Credit for Prior Learning

National standardized exams include:

• AP (Advance Placement) Exams.  AP exams are generally taken as part of an AP course a student completes while in high school.
• IB (International Baccalaureate). IB exams are taken at the end of an IB program a students takes while in high school.
• CLEP & DSST Exams. CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) and DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Test) allow students to earn credit for college courses by taking and passing exams in various subject areas.

Steps to Earn PLA Credit

1. Talk with your academic advisor to determine which exams are equivalent to courses required for your FRCC degree or certificate.  With your advisor, you'll also determine the minimum score needed to pass.
2. Complete the exam (if applicable).

3. Send us an official transcript. If you already passed the exam, have an official transcript sent to transfercredit@frontrange.edu or the FRCC Office of the Registrar on the campus you are interested in attending:

   • Boulder County: 2190 Miller Drive, Longmont, CO 80501
   • Larimer: 4616 S. Shields Street, Fort Collins, CO 80526
   • Westminster: 3645 West 112th Avenue, Westminster, CO 80031

Have questions? Email us at transfercredit@frontrange.edu

FRCC Course Equivalency Agreements are available for OSHA 10-Hour Certification, selective Highway Maintenance Management courses, selective Early Childhood Education courses, Medical Assistant apprenticeships, and more. Please work with your program director to learn more about these options.

For information about transferring military training credit, work with your veteran success coach, who can walk you through the process.

Challenge Exams

If none of the PLA methods listed above work for you, you can take a challenge exam or a portfolio developed and evaluated by FRCC faculty. The exam is equivalent to the final exam that assesses all competencies of the course. The format of the exam is at the discretion of the faculty and may be written, oral, demonstration or a combination of all three.

Portfolios

Similarly, Portfolios are intended to showcase your previous work and may include any of the other PLA credit methods, individual skill demonstrations, and/or narratives documenting learning. 

Challenge Exam/Portfolio Steps

1. Work with your academic advisor to identify the courses in your degree plan that you would like to attempt for credit. Search for the course description and competencies on the the Common Course Numbering System.
2. Complete the exam/portfolio.

Please Note: Challenge exams and portfolios may not be immediately available as it takes time to identify a subject matter expert and to develop the requirements. Often these processes take up to a semester, but may be longer in some cases.

• FRCC Course Equivalency Agreement*: No fees 
• Joint Services Transcript: No fees
• FRCC Challenge Exam: $45 per credit
• FRCC Portfolio: $65 per credit
• Proctor Fee (if the exam takes place at an FRCC Testing Center)

• You must be an FRCC student with a declared degree or certificate.
• The prior learning is equivalent to college level.
• PLA credit is awarded only for those courses required in your declared degree or certificate.
• You must not have ever been enrolled in the course that you are applying for PLA credit.
• You may not apply for PLA credit for a course in which you are currently enrolled.

• If a Standardized Exam (CLEP or DSST) exists for a course, this is the only method for which FRCC will award PLA.
• You must earn a minimum of 25% of the credits required for your certificate or degree program by taking FRCC courses. PLA credit does not apply toward the 25% FRCC residency requirement. Note: Challenge exams do count towards residency.
• Your Challenge Exam/Portfolio attempt may be voided if not completed by the end of the semester in which it is initiated.
• In order to earn PLA credit, you will need to demonstrate at least “C” level learning that is directly tied to the “C” level competency of the CCNS learning objectives.
• You may attempt to earn PLA credit only one time per course.
• PLA credit shown on your FRCC transcript will have a grade of “PLA”, which will not be calculated in your FRCC grade point average (GPA)
• Once PLA credit has been posted to your FRCC transcript, it cannot be removed. If you change your program of study (major), the credit will remain on your transcript, but may no longer count toward your degree or certificate requirements.
• PLA credit may satisfy prerequisite requirements using the same policy that applies to other course equivalencies.
• The credit will be transcripted for the same semester in which it was earned but the credit hour does not count as part of your total enrollment for purposes of financial aid or any other purpose predicated on total hours of enrollment for a given semester, nor can financial aid be used to pay any PLA fees.
• PLA credit cannot duplicate any previously awarded credit.
• If you do not pass a PLA assessment, no record of the PLA attempt will appear on your FRCC transcript.
• If you do not pass a Challenge Exam/Portfolio, you have the right to appeal by first resolving the disagreement with the instructor and then through the FRCC Transfer Credit Appeals Process.
• PLA fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
• Policies on awarding transfer credit vary from school to school. So please be sure to verify the PLA transfer policy of your school of choice, if you are planning to transfer.

• Course credits can affect financial aid status. Financial aid is awarded based on the number of credits you enroll in. Please contact Financial Aid to learn more about how course credits can affect financial aid status.
• Make an informed decision by studying your Degree Check. Your Degree Check shows your remaining credits needed along with your course options. Often times there are multiple course options available. Study your Degree Check making sure the course you would like to pursue for PLA credit works the best for your degree plan.