Using college credit for work experience to reduce cost

By Jared Morison

The rising cost of education has put lawmakers on their feet in a quest to find measures that will help to reduce the cost of tertiary education. One effective method that has been identified is to spread out this type of education by extending it to online institutions of higher learning. Online universities are famed for the high quality low-cost  education option they offer.

An even cheaper source of obtaining a degree online is the college credit for work experience based degree program. In this program, the individual earns academic credits that would normally be obtained only from spending time in the classroom by simply presenting his or her work experience to an institution of higher learning.

While most people are bent on dragging down the college credit for work experience degree program, the truth of this degree program cannot be buried as more and more people are getting to know the real value of this form of education.

Lawmakers in Colorado are the latest group of high profile personalities to endorse the college credit for work experience degree program. The major reason that has influenced the decision of these lawmakers is the cost of financing experienced based degrees. Experienced based degrees are by far a cheaper form of tertiary education than the traditional system.

According to the decision by the lawmaking body in Colorado, institutions of higher learning will be encouraged to award college credits for work experience. Under this scheme, traditional universities will have to create departments similar to their distance learning units that would only be required to assess the life experience of degree seekers in order to create academic credits out of work experience. Once this scheme is fully accepted by the majority of colleges, it will help to significantly cut down on the time required to complete tertiary education. Reduction in the duration will further lead to a drastic reduction in education costs.

Who will benefit?

There are no specific individuals who would stand to benefit from the extension of the work experience degree program to cover all traditional institutions. This is because irrespective of your area of operation, the non formal education program that has helped to make you an expert in your field of work has its academic equivalent. For this reason, your work experience will earn you a suitable academic degree in the shortest possible time. It is hoped that when fully passed, the bill will support military personnel who have undergone several tour of duties serving in various capacities within the Armed Forces to earn academic degrees that will assist them to take on a particular career path when their time in the military is over.

The benefits of this program go far beyond the reach of the degree holder as the entire society stands to benefit from it as well. This is because by allowing individuals with the right knowledge to earn degrees based on their work experience, we are able to keep a strong workforce in the job market. These people would be able to render valuable services for the benefit of the society.

Jared Morison is an ex-marine whose main duty is to explore the career opportunities opened to the men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice for their countries.