GENERAL INFORMATION
Do you have questions, but not enough time to meet with a counselor or credentials evaluator? Are you unsure who you should
contact? E-mail questions to pla@ccs.spokane.edu.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP): Contact Admissions Office
Credit for minimum scores on Advanced Placement examinations given by the College Board is awarded upon receipt of official score
reports. Official scores reports should be submitted to the Transcript Office of SCC or SFCC. AP credit awards will not be granted if
the student is currently enrolled in or has successfully completed or earned credit for the course. (Refer to catalog for course
equivalencies.)
ARMED FORCES-MILITARY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Contact PLA Coordinator
The Armed Forces of the United States provide military personnel with a great variety of educational opportunities through formal
service school training programs and off-duty educational activities. Credit may be granted for satisfactory completion of the following
when it is specific and applicable to the student’s program or degree.
Military service including basic training.
Military service schools in the amount recommended by the American Council of Education (ACE) in the publication, “Guide to
the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces.”
United States Armed Forces Institute correspondence courses.
DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) using the minimum score and credit amount based on ACE credit
recommendations.
Portfolio Assessment. (Students who wish to pursue credit by portfolio must enroll in and successfully complete a portfolio class
GENST 105 or equivalent.)
ARTICULATION: Contact Admissions Office
Credit will be awarded to students who have met the requirements of an approved articulation agreement with SCC or SFCC. Official
score reports should be submitted to the Transcript Office of SCC or SFCC. Articulation requirements will be reviewed and verified by
the appropriate office or department.
CHALLENGE EXAMINATIONS: Contact PLA Coordinator
Students who wish to apply for a course challenge must be interviewed and approved through the instructional department. A course
may not be challenged if the student is currently enrolled in, has previously earned credit in, or has previously audited the CCS
course. Not all courses are available for challenge. Not all departments offer challenge exams.
COLLEGE LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM (CLEP): Contact Admissions Office
Community Colleges of Spokane will award credit for CLEP examinations as crosswalked in the CCS Catalog. When no specific
course number is listed, the most appropriate course equivalent is determined case by case by the appropriate department. (Refer to
catalog for course equivalencies.)
INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSURES: Contact PLA Coordinator
Individuals who have completed training through non-degree awarding agencies or institutions may apply for evaluation of credit.
Examples include recognized nursing and fire service training, law enforcement/corrections, or fire science academies and other
certifications or licenses. Official documentation of training or licensure is required. All certifications or licenses must be current and
valid, and training must be documented with ACE National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training. If training is not
documented with ACE, students should apply for credit using the PLA Portfolio and/or Challenge Examination methods.
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB): Contact Admissions Office
Community Colleges of Spokane will award credit for Higher Level International Baccalaureate exam as crosswalked in the CCS
Catalog. When no specific course number is listed, the most appropriate course equivalent is determined case by case by the
appropriate department faculty. (Refer to catalog for course equivalencies.)
PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA) PORTFOLIO: Contact PLA Coordinator
Students who wish to pursue credit by PLA Portfolio must enroll in and successfully complete a portfolio class (GENST 105 or
equivalent). Students should have justification for their requests, such as a high school or college transcripts or detailed resumes and
other pertinent documentation, prior to enrolling in the course. Normal credit charges apply for the portfolio course and a prior learning
portfolio assessment fee will be charged upon portfolio course completion for prior learning credit awarded.
A PLA Portfolio is detailed documentation illustrating what students have been taught and successfully mastered. The required
documentation varies from course to course, but may include samples of work, an essay explaining students’ experiences and
knowledge, or certificates showing successful completion of workshops or seminars.
In the portfolio class, faculty will help determine which courses are the best fit for the students’ skills and will help develop student
portfolios. The completed portfolio will be reviewed by subject matter faculty to determine what credit can be awarded. Once the
number of credits attempted is determined, students must pay the appropriate Prior Learning Portfolio Assessment fee.