Community colleges: credit for students with prior learning.

Senator Cabaldon's proposal to overhaul how California community colleges award credit for prior learning would establish a comprehensive, competency-based framework for recognizing students' existing knowledge and skills. The legislation replaces the current initiative-based approach with a structured system requiring community colleges to evaluate and award credit for military service, professional certifications, apprenticeships, licenses, and service learning experiences.

Under the proposed framework, the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office would work with faculty and employers to define specific competencies that demonstrate course-level mastery and degree requirements. The bill outlines multiple pathways for students to receive credit, including standardized examinations for courses that transfer to public universities and individualized assessment of training credentials. Credits awarded through these evaluations would transfer between California community colleges and apply toward degrees and credentials in the same manner as traditional coursework.

The legislation adds prior learning assessment to the list of activities eligible for state funding when organized as noncredit courses or supervised support services. Community colleges would need to report to the Legislature by September 2027 on implementation outcomes, including the number of students receiving credit and total courses and units awarded. The reporting requirements exclude elective credits that do not fulfill specific degree or transfer requirements.