What Colleges Can Do to Support Credit for Prior Learning

Elaine W. Leigh, Lindsay Daugherty

Data VizPublished May 18, 2026

What Colleges Can Do to Support Credit for Prior Learning

Many students start college with valuable training, but often they do not get college credit for it.

When colleges use systematic outreach and intake practices to promote credit for prior learning (CPL), more students receive the college credit they deserve.

Strategies to Support Credit for Prior Learning

  1. Provide a clear website: This website should have straightforward information about CPL and a way for students to take direct action.
  2. Train student-facing staff: Ensure that advisers, registrars, and faculty understand CPL options and how students can access those options.
  3. Spread the word: Use community and employer partners to share information on CPL beyond campus.
  4. Screen for eligibility: Use applications and intake forms to proactively reach new students.
  5. Ensure one-on-one advising: Require CPL discussions in early student advising meetings and ideally before students select their courses.
  6. Award credit promptly: Apply credits early to avoid course duplication.
  7. Use data: Track students' CPL use and outcomes to guide improvement.

Awarding credit for prior learning saves students time and money and supports college completion.

Colleges should use these seven outreach and intake practices to ensure all students can access CPL.

This infographic describes work done in RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure and documented in Awarding College Credit for Industry Credentials: Findings from Ohio Community Colleges on Outreach and Intake Practices, by Elaine W. Leigh and Lindsay Daugherty, RR-A4071-1, 2025 (available at www.rand.org/t/RRA4071-1).

To view this infographic online, visit www.rand.org/t/IGA4918-1.

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Leigh, Elaine W. and Lindsay Daugherty, What Colleges Can Do to Support Credit for Prior Learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/infographics/IGA4918-1.html.
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This work was supported by the National Science Foundation and conducted in the Education and Employment Program of RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure.

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