To be eligible to apply for Prior Learning credit, a student must be admitted to Virginia Western and officially placed in a program of study.

There is no limit to the number of credits that may be awarded through Prior Learning credit, with the exception of previous experiential portfolio learning credit. Credit for previous experiential portfolio learning may be awarded for no more than 25% of the credit hours required for a certificate or degree. In addition, credit achieved through Prior Learning may not be used to fulfill the graduation residency requirement. A minimum of 25% of the credit required in the graduation curriculum must be earned at Virginia Western.

Prior learning credits will appear as Virginia Western-equivalent courses or elective (EEE) courses for which credit has been earned. The source of the credit is clearly shown on the transcript.

Prior learning credits will be listed on the student’s transcript with a grade of T. These grades will not affect the student’s GPA.

Financial aid cannot be used to pay for credit for prior learning. Students should check with financial aid sources for the possible impact of outside reimbursement for these courses.

All accepted Prior Learning credits will be acknowledged and recorded on the student’s permanent record with the transferring agency or other source of credit identified. No unsuccessfully attempted Prior Learning applications or examination results will be recorded on the student’s permanent record.

Please note that once a student takes a Virginia Western course, he or she may not substitute the course grade with credit awarded for prior-learning assessment.