Accreditor Policies on Credit for Prior Learning (CPL): Guidance on CPL Provided by the Formerly Regional Accreditors, Career-Based Accreditors, and Faith-Related Accreditors

At a time when postsecondary institutions are designing and expanding their CPL program offerings, it is critical to keep in mind any parameters that are established by various policy-makers, including relevant accreditors. Complementing the state CPL policy database that CAEL and ACE released earlier this year, this report focuses primarily on the CPL policies of the accreditors once known as “regional accreditors”: 

• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) (formerly NEASC)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC)

In addition, the report contains details about CPL policies established by Career-Related Accreditors and Faith-Related Accreditors.