One of my favorite movies is Good Will Hunting. Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon) is a 20-year-old janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Although he works a blue-collar job, he is secretly a self-taught genius with an extraordinary gift for mathematics and an exceptional memory. One day, he anonymously solves a complex math problem left on a chalkboard by Professor Gerald Lambeau, astonishing the faculty.
Whenever I write or talk about prior learning assessment (PLA), I think of that movie. It tells the story of an individual who learned and could demonstrate mastery of complex concepts outside the traditional classroom. While Will may have been a genius, there are millions of people who, like him, have gained valuable knowledge and skills through life, work and experience and deserve the opportunity to have that learning recognized.
The Value of Prior Learning
Prior learning encompasses a wide range of experiences through which individuals acquire skills and knowledge outside traditional academic settings. Apprenticeships and on-the-job training, for example, provide practical, hands-on learning often more directly applicable to real-world situations than classroom instruction. Military service develops discipline, leadership and technical expertise, while employer certifications and industry-recognized credentials bridge the gap between education and employment.
Drawing a parallel, Will’s brilliance is overlooked because he doesn’t fit the conventional student mold. Similarly, many adults have gained valuable skills that postsecondary institutions and credentialing systems often fail to recognize. Will’s story illustrates how untapped potential can be wasted if systems only value traditional measures of learning. PLA creates a more equitable education system by recognizing all forms of learning, giving nontraditional learners the chance to succeed and thrive.
By recognizing these forms of learning as legitimate and valuable, we can tap into a vast reservoir of talent and experience to make higher education more accessible and relevant to a broader population.
The Higher Ed Disconnect
Higher education often struggles to evolve because it remains tethered to long-standing traditions, legacy systems and ingrained biases that unintentionally exclude many capable learners. Admissions practices, rigid curricula and narrow definitions of academic success tend to privilege traditional pathways while overlooking the valuable experiences and competencies individuals gain outside formal education. Credit-evaluation practices frequently focus on course materials, such as textbooks and assignments, rather than assessing whether a student is prepared for success in subsequent education. This adherence to convention can inadvertently prevent prospective learners from accessing the very credentials that could transform their lives.
If higher education were to operate from an asset-based model, one that recognizes and values the diverse knowledge, skills and experiences students bring, rather than focusing on perceived deficits, the perception and purpose of postsecondary education could shift dramatically. Such a shift would not only expand access but also affirm the worth and potential of every learner.
Solving the Problem
To address the challenges rooted in tradition, legacy and bias, higher education must intentionally reimagine its systems through an equity-minded, asset-based framework. This begins with redefining how institutions recognize learning, broadening the definition of “college-ready” to include competencies gained through work, industry recognized credentials and certifications, military experience, and third-party content providers. Policies and practices should prioritize credit for what students already know through robust PLA systems and transparent transfer pathways that honor mobility rather than penalize it. Faculty and staff development can help shift long-standing customs to opportunity-building strategies, encouraging a culture that values learning wherever it occurs. By embedding flexibility, transparency and inclusivity in curriculum design, admissions and advising, higher education can shift from a system that filters learners out to one that draws them in, unlocking human potential and restoring trust in postsecondary institutions.
Just as Will in the movie benefits from a mentor who recognizes his potential, higher education institutions can act as mentors rather than gatekeepers by creating policies and programs that identify, validate and award prior learning helping students reach their full potential.
Recommendations
PLA remains one of the most underutilized student success strategies. While it appears in nearly every college catalog, few institutions have fully developed the policies, procedures, staffing and cultural support needed for it to reach its potential. Rather than adding PLA as a separate layer, institutions can embed it into existing initiatives to maximize impact, streamline processes and better align student experience, curriculum and institutional goals.
- Stack and weave PLA into the curriculum. Combine PLA with other nontraditional credentials within pathways and programs. By integrating these credentials into curriculum design and development, institutions can create flexible, competency-based learning pathways that align with workforce and transfer needs while accelerating students’ progress toward academic awards.
- Embed PLA in early-college programs. Articulate the industry-recognized credentials that students earn in high school and incorporate them into early-college programs. This information is typically available through state departments of education. Highlighting these credentials helps students and families see the value of PLA and encourages continued engagement in postsecondary pathways.
- Integrate PLA into transfer strategies. Collaborate with sending institutions and transfer partners to ensure that credit earned through PLA is considered in transfer discussions. Proactively integrating PLA into these conversations, either through collaboration or by requiring transfer partners to accept and apply PLA credit, helps prevent unnecessary credit loss and ensures students receive full recognition for their prior learning.
Conclusion
It is nearly impossible to find an institution that does not endorse improving access, supporting retention and increasing completion rates. Mobilizing institutions around PLA to meet students’ current needs can help achieve these goals and transform higher education. In an era of growing disillusionment and dissatisfaction with higher education, we must pursue practical solutions that ease and simplify the student experience by recognizing all forms of learning. I would argue that embracing PLA represents the very goodwill higher education needs to extend to learners today.
