Davenport University expands access to Credit for Prior Learning program

Davenport University has expanded access to its Credit for Prior Learning program thanks to support from Old National Bank. Old National Bank provided the university with a $15,000 grant to help offset the costs of Prior Learning Assessment fees for students with financial need. The grant will remove barriers for individuals with financial need to be able to receive college credit for their previous life and work experiences.

According to an article on Davenport University's website, Mathew Devereaux, Ph.D., who serves as the university’s assistant vice provost for assessment, was quoted as saying of the program, “Davenport is committed to meeting students where they are and recognizing the valuable knowledge they’ve already gained through work, military service and other life experiences. Credit for Prior Learning helps students save time and money while accelerating progress toward a degree. Students arrive with valuable learning already in hand. Our role is to help them translate that learning into academic progress and open new pathways to educational and career success.”

The Credit for Prior Learning program gives students the opportunity to turn their previous life experiences, such as military service, workplace experiences, and professional certifications and licenses into college credit toward a degree. Students must complete a Prior Learning Assessment in order to see what in their previous experience can apply toward CPL. The assessment fee is $350, which may be a barrier for students who come from low-income backgrounds. 

The Prior Learning Assessment carries a $350 fee because the assessments are designed by faculty member subject matter experts, who also evaluate the students’ learning and mentor them throughout the process.

The grant from Old National Bank will help these individuals by paying the fee for the Prior Learning Assessment. 

Joe Kiser, the president of the Old National Bank Foundation, said, “Workforce development begins by removing barriers that prevent talented individuals from advancing their education and careers. Davenport University’s Credit for Prior Learning program recognizes the value of learning that takes place beyond the classroom and helps adult learners earn credentials more efficiently. The Old National Bank Foundation is proud to support this effort, which expands opportunity, strengthens the workforce, and helps students achieve their goals.”

The Credit for Prior Learning program at Davenport University has continued to grow, with more and more students taking advantage. The university notes that in the 2016-2017 school year, only 12 students attempted the Prior Learning Assessment. In the 2024-2025 school year, that number rose to 285. In the past three academic years, students have saved more than $1 million in tuition by receiving CPL. 

One student who has benefited from the Credit for Prior Learning program is Larry Pethick, who lost his position in marketing after 20 years when new company leaders began to require that every employee has a bachelor degree. He had decades of professional experience, but did not have the bachelor degree he needed to remain in his position. Thanks to the Credit for Prior Learning program, Pethick was able to transfer his professional experience into college credit and earned his bachelor degree much more quickly than he would have had he stuck to a traditional path toward a degree.

Pethick decided he wanted to help other students gain the advantage he had and help them overcome the obstacle of the $350 assessment fee. He established the Larry Pethick CPL Empowerment Endowed Fund, and is working to create a planned estate gift to make this gift go even further.

Pethick said, “Credit for Prior Learning helped me move forward when I needed it most. I want other students to have access to the same opportunity, regardless of their financial circumstances.”

For more information about Davenport University, visit the school’s website.