DANTES Prior Learning Assessment (PLA

Study Covering 25% Of Military Students Shows $110m In TA Cost Avoidance!

In the education world, we know there is a big difference between college credits that are recommended and the credits that are applied to a degree. DANTES Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) programs generate recommended credits for evaluated military training, occupations, and experience through the assessment of prior learning (College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or DSST). Whether from the Military Training Evaluation Program or the Credit-by-Exam program, these recommended credits are documented on service members’ Joint Service Transcript (JST), as well as the Community College of the Air Force transcripts. While the credits generated through these programs are deemed equivalent to those earned by attending in-person courses, academic institutions determine whether the credits will fulfill specific course requirements on service member degree plans. To better understand the value of these PLA programs, DANTES studied how recommended credits were being applied at the institution level. DANTES reached out to eight schools to determine if DANTES-Generated credit was received and if those credits were applied. With data representing 74,002 Military students, who make up 26% of Tuition Assistance (TA) participants, the answer was eye-opening and truly underscored the value of Education Counseling and the PLA programs. A few of the key takeaways from the data provided by this subset of schools, which covered 25% of annual TA funding: • In Academic Year (AY) 2021, more credits were applied to degree plans via PLA than through TA

Funding. • PLA generated credits helped DoD avoid $110M in Military TA costs • Class of 2021 military students using DANTES

PLA programs graduating from these schools saved an average of $7,742 and 20 months over the course of their degrees.

Lets talk about the STEM degrees. Military students are having more interest in STEM degrees. DANTES tracked the breakdown between graduate, undergraduate, and STEM degrees. In the eight schools that we collected data from, there were 12,780 degrees awarded to service members in academic year 2021.

Pilot Schools Military Student Graduating Class:

BACHELOR

71% Completed their Undergraduate Degree

11% Completed their Graduate Degree

STEM MASTER

17% Completed a STEM Degree

While many people associate PLA credits with lower division or general education, DANTES wanted to evaluate where military courses and College Level Examination Program (CLEP)/DSST credits are applied for those service members pursuing a Graduate degree or a degree classified as Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM, as classified by the VA). More than 36,000 PLA-generated course credits were applied to graduate degrees, and more than 115,000 PLA-generated credits were applied to STEM degrees. For every three credits applied for non-STEM courses, one credit was applied for STEM. The total value of these credits was $37.8M.

AY21 PLA DOLLAR VALUE-BY SERVICE AY21 PLA DOLLAR VALUE- BY SERVICE

$60,000,000.00

$50,000,000.00 Plus $5,802,250

Plus $4,509,750

$40,000,000.00

$30,000,000.00 USA TA Avoidance, $46,504,500

$20,000,000.00

$10,000,000.00 Plus $3,909,750 USAF TA Avoidance, $42,314,000

Plus $2,761,500

USN TA Avoidance, $25,283,250 USMC TA Avoidance, $16,195,500 USCG TA Avoidance, $2,758,500

Plus $1,954,000

$0.00

Army Navy Marine Corps Air Force Coast Guard

Credit Value Applied to Active DutyCredit Value Applied to Armed Services Additional Credit Value Applied to Veterans Additional Credit Value Applied to Veterans who have Separated

CV-19 Pandemic’s Impact on the Credit-by-Exam Program: Two Years Later

The Coronavirus Pandemic 2019 created major disruptions for the Credit-by-Exam program, as 95% of on-base National Test Centers (NTCs) closed to comply with local restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. Testing fell quickly to just four percent of normal levels, and DANTES initiated weekly reporting of NTC status and volume. Throughout CV-19 reporting, monthly volume remained well below average levels throughout the Summer of 2020. Over the next few months, ~20 on-base institutions submitted written notice to permanently close and disestablish their NTCs, citing state and university prohibitions for in-person delivery as well as the budgetary impacts of COVID-19.

While many NTCs have since reopened, two years later we have not reached pre-COVID levels.

Exam Volume

CV19 (2020-2022) Pre-CV19 (17-19) AVG

9000 8000 7000 8058

6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 321 5537

3308

0 Mar-20 May-20 Jul-20 Sep-20Nov-20 Jan-21 Mar-21 May-21 Jul-21 Sep-21Nov-21 Jan-22 Mar-22

By the end of 2020, the percentage of active CONUS NTCs rose to 50%. Exam volume in the post-COVID era continues to be much lower than in the years prior to the pandemic. DANTES is currently providing roughly 50% fewer exams than we did before COVID. The majority of test volume occurs at on-base NTCs, so this decline in volume is likely linked to the number of open on-base NTCs.

Some Education Counselors are teaming up with base schools to host Grand Reopening events for their NTCs. This can be done with a Prep-a-Thon or in coordination with an Education Fair or other base event. If you would like more information on hosting a Prep-a-Thon, please reach out to dantes_pla@navy.mil.

90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% % Of Active On-Base NTCs

Pre-Covid: 85%

# of NTCs Active # of NTCs with 0 Volume 58%

Mar-20 Apr-20 6% May-20 Jun-20 Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20 Jan-21 Feb-21

100

0

Mar-21 Apr-21 May-21 Jun-21 Jul-21 Aug-21 Sep-21 Oct-21 Nov-21 Dec-21 Jan-22 Feb-22 Mar-22

% of Active On- Base NTCs (CONUS) % of Active On-Base NTCs (Global) Goal

We would like to thank the following schools for sharing data in support of our study (listed alphabetically)

• Columbia Southern University • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University • Excelsior College • Park University • Southern New Hampshire University • University of Arizona Global Campus • University of Maryland Global Campus • Waldorf University

DISCLAIMER OF ENDORSEMENT: The information provided in this list is for informational purposes only and neither constitutes nor implies any endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of any entity, product, service, or organization by any part of the Department of Defense.

College Board Remote Proctoring Update

DANTES-funded test takers can schedule their remote-proctored CLEP exams with Proctortrack. Test takers who’ve already created a Proctortrack profile can log in and choose an available date and time slot to take their exam. For those who don’t have a Proctortrack profile yet, follow the steps to create one on the What to Expect with Remote Proctoring page. Students must have a PC or laptop (no Macs), an internal/external speaker and microphone, a camera, and, if taking notes during the exam, a whiteboard with a dry erase marker or one sheet of paper in a transparent sheet protector with a dry erase marker. They must also be alone in a private room. All 34 CLEP exams are available to take using the remote proctoring program. As with first attempts at CLEP exams, remote proctoring fees are covered by DANTES. However, DANTES doesn’t pay the exam fee or the remote proctoring fee for a previously funded CLEP exam.

Prometric Remote Proctoring Update

Prometric supports service members and their families through partnerships with professional certification and licensure programs, in addition to the well-known credit by exam program, DSST.

Throughout the past two years, access to testing has been a challenge. To provide greater flexibility, remote proctoring has truly changed the testing industry. While remote proctoring has been around for many years, the rapid shift to this option has enabled programs, including DSST, to continue testing globally throughout lockdowns and restrictions.