A New "Take the Credit" Campaign Turns Nevada Adults' Work and Military Experience Into College Credit

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If you started college and never finished, the skills you picked up at work or in the military may now count toward your degree. The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) just launched "Take the Credit," a statewide campaign that shows adults how to turn real-world learning into college credit at UNLV, the College of Southern Nevada, Nevada State University and the other public schools in Nevada.

That matters for a lot of people in Las Vegas. NSHE says about 320,000 Nevada adults have some college credit, are not enrolled right now, and never earned a degree. The idea behind the campaign is simple. If you already know the material, you should not have to pay for the class and sit through it again.

The program is called Credit for Prior Learning, or CPL. It is not brand new, but it has been hard to find and different at every school. The new campaign puts it all in one place, at Nevada.edu/CPL, and pushes it out to the adults who could use it most. If you are a veteran, a nurse's aide, a mechanic, a dealer who went through training, or someone who picked up a certification on the job, this is worth ten minutes of your time.

Here is what the program is, how it works at the schools here in Clark County, and how to find out what your experience might be worth.

What Happened

NSHE announced the "Take the Credit" campaign on September 24, 2026. The system rolled it out the day before at its third systemwide Credit for Prior Learning convening, held at the College of Southern Nevada. Teams from schools across the state spent the day working on how to put the policy into practice and how to measure progress. FOX5 Las Vegas reporter Miles Friess covered the launch on September 30.

According to NSHE, the campaign helps Nevadans earn college credit for college-level learning they gained through work, military service, professional training, certifications, exams and other experiences. When that credit applies to a student's program, it can mean fewer courses, lower costs and a shorter path to a degree or certificate. NSHE points to national research showing that students who earn 12 or more CPL credits finish an associate degree about 14 months sooner and a bachelor's degree about nine months sooner.

The hub for all of this is the website Nevada.edu/CPL. NSHE says the site explains how CPL works, what can count and what to do next. It also links to every public college and university in the state: the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the University of Nevada, Reno; Nevada State University; the College of Southern Nevada; Great Basin College; Truckee Meadows Community College; and Western Nevada College. For Southern Nevada residents, that means UNLV, CSN and Nevada State are all part of it.

NSHE leaders explained the goal in their announcement. "Many Nevadans have built valuable knowledge and skills through years of work, service, and training," said Board of Regents Chair Stephanie Goodman. Chancellor Matt McNair said the effort is "about more than changing a policy," and that Nevadans need to know the opportunity exists and understand how to explore it. CSN President Dr. Stacy Klippenstein, who welcomed campus teams to the convening, said having everyone in the same room lets schools learn from each other and build approaches that make sense for their students.

The campaign's slogan sums it up: "You learned it. You earned it. Now take the credit."

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Las Vegas runs on people who learned their jobs by doing them. Think about the hospitality workers who moved into management, the nurses and medical assistants who stacked certifications, the tradespeople in apprenticeships, and the thousands of military families tied to Nellis Air Force Base and Creech. A lot of those folks took a few college classes years ago, then life got busy. Rent was due. Kids came along. A shift schedule changed. The degree went on the back burner.

For many of them, the real barrier to going back is time and money. Every class costs tuition, books and hours away from family. If a returning student can knock out even a few classes with credit for what they already know, the math changes. Fewer classes means fewer tuition bills. It also means finishing sooner, which is often what decides whether an adult actually crosses the finish line or drops out a second time.

Here is what that looks like at the College of Southern Nevada, where many Clark County adults start or restart. CSN's Prior Learning Experience page says students can earn up to 16 non-traditional education credits toward a Bachelor of Applied Science, an Associate of General Studies, or an Associate of Applied Science degree. For a Certificate of Achievement, the limit is 8 credits. CSN lists the kinds of experience that can qualify, including work experience, apprenticeship instruction and training, certificate training, extension courses and correspondence schools. Sixteen credits is roughly five classes, which is a real head start.

CSN also gives credit through exams. According to CSN, CLEP subject exams can earn three or four credits each, which is about one semester of a course. CLEP language exams can earn up to 8 credits with a score of 70 or higher. There is even an option for ACT WorkKeys: a score of 5 or higher on Applied Mathematics can earn 3 credits toward a specific CSN math course.

Over at UNLV, the university's Credit for Prior Learning page lists four main paths. The first is credit by exam, which includes Advanced Placement, CLEP, International Baccalaureate, DSST tests and departmental exams offered by some academic departments. The second is military education and training, where UNLV says students may earn credit for approved military coursework and training. The third is professional experience and certifications that line up with specific UNLV courses. The fourth is regular transfer credit from other accredited schools.

For families, this can ripple out. A parent who finishes a degree may qualify for a promotion or a better-paying job. That can mean more stability, a bigger budget for the kids, and in many cases, a real shot at moving from renting to owning. When you are deciding whether to go back to school, knowing that some of your past work might count can be the push that gets you started.

Background and History

Credit for Prior Learning has been around in some form for a long time. Colleges have given credit for tests like AP and CLEP for decades, and many schools have policies for military training. The problem in Nevada was that the rules varied from campus to campus, and a lot of students never knew the option existed. You could earn credit at one school and have no idea whether it would count anywhere else.

That started to change in 2025. According to NSHE, the Board of Regents took three big steps that year. It broadened the ways students can show prior learning. It set more consistent standards across the schools. And it allowed CPL credits to transfer within NSHE like other course credits. That last change is a big deal for anyone who might start at CSN and later move to UNLV or Nevada State to finish a bachelor's degree.

"Take the Credit" is the next step. Changing the policy was the first part. Now NSHE wants people to actually use it, which is why the campaign focuses on awareness. That is what the Chancellor meant when he said the system needs to make sure Nevadans know the opportunity exists.

The effort has outside support too. NSHE says its work is part of the Constellation of Support initiative, which is led by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association and Student-Ready Strategies. The "Take the Credit" campaign itself was supported by a financial assistance award from Ascendium Education Solutions, Inc. For context on the size of the system, NSHE serves more than 100,000 students across two research universities, a state university, four community colleges and one research institute.

The 320,000 figure comes from 2024 data from the National Student Clearinghouse, a national group that tracks college enrollment. That number counts Nevada adults who started college, have some credits, are not enrolled now and have no degree. It is a big group, and it includes a lot of our neighbors.

What Happens Next

The website is live now, so the next step is really up to you. NSHE says the site at Nevada.edu/CPL walks people through how CPL works and what might count, and links to each college and university so you can see what is possible at the school you are thinking about. Behind the scenes, campus teams are still working on how to put the 2025 policy into practice and measure progress. That was the whole point of the convening at CSN.

It is smart to expect some differences from school to school. Each campus still decides how prior learning lines up with its own courses. CSN's page, for example, says requests for non-traditional education credit are reviewed by the academic department and awarded at the department's discretion. CSN also lists some rules worth knowing ahead of time. These credits do not count toward your GPA, they cannot be used for General Education Requirements, and there is a nonrefundable $25 fee per course for non-traditional education credit. Some campus pages may also still be catching up to the 2025 systemwide changes, so ask directly how the transfer rules apply to you.

If you are a current or future CSN student, the process listed on CSN's site goes like this. You must be admitted to CSN first. Then you submit official documents and proof of your experience to the department chair, along with details on how long the experience lasted and what it covered. CSN says the process can include a personal interview and occupational competency exams. It takes some paperwork, but it can pay off in time and tuition saved.

Watch for more outreach from NSHE and the campuses over the coming months. Since the campaign is focused on getting the word out, you may see it pop up at job fairs, military transition events and on campus. If you have been on the fence about going back, this fall is a good time to ask the question.

Ryan's Take

I talk with a lot of people across the valley who want to buy a home but feel stuck. Often it is not the house that is holding them back. It is income, or job history, or the feeling that they are one step short of the career they want. A finished degree is one of the ways people get that raise or move into a better role. And when a program like this can shave classes off the path, that step gets shorter and cheaper.

I also like that this rewards the way Las Vegas actually works. So many people here learned on the job, in the service, or through training programs at work. Giving them credit for that is just fair. Every dollar a family does not spend on a class they did not need is a dollar that can go toward rent, savings, or a down payment someday. Schools like CSN, UNLV and Nevada State are also a big part of why certain neighborhoods stay in demand, and the new Nevada State campus coming to North Las Vegas will only add to that. If you are thinking about going back to school and wondering how it fits with a future home purchase, I am always happy to talk it through. No pressure, just a conversation.

What You Can Do

Start at Nevada.edu/CPL. Look at what can count, then click through to the school you are most likely to attend. Before you call anyone, gather your paperwork. That might be military training records, professional certifications, apprenticeship papers, training certificates from work, or old transcripts from classes you already took. The more proof you have, the easier the conversation will be.

Next, reach out to the right office. At CSN, the Prior Learning Experience page says to contact the Office of the Registrar or the academic department chair for your program. At UNLV, the Credit for Prior Learning page lays out the four main paths and points military-connected students to the university's military service credit options. Ask three simple questions: What could my experience count for? How many credits can I apply toward my program? Will those credits transfer if I move to another Nevada school?

Finally, think about exams. If you already know a subject well, a CLEP or DSST test might be a quick way to earn credit for a class. Check with your school first to make sure it accepts the exam and what score it needs. Then share this with a friend or family member who has been talking about finishing their degree. They might be closer than they think.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com

Sources

FOX5 Las Vegas: "‘Take the Credit’ campaign helps Nevadans finish degrees faster" by Miles Friess

Nevada System of Higher Education: "NSHE Launches ‘Take the Credit’ Campaign to Help More Nevadans Turn Real-World Experience Into College Credit"

College of Southern Nevada: Prior Learning Experience

University of Nevada, Las Vegas: Credit for Prior Learning