrolled students need advisor approval for PLA courses
Excelsior Link: https://www.excelsior.edu/policy/portfolio-assessment/
Excelsior Partner LearningCounts.org sets the fees: https://learningcounts.org/portfolio-assessment/fn
Learningcounts Example Fees: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sources_of_Credit

Excelsior Example: You need PLA 18 credits, it will cost you the following:
CCS 202 Prior Learning Assessment = $510 x3 = $1530
You need the Info Lit at $510 before you begin
Learningcounts cost $149 for the PLA course and $125/portfolio = $774
Excelsior Total PLA: $2814 for 18 credits

TESU Requires you take the PLA-200, may take the PLA-100 as well at $399/credit
PLA is $389 for first 12 credits, $221 for additional 6 credits
TESU PLA FAQ: https://www.tesu.edu/degree-completion/p...folio-faqs
TESU PLA GUIDE: https://www.tesu.edu/degree-completion/p...ment-guide
TESU Costs: https://www.tesu.edu/degree-completion/p...nd-pla-200

TESU Example: You need PLA 18 credits, it will cost you the following:
PLA-200, 2 credits (you can save 1 credit if you don't want to take the PLA-100) = $798
Cost for 12 earned through portfolio = $389
Cost for an additiona 6 credits = $221
TESU Total PLA: $1,402 for 18 credits

[innen_oda]

TESU Example: You need PLA 18 credits, it will cost you the following:
PLA-200, 2 credits (you can save 1 credit if you don't want to take the PLA-100) = $798
Cost for 12 earned through portfolio = $389
Cost for an additiona 6 credits = $221
TESU Total PLA: $1,402 for 18 credits

Works out to 78USD per credit. Not a bad price if you have the requisite experience.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, weird, I just noticed my mistake here... it's actually 20 credits as you're also paying the PLA-200 course and then adding the 12 credits through portfolio, and adding 6 credits along with it... Anyways, with the new PLA-1010, the cost of 12 credits already are included, you're paying for 3 credits using the per credit tuition and you get a total of 15 credits.

Having said that, if someone was to do the flat rate tuition and add the PLA-1010 as one of the courses, that would be included in the flat term rate, they can get 27 credits, then add a TECEP before you start the flat term to have the 30 RA credits required at TESU (for those without any RA credits, this may be your best shot). Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...-Residents

[studyingfortests]

Having said that, if someone was to do the flat rate tuition and add the PLA-1010 as one of the courses, that would be included in the flat term rate, they can get 27 credits, then add a TECEP before you start the flat term to have the 30 RA credits required at TESU (for those without any RA credits, this may be your best shot).  Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...-Residents

Hmmm. Interesting.  I know that, at one time, there was one credit of PLA available for CPR training, and all one had to submit was a copy of a CPR certification.  So, under that theory, I wonder if one could "wash" Sophia or other ACE credits into RA credits by providing certificates of course completion and submittig for PLA credit instead of ACE credit? I'd think it would be difficult to argue against this, since PLA by definition doesn't care where or how you learned something, only that you did learn it.

Of course, you couldn't "double dip" and also use the same PLA source for ACE credit... but this could be an interesting option for some.

What am I not seeing here?

[bjcheung77]

Generally, there aren't many options to 'double dip', or in this case, to 'change/convert/wash' your alternative credit to RA credit... It's just one way of doing things, here's another example, for instance, you have taken Saylor.org Operations Management and have the UL ACE credit, you can take the TECEP and it would be used for the RA credit instead. That's how PLA works as well, you're using what ever is thought of and evaluated as credit already, and documenting that as equivalent to RA credit, you're not missing anything, that's how PLA department does things...

[rachel83az]

It'd probably make more sense to turn Coursera certificates into RA credit than it would to turn Sophia classes into credit. That is, Coursera certificates that aren't ACE-recommended. For example, something like the Google IT Automation with Python certificate. That, perhaps plus another Python certificate from Coursera or proof of completing Py4E/FreeCodeCamp might be worth Python Programming (COS-2050).

[bjcheung77]

That's right, you can try to convert all types of learning/knowledge gained from these non-credit or non ACE bearing certificates or other types of documentation that you can get mentioning you've gained knowledge in something that is worth credit. It's actually a better option to do this for courses that aren't available elsewhere with alternative credit... In addition to that, many people who want a Art, Dance, Music, degree or something similar can create portfolios of what they've done before to showcase their learning and knowledge, that also is an option. Last but not least, some institutions use this for challenge exams, so instead of TECEPs, you can do internal exams for credit.