New to forum and looking for advice!!!!!

[DegreeMadness]

Ok group I would certainly appreciate some advice on a path forward. I have 46 hours of traditional college credit. I just applied to Excelsior and TESC to see which would be a better fit for my PLA. I have worked in the oil and gas industry for 25 years. I have over 3000 document hours of training ranging from construction, physics, process management, diversity, etc. I have owned three business, two of which are still very successful. I previously held a home inspector license, am a CC Toastmaster, and hold two patents. I also have 128 hrs of credits from a local vo-tech, although that was about 28 years ago. I also trained to be an EMT when I was very young, but lost all the formal documentation in a flood several years ago. I know there must be a proper path forward to receive college credit, but I am not sure how.

[sanantone]

You should also try applying at COSC if you can afford it. Did you ever become certified or licensed as an EMT? If so, wouldn't you be able to get documentation from your state or some kind of proof that you passed the NREMT exam?

[DegreeMadness]

No I did not, I took the classes to enhance my chances of moving into the safety department for the scaffolding contractor I worked for at the time.

[KayV]

The vo-tech credits might be usable even though it has been a few years since you took them, depending on the school. Standard advice is to post a list the credits you have already earned so we can offer more suggestions. For example, "ENG 101 English Comp I 3 hrs".

[sanantone]

For the vo-tech credits to be acceptable, they have to be from a regionally accredited school and applicable to a degree program at the original school. Excelsior will consider credits from a nationally accredited school on a case-by-case basis. TESC has an in-house prior learning assessment process and also accepts PLAs from LearningCounts. Excelsior works directly with LearningCounts. I'm not all that familiar with COSC's PLA process. PLAs allow you to create portfolios that document college-level learning from your work experience, training outside the college setting, and self-study. It's a tedious process and is mostly only used when a person can't test out of a course. There are a lot of credit-by-exams for business, the social sciences, humanities, and even the natural sciences if any of those are of interest to you.

[ladylearner]

For the vo-tech credits to be acceptable, they have to be from a regionally accredited school and applicable to a degree program at the original school. Excelsior will consider credits from a nationally accredited school on a case-by-case basis. TESC has an in-house prior learning assessment process and also accepts PLAs from LearningCounts. Excelsior works directly with LearningCounts. I'm not all that familiar with COSC's PLA process. PLAs allow you to create portfolios that document college-level learning from your work experience, training outside the college setting, and self-study. It's a tedious process and is mostly only used when a person can't test out of a course. There are a lot of credit-by-exams for business, the social sciences, humanities, and even the natural sciences if any of those are of interest to you.

I don't think of PLAs as a tedious process, but rather an appropriate one depending on one's circumstances and learning style. There are exams in different areas but often not in the potential student's area of expertise. PLA portfolios reflect the learner's specific learning experience and can be used in different ways even outside of college.

[ladylearner]

Ok group I would certainly appreciate some advice on a path forward. I have 46 hours of traditional college credit. I just applied to Excelsior and TESC to see which would be a better fit for my PLA. I have worked in the oil and gas industry for 25 years. I have over 3000 document hours of training ranging from construction, physics, process management, diversity, etc. I have owned three business, two of which are still very successful. I previously held a home inspector license, am a CC Toastmaster, and hold two patents. I also have 128 hrs of credits from a local vo-tech, although that was about 28 years ago. I also trained to be an EMT when I was very young, but lost all the formal documentation in a flood several years ago. I know there must be a proper path forward to receive college credit, but I am not sure how.

Your evaluations will tell you what credits you still need to complete a degree. Some of the credits may be fulfilled through testing. If you can find college-level classes that match your learning and are ok with writing a learning narrative, then PLA portfolios might work well for you also.

Excelsior is a partner with Learning Counts 's and has some other restrictions & other policies such as their mandatory 3-credit class on PLA, advisor approval, and the information literacy class (which is only 1 credit and required for a degree there anyway). There is the possibility of completing LC portfolios first and then enrolling at EC later but that's a riskier option.

TESC is a partner with LC but also has its own more expensive PLA program that may or may not offer more guidance than LC. TESC accepts more portfolio credits than any other college I'm aware of. If a class is not listed in TESC's database, then it's not guaranteed to receive credit but others have been successful with portfolios for classes not listed as long as they prove college-level learning and fit into the degree program. The fastest, least expensive route is to take the DIY class at LC, complete portfolios and transfer them to TESC. The current model at LC is that you must separate your learning into individual portfolios and find a college class that matches your learning. If your portfolio is successful, you receive college credit (usually 3) through NCCRS. If not, assessors offer feedback so you can work on it. Each portfolio is $125.

COSC has its own PLA portfolio program but accepts NCCRS so they will also consider Learning Counts credits.

Bellevue University has a free MOOC that might help you decide if this process is for you. Regardless of what route you take, the learning narrative is a must so you should be up to speed on college-level writing. If it turns out that you still have to complete classes you might consider other colleges like Regis and Bellevue that have offer online degrees and are partners with LC.

[DegreeMadness]

So I found out that I need 16 hours in a Career Track to get my AAS Degree, but I have know idea what the Career Track means.