The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is among 19 higher education organizations endorsing a national effort to make it easier for students to receive credit for learning they have already completed, whether through previous college coursework, military service, work experience, dual enrollment, apprenticeships or industry-recognized credentials.
The initiative stems from recommendations developed by the Learning Evaluation and Recognition for the Next Generation (LEARN) Commission, convened by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) and Sova. The commission is urging colleges and universities to adopt a new default approach to evaluating prior learning: “Start from Yes,” rather than beginning with skepticism about whether previous learning should count toward a credential.
“Adopting the ‘Start from Yes’ approach is not only the right thing to do to serve today’s learners; it is also a strategic necessity for institutions,” AACRAO Executive Director Melanie Gottlieb said in a release. “By recognizing and validating learning acquired, colleges and universities can build more efficient, transparent pathways to credentials. This shift empowers learners to succeed while strengthening the long-term vitality and relevance of our institutions.”
Other organizations signing the joint statement released on Wednesday include the American Council on Education, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Higher Learning Commission and several regional accreditors. AACROA invites other associations, institutions and organizations to sign on.
A significant barrier for students
The joint statement argues that outdated credit-transfer and learning-evaluation practices have become significant barriers for many learners. According to a national survey cited in the statement, four in 10 adult Americans have attempted to transfer credit, and 65% reported a negative experience such as being required to repeat courses or losing credit toward a degree. Sixteen percent said they abandoned their college plans because the process was too difficult.
For community colleges, the issue is especially important. More than one-third of all undergraduates transfer institutions, and millions of students move between community colleges and universities each year. Yet transfer outcomes remain challenging. The LEARN Commission report notes that while 80% of students who start at community colleges aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, only 16% achieve that goal within six years.
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Learning-evaluation systems have not kept pace with modern student pathways, the commission says. Today’s learners increasingly accumulate college-level learning through multiple sources, including dual enrollment, workforce training, military experience, online learning and short-term credentials. The report argues that colleges should focus on whether students have achieved learning outcomes rather than where or how that learning occurred.
Key recommendations
Among its recommendations, the commission calls for institutions to simplify transfer-credit reviews, establish transparent and publicly accessible course-equivalency databases, communicate credit decisions more quickly, use data to improve transfer outcomes and leverage technology and artificial intelligence to streamline evaluations. The report also recommends that once a transfer-credit determination is made, it should become a precedent for future students with the same coursework.
The joint statement describes learning mobility as both a student-success imperative and an economic necessity. As demographic shifts reduce the number of traditional-age college students and employers increasingly seek workers with postsecondary education and skills, the commission argues that recognizing prior learning can help students complete credentials faster while strengthening institutional enrollment and workforce outcomes.
