Read stories about programs CAEL has designed and implemented for adult students.
CHALLENGE: Most Americans do not go from high school to college and leave four years later with a degree. Life gets in the way. Some start college but never finish; others can never afford the time or money to even start. Still others simply weren't ready, or went into the military, or didn't know what to do. Years later, these people have a tremendous amount of life experience, but no degree to prove what they know to potential employers. These learners need to complete their degrees to be successful. RESPONSE: CAEL built LearningCounts.org, which provides: Advice from a College Credit Specialist Students talk about their background and interests, and together, determine the fastest and most affordable path to finish their degree. Enroll in a Course Our online portfolio courses help students learn how to demonstrate the college-level learning they acquired through work, volunteering or military service. We offer instructor-led and do-it-yourself courses. Portfolio Development and Assessment Using what they have learned in our courses, they create an online knowledge portfolio that matches their knowledge and experience to college-equivalent courses. Once they have completed their online portfolio, a member of our expert faculty assesses the portfolio and recommends it for college credit. Students can earn up to 12 undergraduate credit hours for each portfolio they submit. Predict Potential to Earn College Credit Students can also use the prior learning credit predictor for free to estimate how many college credits they may be able to earn. Transfer Credit Recommendations CAEL is now partnering with universities to directly award college credit based on its LearningCounts assessments of knowledge learned outside the classroom. Alamo Colleges, Bellevue University, the Indiana Institute of Technology, the New England College of Business, North Iowa Area Community College, Roosevelt University and Southern New Hampshire University have already signed on to the new process, which will streamline the credit acceptance and reduce transcription costs for students. COLLABORATORS: An advisory group of Prior Learning Assessment theorists and practitioners from a wide variety of institutions helped launch LearningCounts.org. LearningCounts Partner colleges have made it a reality for their students and other learners. “No one in the world of Prior Learning Assessment is more respected than CAEL and SNHU is happy to accept CAEL’s credit recommendations directly. They are the experts. They have unassailable integrity and an unmatched track record of almost 40 years in this area. They invented PLA.” - Paul LeBlanc, President, Southern New Hampshire University
Jill Powell talks about LearningCounts.org
Houston Endowment supports nonprofit organizations and educational institutions that produce and maximize enduring benefits for the people of the greater Houston area.
Lumina Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in Indianapolis in August 2000. Lumina is committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college. In fact, we are the nation’s largest foundation dedicated exclusively to increasing students’ access to and success in postsecondary education. Our misison is defined by Goal 2025–to increase the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025.
The Kresge Foundation is a $3.1 billion private, national foundation headquartered in Metropolitan Detroit, in the suburb community of Troy.
The Brown Foundation, Inc. was founded in July 1951 by Herman and Margarett Root Brown and George R. and Alice Pratt Brown.
Established in 1977, the State Street Foundation is the charitable grantmaking arm of State Street Corporation.
The Joyce Foundation supports the development of policies that both improve the quality of life for people in the Great Lakes region and serve as models for the rest of the country.
CAEL's innovative higher education platform that rigorously assesses college-level learning acquired from outside the traditional classroom for potential college credit.
USA Funds® is a nonprofit corporation that works to enhance postsecondary education preparedness, access and success by providing and supporting financial and other valued services.
The Walmart Foundation meets the needs of the underserved by directing charitable giving our core areas of focus: Hunger Relief & Healthy Eating, Sustainability, Women's Economic Empowerment and Career Opportunity.
CHALLENGE: The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce reports that the U.S. will need 22 million new college degrees by 2018 — but will fall short of that number by at least 3 million postsecondary degrees, associates or better. The U.S. will also need at least 4.7 million new workers with postsecondary certificates. RESPONSE: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has introduced and endorsed Complete the Degree; a free service, led by local non-profits with a commitment to educational success. With a broad network of partners and participating universities to provide additional support, direction and resources; Complete the Degree ensures a collaborative and thorough strategy in helping adults return to college. For those who have previously attended college and earned some college credits, Complete the Degree services are free and include the following:
One-on-one planning and personalized guidance Support in getting credit for previous education and life experience Guidance with scholarship, grant and loan applications Assistance with the college application process and re-enrollment Advice and support accessing financial aid resources Guidance with the student loan rehabilitation process and default issues Academic support and skill development Information about Chicago-area colleges and universities and select programs
There is no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” roadmap to college completion. Complete the Degree advisors will work with you one-on-one, providing a customized plan and consistent support as you take on the challenges of managing adult responsibilities while completing college courses. Whether you have just a handful of college credits or you are only a few classes away from graduating, Complete the Degree will help you get back on track to complete your degree.
CHALLENGE: State policymakers care now, perhaps more than ever before, about the educational attainment of their states’ working populations. They also care about the responsiveness of educational systems in their states to the needs of adult learners. But relatively few have the data they need to understand how their states are doing in developing and educating its citizens. RESPONSE: CAEL teamed with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to provide states with the information needed to assess state performance on adult learning and identify where to direct future strategies. The comprehensive report outlines the state of adult learning in the U.S. It also includes state-by-state comparisons across multiple areas, a two-page profile of adult learners in each state, and a policy guide for state education leaders and policy makers. This project has been funded by a generous grant from Lumina Foundation for Education. Click on the links below to see a two-page profile of adult learners in your state: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming