How do ACE credits work?

These credits are offered to students by way of the American Council on Education, or ACE.  The organization is one of the primary higher education leaders in the country. ACE evaluates nontraditional learning experiences delivered outside the classroom and then offers recommendations for potential college credit.

Established in 1918, the nonprofit includes members of nearly 1,600 accredited higher education institutions. In addition to providing recommendations regarding academic credits, the organization plays a role in shaping education policy and seeks to build public trust in postsecondary education.

Organizations that offer educational programs or experiences can request evaluation by ACE. These might be corporate training, alternative credit providers or national testing providers, for example. ACE can assess the learning opportunities for outcomes that are equivalent to college-level learning and then make recommendations to consider awarding college credit for them. By having a streamlined transfer option, students can stay on track to finish their degree or certification programs in a timely manner.

On the official ACE website, students can check how their previous credits, courses or training may be worthy of college credit. ACE’s National Guide allows students to search for previous courses, exams, apprenticeships or organizations, to best determine how one credit or course could be leveraged in higher education. Additionally, if a prospective student has taken coursework through their employer or an alternative credit provider (such as Study.com, Straighterline.com or Sophia.com), those credits could be eligible for an ACE credit transfer as well.

ACE credits can come from:

• Military training and experience
• Nonprofit organizations
• Apprenticeships
• Employer training and certification programs
• Standardized tests such as AP or CLEP
• Government agencies

Just bear in mind that what ACE recommends is only that: a suggestion. Institutions decide for themselves whether to accept the recommendation.

Colleges and universities typically have transfer credit policies established and available to their enrolled and incoming students.

If you have a learning experience that you think could be eligible for college credit (based on the ACE National Guide), talk to your institution about whether it welcomes ACE recommendations. If it does, you can find out what documentation you’ll need to provide for the institution to evaluate and potentially award credit. It may be a transcript or other documentation that demonstrates your successful completion of that learning experience.  

In the case of alternative credit providers, such as Sophia.com, students won’t necessarily know or see the role that ACE plays. But ACE is at work in the background, evaluating the learning experience to ascertain whether to recommend it for college credit. It’s up to the receiving institution to decide whether to accept the experience and award college credit.  

Veterans and military students can also visit the  ACE Military Guide, which provides additional insights into how military training and experience could transfer into course credits. The Military Guide is the only source of information for courses and occupations evaluated for the military and evaluates programs and certifications dating back to 1954. Because the institution ultimately decides whether to accept military training as higher education credit, it’s usually advisable for students with military experience to work with their preferred school to see if ACE credits might apply and whether the school accepts them.