Credit for Prior Learning Act

The Credit for Prior Learning Act allows students to use federal financial aid funds to pay for assessments that recognize skills learned outside of traditional classrooms. Specifically, it adds an allowance of up to $2,000 per award year to the cost of attendance calculation, which can cover test fees and other reasonable expenses associated with these evaluations. To qualify, the assessment must be based on generally accepted criteria and result in academic credit without requiring additional coursework. The bill also requires colleges to publicly disclose data on how many students receive this credit and the average number of credits awarded, broken down by race, income, and Pell Grant status.