Leading Students to Golden Opportunities in CPL Makes Credit Predictor Pro a ‘Gold Mine’ in Higher Ed Lead Gen

How important is credit for prior learning (CPL) to Thomas Edison State University’s (TESU) mission? “It is our mission,” said Dr. Jeffrey Harmon, vice provost for strategic initiatives and institutional effectiveness and interim dean at TESU. “It’s really been a part of our DNA since our inception.”

In the case of TESU, that’s not an overstatement. The university was founded in 1972 as a degree aggregator. From transfer credit to portfolio assessment, its focus from day one has been on helping adult learners build a brighter future out of their past learning. (Unsurprisingly, it was one of 10 founding CAEL members.)

Today, CPL usage continues to grow at TESU. It awards about 300,000 CPL credits annually, said Harmon, a number that the university has managed to increase each year—even in those that saw enrollment declines, thanks to the hundreds of CPL sources TESU has proactively evaluated and crosswalked to credit. Professional Learning Reviews are a major force behind the university’s success in scaling CPL. The PLR model assesses prior learning on the program level with industry partners.

The more CPL options, the better for students. CPL can significantly reduce the time and money students must invest in completing a degree. CPL also boosts adult learners’ odds of graduating. But more choices can also mean more complexity in a process that is already daunting to many adult learners.

“We offer so many options for converting prior learning to college credit that it can be very difficult for someone to wade through hundreds, if not thousands, of opportunities to convert what they've done elsewhere into college credit,” said Harmon. Even some students who are already enrolled at TESU miss out on CPL because they overlooked opportunities, he said. Documenting CPL is a detailed and nuanced process that requires precise information, such as start and end dates, verifiable completion documents, and more.

To offer a more seamless and simplified CPL onboarding experience, TESU turned to Credit Predictor Pro, adding CAEL’s web-based solution to its suite of CPL resources in February 2024. Credit Predictor Pro helps colleges and universities streamline the CPL process and increase its reach, guiding students through the process of documenting their work and learning experiences prior to -- or in between -- their college years.

Whether students are already enrolled or still considering TESU, Credit Predictor Pro provides an accessible starting point for capturing their full CPL potential. By populating Credit Predictor Pro with the myriad CPL options TESU offers, the university allows students to “self select” the prior learning pathways that are a fit as they complete the CPL intake process, said Harmon. “Everything's loaded in there. People can get in there and just start scrolling through the many options that we offer.”

Integrated with the TESU website, Credit Predictor Pro is keeping CPL “front and center” and helping the university maximize CPL as a recruiting asset, said Harmon. “It oriented CPL as a critical method for attracting students, which is exactly what we wanted it to do. It has helped students understand the process that they have to use to send us the right documentation so we can provision the credit.”

In the process of conveying the many pathways at TESU that lead to recognition of prior learning, Credit Predictor Pro is leading more students to consider the university. More than 2,000 people have engaged with the tool in the 1 ½ years it has been in use.

For Harmon, who oversaw lead generation at another institution, Credit Predictor Pro’s recruiting potential was its biggest selling point. It has lived up to his expectations. “From a purely value proposition perspective for lead gen, I think it’s been phenomenal.”

Phenomenally efficient, as it turns out. Credit Predictor Pro’s fixed cost has translated into an average cost per lead of under $10. “That's really good in higher ed lead generation,” said Harmon, who has seen costs per lead of more than $1,000 in other campaigns.

Their cost of acquisition may be low, but Credit Predictor Pro leads are highly qualified. “Credit Predictor Pro talks about languages, it talks about military training, it talks about professional and para-professional workplace training, and it even has a resume drop-in tool and skill extraction technology,” said Harmon. “This is a gold mine of information for any recruiter. It's also a gold mine for any admissions or advisor staff at the institution.”

CPL students are, of course, looking to mine what they hope is a treasure trove of their own: their prior learning experiences. At TESU, the CPL opportunities might seem countless. Thanks to its partnership with CAEL, students can get a clearer picture of just how much their prior learning could count for college credit.

More information about Credit Predictor Pro is available at cael.org. To request a demo, email Scott Campbell at scampbell@cael.org.