Other Ways to Obtain College Credit

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It’s no secret that higher education is an investment of time and money. Fortunately, there are alternative ways to earn college credits.

By Kameron Sims

Tags: internships, parent-guardian

College credit is a big deal. Not only is attending college expensive, but it is also a time of tremendous transition. For many of us, obtaining 120 undergraduate credits is a long journey. Many of us may not have the ability to spend four years doing a degree for various reasons. Whatever your reason, this article shares a few alternative ways to obtain college credit that not be so challenging and time-consuming.

Transient Student

Transient students attend one college but actively take courses at another institution for a brief time. For example, a student may attend school at the University of North Georgia but enroll in courses at Kennesaw State University. Usually, students choose this option to go home for some time to take care of family members, job opportunities, class options, pricing, and other personal reasons. Be careful, though. Some colleges do not accept credit from other institutions. Check with your advisor and the registrar's office at both institutions to be sure, and keep any email correspondence that indicates approval.

AP Courses

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are taught to high school students and prepare them to take an end-of-the-year test for college credit. AP courses are a good option for students who want to attend college and potentially speed up their degree, lessen tuition prices, and avoid first-year electives.

However, if students do not make a particular score on the AP exam, the college course credit is not given. The student then receives high school credit only for the course. Parents and students should consider this option with their teachers to understand whether AP courses fit the student's needs.

Dual Enrollment

Dual enrollment is an option similar to advanced placement courses. The difference is that the student attends high school and college courses while still in high school. In this option, college credit is applied to the student's transcript as pass/fail or letter grades, in accordance with the student's success in the course.

Dual enrollment is generally the better option for students who take AP courses and have previously navigated dual enrollment. This option gives students a firsthand experience of college as high school students. Dual enrollment courses allow many students to enter college as a sophomore or junior. Parents and students should look into this option with high school teachers and college counselors to understand if this option is both accessible and best for the student.

CLEP Exams

College-Level Examination Programs are exams that allow you to take tests on specific subjects to obtain credit for the class. Most CLEP exams are used for introductory level college courses, also known as core classes. CLEP exams assist individuals who have substantive knowledge of a subject field and would like to skip over courses that reteach the material. CLEP Exams can benefit someone looking to get a degree quickly or wanting to take specific courses during their degree. The only drawback is that students may miss useful information taught or discussed by not being in class.

Internships, Externships, and Workplace Training

Many colleges and workplaces offer internships, externships, and training exchangeable for college credit. Career Services can help students find more information on these programs using online databases for workplaces and universities as well as manuals and handbooks given by institutions and workplaces. This option allows students to get hands-on and applied experiences on resumes. Not only will the student have college credit, but they will also have the experience to share, creating new opportunities for new job placements. Students should look into these options with employers and advisors at their facilities.

Kameron Sims

Kameron Sims is a freelance writer for SAGE Scholars, Inc. He is currently a Master's student, studying psychology. Sims has a passion for learning. He enjoys being a vessel to collect knowledge and information, hoping to share the contents of this vessel to others.

View all posts by Kameron Sims