New improvements by CollegeSource broaden support for alternative credit, making evaluations simpler and clearer.
Alternative credit, also known as Credit for Prior Learning or non-traditional credit, refers to the recognition of college-level knowledge acquired outside of the traditional classroom setting. While Higher Ed hasn’t settled on a universal term, they all encompass policies and programs aimed at evaluating and awarding students credit for what they already know.
Alternative learning comes in a variety of formats. Individuals may have trained through military organizations like the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, and Navy. They may demonstrate skills through industry certifications, apprenticeships, internships, or on-the-job training. Their learning can be demonstrated through the results of standardized exams, such as Advanced Placement (AP), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), DSST, and International Baccalaureate (IB).
While CollegeSource products already support many types of learning, we have been working to expand our offerings to make the evaluation of alternative credit easier and more transparent.
Addition of apprenticeships to TES®
TES, the Transfer Evaluation System™, now includes a comprehensive dataset of U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeships. These programs, ranging from subjects such as IT to healthcare, construction, and manufacturing, offer structured, hands-on learning experiences. According to the Department of Labor, the number of registered apprenticeships has nearly doubled over the past decade, with more than 950,000 participants served in FY2025.
The addition of this data to TES will enable institutions to assess how these programs align with coursework, with decisions recorded in a centralized system to maintain consistency, increase transparency, and promote equity.
Alternative credit search in TES
Recently, we released an enhancement to make alternative credit sources more visible in TES. In Course Finder, when a user begins a search, they have the option to toggle a radio button to display a list of the alternative data sources. This improvement streamlines the ability for schools to identify, research, and make decisions about these types of learning.
TES users can now search for alternative credit sources, such as Sophia Learning, using the new Alt Credit radio button in Course Finder.
Launch of the Data Partner Program
We recently launched a Data Partner Program to connect directly with organizations that deliver courses eligible for evaluation and potential award of college credit. The data partners provide the data for inclusion in our database, which allows it to be visible in TES, Transferology, and uAchieve (for institutions on 5.x versions, featuring TES Mode). Potential data suppliers must be endorsed by an institution of higher education (one accepting the credits of the supplier) to be included.
Our first official partner, Sophia Learning, offers over 70 self-paced courses reviewed by the American Council on Education (ACE) and recognized by hundreds of institutions. This partnership provides schools with immediate access to Sophia’s data, streamlining the process of evaluating and building equivalencies for students who complete Sophia courses.
We encourage institutions to utilize TES to establish equivalencies for these alternative credit sources, even if not all courses will be granted credit. Doing so increases transparency and provides more clarity for students and staff. In addition to considering the ACE recommendation, TES users can utilize the Peer EQ functionality to see how other schools are evaluating these types of learning.
Alt credit in the spotlight
During our 8th annual Transfer Week Webinar Series, over 500 people tuned in live to listen to our panel session “Unlocking Credit for Prior Learning: Policies, Practices, and Partnerships,” illustrating the interest from our community in understanding and evaluating these different types of learning. To watch the recording, simply register on our Transfer Week Webinar Series website.
Additionally, our Let’s Talk Transfer community discussion series features relevant transfer topics, including non-traditional credit and a recent highlight on military credit evaluation held on November 18, 2025. The series is open to all college and university staff who support or are interested in learning more about transfer. Register now to participate in future sessions and watch past Let’s Talk Transfer sessions.
Feedback
All of these initiatives came directly from our user community, and we are eager to continue our work in this space. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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