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Credit for Prior Learning

 

Questions regarding CPL can be directed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs at (785) 460-5403 or by email.

Life Experience Credit

Life Experience Credit is learning that has not been transcripted by a regularly accredited higher education institution. To encourage and to assist students to complete a degree, Colby Community College may award college credit for life experience. To be awarded life credit you must meet the following requirements:

• All students seeking life credit must be enrolled at CCC and have declared a degree objective that is either an Associate of Applied Science or Certificate of Completion. 
• Life Experience Credit will not be awarded for general education classes due to non-transferability. 
• Students seeking Life Experience Credit must provide validated documentation stating the knowledge, skills, and/or dates of employment when experience was gained. Failure to supply such evidence will result in non-approval. If requested, students must be able to demonstrate proficiency to the designated party(ies). 
• The Vice President of Academic Affairs with the responsible program director will review and approve or disapprove the application for Life Experience Credit. 
• Students must complete at least 15 credit hours at CCC with a cumulative 2.0 GPA before Life Experience Credit will be awarded. To qualify for any degree, students must earn at least 15 hours of credit and have a cumulative 2.0 GPA from Colby Community College. 
• No student will be awarded more than 12 hours of Life Experience Credit through Colby Community College. 
• All Life Experience Credit must be paid for (tuition only) before the credits will be added to their transcript. 
• Any questions regarding Life Experience Credit should be directed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Credit by Examination

A student who is enrolled in regular semester classes or a prospective student who subsequently enrolls in 12 credit hours at Colby Community College may be permitted to earn college credits through institutional credit by examination. The student must have the necessary qualifications, and the course must be approved by faculty in the discipline and the division chair to qualify for credit by examination. The Vice President of Academic Affairs grants final approval.

A maximum of 24 hours of credit by examination courses will quality for credit toward graduation from CCC. Academic credit will be awarded for credit by examination courses after the student has successfully completed 12 credit hours at CCC. 

A student indicating background knowledge in a college course offered by Colby Community College may contact the appropriate division chairperson to obtain information on credit by examination. The student must petition the Vice President of Academic Affairs for credit by examination. Credit by examination will not be given if the student has previously received credit for a more advanced course in the same discipline. 

A non-refundable $15 examination fee will be charged for each examination. The student will be required to be enrolled in the class for which he/she desires credit and pay the current standard rate for tuition and fees. The test fee and tuition and fees must be paid to the Student Accounts office before the examination.

 Following successful completion of 12 credit hours at CCC and successful completion of the examination, a grade of "CR" (credit) will be recorded on the transcript for the course which the student petitioned to receive credit by examination. It is the responsibility of the student to contact the transfer institution to determine its policy on institutional credit by exam coursework.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Colby Community College will accept credit for CLEP subject exams provided the student has successfully completed the exam(s) and has requested that credit be placed on the transcript. A list of approved CLEP subject exams is available in the Registrar's office. 

The student has the right to ask that the results of the CLEP exam not be included on the transcript, and the exam will not be used to satisfy graduation requirements. Credits received for CLEP exams may not be used for financial assistance eligibility. 

If the student does choose to include a CLEP Exam, the transcript will indicate the exam used to earn the credit. Credit hours will be placed on the transcript with a "P" for "Pass" grade and will be counted toward graduation requirements. 

Colby Community College does not guarantee transferability of any credits received via CLEP examination. A student will receive credit comparable to the courses offered by CCC as indicated by this policy. 

The student must complete 15 credit hours at CCC before any CLEP credits can be placed on the transcript. A maximum of 12 credit hours earned from CLEP exams may be included on the transcript for credit. 

The college will not require additional testing to verify the results of a CLEP exam. 

Colby Community College is not a test site. The student will pay all costs related to administering CLEP exams.

Military Service Credit

Colby Community College awards credit for military training and experience. Evaluation is based on recommendations given in "A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services" published by the American Council on Education as these recommendations apply to students degree programs. Credit hours will be placed on the transcript with a "P" for "Pass" and will be counted toward graduation requirements. 

Students must provide documentation of completion of training and of assignment to military duties. Please ensure all prior educational transcripts: DD-295, DD-214, Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript System (AARTS), Coast Guard Institute Transcripts, and Sailor/Marine/ American Council on Education Registry (SMART) are submitted for evaluation in a timely manner. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all transcripts are submitted to the Registrar. 

Academic credit earned for courses appearing on an official transcript from a regionally-accredited college will be evaluated according to college policies and accepted subject to the approval of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Transfer credits that are based on a different unit of credit than the one utilized by CCC are subject to conversion before being transferred. Only the official transcript and course evaluations performed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs are final. Any preliminary reviews by campus personnel are unofficial, not binding, and subject to change.

• All students must be enrolled in at least six hours at CCC and have declared a degree objective.
• The Vice President of Academic Affairs will review, and if applicable, seek advice from the responsible division chair and/or from full-time faculty to approve or disapprove the military credit.
• Students must complete at least 15 credit hours at CCC with at least a "C" before military credit will be awarded.

Advanced Placement Program

Colby Community College will accept credit for Advanced Placement exams provided that the student has successfully completed the exam(s) and has requested that credit be placed on the transcript. The student is responsible for requesting all examination results be sent to the Registrar. The Registrar will contact the appropriate division and/or program chair to determine credit eligibility. The student has the right to ask that the results of the Advanced Placement exam not be included on the transcript, in which case the exam cannot be used to satisfy graduation requirements. Natural Science exams will not satisfy laboratory science requirements.

Credits received for Advanced Placement exams may not be used for financial assistance eligibility. If a student does choose to include an Advanced Placement exam, the transcript will indicate the exam used to earn the credit. The student may also select either a letter grade based on the equivalency sheets on file in the Registrar's Office or a grade of "P" for "Pass." A student will receive credit comparable to the courses offered by Colby Community College as indicated by a current catalog.

The student must complete 15 credit hours at Colby Community College before any Advanced Placement credits will be placed on the transcript. A student may place no more than 12 credit hours on his/her transcript for credit earned by taking Advanced Placement exams. The college will not require additional testing to verify the results of an Advanced Placement exam. The student will pay all costs related to administering of the Advanced Placement exams. Colby Community College does not guarantee transferability of any credits received through AP examination.