NONTRADITIONAL EDUCATION:

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO EARN YOUR CREDENTIALS

So, you think college is no place for adults? Think again.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the percentage of 25- to 34-year olds enrolled as college undergraduates increased by nearly one-third between 1972 and 1994. In the even shorter period between 1976 and 1994, the percentage of undergraduates age 35 and older increased by about one-third.

Students returning to school as adults bring more varied experience to their studies than do the teenagers who begin college shortly after graduating from high school. As a result, there are numerous programs for students with nontraditional learning curves. Hundreds of colleges and universities grant degrees to people who cannot attend classes at a regular campus or have already learned what the college is supposed to teach.

You can earn nontraditional education credits in many ways:

• Passing standardized exams,
• Demonstrating knowledge gained through experience,
• Completing campus-based coursework, and
• Taking courses off-campus.

Some methods of assessing learning for credit are objective, such as standardized tests. Others are more subjective, such as a review of life experiences.

With some help from four hypothetical characters-Alice, Vin, Lynette, and Jorge- this article describes nontraditional ways of earning educational credit. It begins by describing programs in which you can earn a high school diploma without spending 4 years in a classroom. The college picture is more complicated, so it is presented in two parts: one on gaining credit for what you know through course work or experience, and a second on college degree programs. The final section lists resources for locating more information. The steps you need to take to turn your educational dreams into a diploma or degree are outlined in the accompanying box, "Roadmap to a Degree." more...