How To Get College Credit If You Studied Abroad

THE ADVANTAGES OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Higher Earnings:

Undeniably, there are a scores of people who have taken the unconventional route in education but nevertheless lead very successful lives. Largely, however, labor market success is still closely dependent on having postsecondary education. A college degree opens up more career options and the opportunity to earn more.

People who have earned a bachelor’s degree typically earn 50 percent more a year than those armed with just a high school diploma. Those who have an associate’s degree will still have a 30 percent advantage over those without, while those with some college units but no degree still earn 16 percent more than those with only a high school diploma.

Better Quality of Life:

Studies show that higher education likewise improves a person’s quality of life. Compared to those who have completed only secondary education, those with college degrees tend to have longer life spans. This could be due to greater access to health care, and more awareness of better dietary and health practices.

In addition, because of a higher earning capacity, college graduates also enjoy greater economic stability. The advantages do not only benefit the individual alone, but extend to the society as a whole. Further, due to larger incomes, those with a college degree naturally pay higher taxes and have less dependency on the government’s assistance.

The Challenges For An Immigrant

Leaving the motherland is hard enough for immigrants. Working to fit into American society can be challenging where customs are different from what a non-native-born American is used to. It becomes doubly difficult if the immigrant’s native tongue is not English.

Even worse, despite being well-educated in their native country, immigrants come to the United States and end up working in jobs way below their qualifications. We’ve often heard of immigrant doctors working as nurse assistants, or engineers, not building roads or bridges but being on the road as cab drivers, or certified public accountants working the cash the register.

To be competitive in the labor market, it would serve immigrants well to obtain a US college degree. But what does an immigrant do with the knowledge that they have already acquired? Do they have to take classes they have already taken and mastered prior to immigrating to the US? Is it possible to obtain credit for the education that they have already obtained abroad?

Earning College Credits For Education Obtained Abroad

An option to solve this dilemma is through Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs). This set of assessments measure what an individual has learned outside of the college classroom. Or in the case of an immigrant - outside of a US college classroom. The learning is evaluated whether it is college level, then its is given a corresponding number of college credits. Students who are able to earn credit through PLA may save time by not having to take college subjects that they have already have mastery of.

Prior Learning Assessment does not only use one method or tools. There are multiple choices. Among them are following below offered through Simplex United:

• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Exams - These are tests of college level subjects, administered by the College Board
• DSST Credit by Exam Program - This was once known as the DANTES Program. It tests knowledge of both lower-level and upper-level college material through 38 exams.
• National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) - Over 100 Prior Learning Assessments are offered by the Nocti Business Solutions. NCCRS assessments are accepted by 1500+ participating colleges and universities nationalwide
• American Council on Education (ACE) recommended Internet and Computing Core, Microsoft Office and Adobe Certification exams for college credits

Student Assistance Available For Immigrants

There are many student assistance options available for new Americans wishing to pursue their dream of an American education.

• Western Union Foundation Family Scholarship Program. This is a new scholarship available for immigrants and their families. It is designed to help two members of the same family through college. This scholarship offers $1,000 to $5,000 per family. To be considered for this scholarship, the recipients must be 18 years or older and must have resided in these places Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, New York, Washington, or Miami for seven years or less.
• Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. This supports up to two years of graduate study in the US and each award can go to as much as a total of $90,000. This is given to new Americans who are not yet 31 years old, a college senior or a holder of a bachelor’s degree.
• New Immigrant Scholarship is offered by the National Network of Presbyterian College Women to new immigrant women wishing to pursue a college education. This is for women aged 18 to 25 who have been living in the US for five years or less. It is a scholarship worth $1500 and is granted through an essay contest.
• Dream Scholarship Fund offered by the Catholic Community Foundation to help immigrant students pay for college education. This is awarded to high school seniors with a cumulative 2.0 GPA. They must live in the same state for which they are applying for college.

As you now know, not having an American college degree is a problem that can be resolved through some work, and knowing the resources available to give an immigrant a leg up and credit for knowledge already acquired.