Many colleges award credit for prior learning (CPL) to individuals who have developed skills and knowledge that overlap with college coursework. The authors of this report provide guidance on promising outreach and intake practices for community college staff and leadership who oversee CPL. The authors’ findings from Ohio community colleges suggest the broad use of some promising approaches but also areas for improvement.

Awarding College Credit for Industry Credentials

Findings from Ohio Community Colleges on Outreach and Intake Practices

Elaine W. Leigh, Lindsay Daugherty

ResearchPublished Aug 26, 2025

Many colleges award credit for prior learning (CPL) to individuals who have developed skills and knowledge that overlap with college coursework. Prior learning may come from military training, on-the-job learning, noncredit coursework, and preparation for industry credentials. CPL can help provide on-ramps into college for new learners.

Colleges vary widely in the types of CPL they offer and in their processes for assessing CPL. Some states, such as Ohio, offer statewide articulation agreements to improve consistency in how colleges award CPL and increase student access to CPL. In 2021, the Ohio Department of Higher Education began to develop statewide articulation agreements for industry credentials.

State policies can be an important first step to streamlining CPL. But college outreach and intake practices continue to vary, and these practices can play a critical role in shaping student access to CPL. The authors identified seven promising CPL outreach and intake practices based on the literature and advisory group input. They then assessed whether and how Ohio community colleges were using these promising practices. This report aims to offer useful guidance to community college staff and leadership overseeing CPL in Ohio and across the country.

Key Findings

  • Community colleges have integrated Ohio’s new statewide agreements that award college credit for industry credentials into their existing outreach and intake processes for varying types of CPL.
  • The staff at Ohio community colleges frequently reported engaging in four of seven promising CPL practices: (1) maintaining a website with clear points of contact on CPL, (2) training frontline staff (admissions, academic advisors) on CPL, (3) providing one-on-one advising to students on CPL, and (4) awarding CPL credit on student transcripts within the first semester of enrollment.
  • The staff at Ohio community colleges less frequently reported engaging in three promising CPL practices: (1) systematically engaging employers in CPL outreach, (2) screening students for CPL at the time of enrollment, and (3) using data to inform program improvement.

Recommendations

  • Develop a website with clear language describing CPL opportunities and how that credit feeds into degree programs.
  • Hire designated staff to oversee CPL for the college and provide frontline staff (e.g., advisors, faculty) with training on CPL.
  • Engage employers and industry partners in outreach on CPL.
  • Systematically screen incoming students for CPL.
  • Provide one-on-one advising support to help students navigate the CPL process and ensure that CPL aligns with their college program.
  • Ensure that CPL is immediately placed on student transcripts with no additional fees for students.
  • Examine CPL data to inform program improvement and outreach efforts.

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Leigh, Elaine W. and Lindsay Daugherty, Awarding College Credit for Industry Credentials: Findings from Ohio Community Colleges on Outreach and Intake Practices. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2025. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4071-1.html.
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