Inside Higher Ed published a great piece  on Prior Learning Assessment awhile ago. PLA has been gaining in popularity at colleges and universities. PLA is a great option for adult students who are looking to start a college degree. Unlike CLEP (College-Level Examination Program), which also provides students college credit for life experience, you are not sitting for a subject based test. PLA requires the student to research and write a paper on the subject incorporating their knowledge on the topic.

The article provides great information on what PLA involves and includes YouTube videos of adult students sharing their experiences and insights on their own PLA projects. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/08/02/look-students-who-have-earned-credit-prior-learning

Within the past year Cooper Union College in New York has made the decision to forgo its long held tradition of being tuition free. It was one of a handful of colleges in this country that is tuition free. The Chronicle of Higher Education printed a thought provoking editorial discussing what is lost as a result of this policy change. You can read it at: http://chronicle.com/section/Home/5

Do you think CU made the right decision?