Prior Learning Assessment

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is the process for awarding credit for learning that has taken place away from the college classroom.

Academic Credit for Prior Learning

(ACPL) is credit for things learned before entering a college or training program. Prior learning includes:

Work experience
Life experience
Military experience
Formal and informal education
Training from in-state, out-of-state, or foreign schools

About Prior Learning Assessment

Credit can only be awarded for classes offered by Highline College.
With faculty approval and guidance, students will demonstrate their competence in class content.
Faculty will assist you in determining the best way to demonstrate your learning experience.
Military and veterans can receive college credit for . Follow the link to see how, or contact the PLA Coordinator to help facilitate the process.

Information for Students

If you have a certificate or training from a specific industry, you may be able to get PLA automatically. See Credit for Professional Training below.

The process for PLA is:

Are you a current Highline College student? If yes, proceed to step #2. If not, let鈥檚 get started by applying to Highline.
- Apply to Highline: If you have never attended 蘑菇视频, your first step is to complete our online application. If you are only seeking PLA credits, please select 鈥淣on Award Seeking鈥� as your Program of Study. Once your application has been processed, we will send your acceptance letter by email.
- Activate Student Accounts:
  - Your ctcLink account is used to enroll and pay for classes, manage financial aid, access student records, etc. Once you have received your ctcLink ID number in your admission letter, you can activate your account. If you have a ctcLink account from another community college in Washington, you may use the same number.
  - Your provides access to online resources and tools, such as student email, Canvas, and Google. TheDepartment will send you an email with instructions on how to activate your account.
Determine if PLA is appropriate. The student and instructor will determine if PLA is appropriate. (Meet with an instructor from the ). Some types of PLA are pre-approved. Please see pre-approved list under "Types of PLA" above.
PLA Contract: If appropriate, the instructor and student make a . (Meet with an advisor if you don鈥檛 know which class is needed for your program.)
Assessments: Student completes the assessment for the instructor (i.e. completes whatever assessment they have agreed to鈥攖est, essay, portfolio, etc.).
Assessments Graded: Instructor grades assessment, and sends grade to PLA Coordinator.
PLA Request Form: Student completes . Instructor approves or denies the assessment and informs the PLA coordinator. PLAs are graded as PASS/NO PASS = Credit or No Credit basis only.
Confirmation Email: Students will receive a confirmation email with instructions to pay through ctcLink.
Pay for Credits: Charges will appear on the student鈥檚 ctcLink Account ($40 per credit or class).
Credits appear on Student Record: After fees are paid, the credits will appear on your record within two weeks.

A student does not need to register for a regular class if they are completing PLA.

PLA Costs

Tier	Category Description	Fee
1	Transfer credit from other accredited higher education institutions, Joint Service Transcripts for military training, or nationally recognized exams such as AP, IB, CLEP, Cambridge. Degree or certificate requirement fulfillment is noted through the regular credentials evaluation process.	$0
2	Certifications and Institutionally Recognized Equivalency Industry certifications, occupational crosswalks, institutionally-approved tests such as STAMPS. Credits are awarded and transcripted by Highline College based on documented earned certifications or standardized test results.	$40 / class
3	Course Outcomes Assessment Course challenges based on established competency assessments or portfolio review by Highline faculty. Credits and grades are awarded and transcripted during the regular quarterly reporting of grades.	$40 / Cred

Language Credit

The STAMP (Standards-based Measurement of Proficiency) test is an online assessment of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in a variety of languages. Highline currently offers STAMP tests for the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Traditional and Mandarin), French, Japanese, and Spanish.

Based on the proficiency level you demonstrate, you may be able to earn between 5-10 college credits in the language that you have tested. for STAMP testing times and details.

After receiving your test results, complete the and upload your test results. Be sure to mention if you want credit for one or two classes.
The PLA fee is $40 per class.

Credit for Professional Training

The following professional trainings have been evaluated and qualify the student for college credits.

Complete the and upload your certificates and documents. Once your request is received, you will then receive an email confirmation to let you know that you were approved and how to provide payment. Once payment has been confirmed, the approved credits/courses will be applied to your student record within the quarter you are requesting the credits.

Certification	Course Number	Course Title	Credits	Fee
MOS - Outlook	BSTEC 160	Microsoft Outlook	2	$40
MOS - Word	BSTEC 150	Microsoft Word	2	$40
MOS - PowerPoint	BSTEC 155	Microsoft PowerPoint	3	$40
MOS - Excel	BSTEC 165	Microsoft Excel	3	$40
	BUSN 216 BUSN 218	Business Computer Applications Advanced Excel for Business	5 5	$80
Child Development Associate (CDA)	ECED& 100 ECED& 107 ECED& 120	Introduction to Child Care Health, Safety and Nutrition Early Childhood Practicum	10	$120
Fundamental Course of Study (FCS)	EDUC& 101	ParaEducator Basics	3	$40
A+ Certificate	CIS 150	System Foundations	5	$40
Security+ Certificate	CIS 166	Network Defense	5	$40
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)	CIS 160 CIS 262 CIS 265	Networking Foundations Applied Networking Network Security Engineering	15	$120
Linux+ Certification	CIS 215	Introduction to Linux	5	$40
	HEAL Classes (Medical Assistant)	One of 11 Medical Assisting classes to meet the DOH requirement of 720 clock hours.	46	$40 per course
Home Care Aid Certification	HEAL 100	Fundamentals of Caregiving	5	$40
Current 40-hour First Aid/CPR/AED certification plus proof of professional experience directly utilizing life-saving skills, such as first responder or firefighter	HEAL 218	CPR & First Aid for Healthcare Providers	3	$40
Community Health Worker Fundamentals certificate plus documented evidence of three months of experience providing care navigation in the healthcare and human services systems.	HEAL 251	Patient Care Navigator	5	$40
Customer Service Operations	HOST 165	Customer Service Operations	5	$40
Adult Critical Care Specialty (ACCS)	RC 403	Advanced Adult Critical Care	5	$40
Neonatal Pediatric Specialty (NPS)	RC 405	Advanced Neonatal-Pediatric Respiratory	5	$40
Certified or Registered Pulmonary Function Testing (CPFT/RPFT)	RC 407	Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics Rehabilitation	4	$40

Military and veterans can receive college credit for .
Highline College evaluates every military transcript received from the service member and/or veteran pursuing an education at 蘑菇视频. Contact the for assistance in the process.

Students should be aware of the following policies.

PLA credits can only be awarded for classes that 蘑菇视频 offers.
Approval for PLA and grading is determined by the faculty.
PLAs are graded on a PASS/NO PASS basis only, with Credit or No Credit.
It is important to submit all assessments and documentation to your instructor prior to the deadline, which is usually the end of the quarter.
No more than 25% of any degree can come from portfolio-style PLA. For a 90 credit degree, that is 22 credits.
Most universities in Washington have indicated that they will accept PLA classes, especially when it is part of an AA degree. No college said they would not accept PLA. You may wish to confirm with the registrar at the 4-year institution that you are planning on transferring to. For transfer, you must confirm with the registrar of the school you鈥檙e transferring to.
Highline College evaluates every military transcript received from the service member and/or veteran pursuing an education at 蘑菇视频. Contact for assistance in the process.

Information for Faculty

In order to earn credit for a class under PLA, a student must demonstrate competency with the established student learning outcomes for that class. Some coaching on expectations and interpretation of outcomes should be expected.

The following steps should be followed in awarding credit through PLA.

Determine if the student is a good candidate for PLA. This decision will largely be based on an email summary and/or brief interview. Please do not advance the student if there are significant concerns about the student鈥檚 ability to successfully demonstrate achievement of course outcomes.
Help students select the correct courses for PLA.
Determine which assessments are appropriate. Indicate on the contract exactly what the student needs to submit to be assessed and a due date. PLA Contract
Please only sign a PLA contract if you really think the student is capable of receiving a passing grade.
Student or instructor: complete the only after the is completed and there is a grade.
Once all requirements have been met, the faculty member emails the PLA Coordinator to let them know it is okay to proceed with processing.
There is no deadline for processing PLA. PLA can be processed when the assessment is complete and the grade is sent to the PLA Coordinator.
Why PLA? .
For information about stipend amounts please contact the PLA coordinator.
Students can then be directed to complete the PLA Request Form and upload the contract.

Note:
PLA staff will take care of enrollment. .

NWCCU 2020 Standards

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has the following Prior Learning Assessment guidelines:

Standard One 鈥� Student Success, and Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

1.C.8 Transfer credit and credit for prior learning is accepted according to clearly defined, widely published, and easily accessible policies that provide adequate safeguards to ensure academic quality. In accepting transfer credit, the receiving institution ensures that such credit accepted is appropriate for its programs and comparable in nature, content, academic rigor, and quality.

State Guidelines

Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges Policy
State Academic Credit for Prior Learning
:

State Academic Credit for Prior Learning

Faculty may assess student learning in any way that they deem appropriate, ensuring that assessment is transparent. The assessment does not in any way need to be similar to the classroom experience as long as it accurately assesses student learning. This is a good opportunity to review student learning outcomes and explore authentic assessment.

Assessment may include, but are not limited to: