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For College Officials Involved in Transfer Credit Evaluation

The following information is intended to assist college officials in making appropriate credit determinations when students who are enrolled at their institutions request approval to transfer the courses evaluated and recommended for college credit by National PONSI.

The National Program on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction was initiated by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1973. National PONSI administers a system that evaluates courses and educational programs conducted by noncollegiate organizations nationwide and recommends to colleges and universities that they grant credit when learning experiences are found comparable to college-level instruction.

National PONSI's evaluation process is modeled after those employed by higher education accreditation agencies. Credit recommendations are made by a team of subject matter specialists, drawn primarily from the academic community, who conduct a thorough and objective evaluation under the supervision of National PONSI staff. A site visit is arranged to review instructional materials and evaluation instruments, and to discuss curriculum and examination development and revision with administrative and instructional staff. The resulting credit recommendations provide a consistent and reliable academic standard upon which to base credit decisions. The document "Program Policies on Evaluating Courses" can be obtained from the Program office or reviewed online.

When a course or educational program receives a credit recommendation, the recommendation together with a description of the learning experience is published in the Program's online Directory, CCR Online, (the successor to the print Directory College Credit Recommendations), which is used by colleges and universities throughout the country. The Directory is designed to assist college officials in evaluating requests for credit by individuals who have successfully completed evaluated learning experiences and who wish to apply this learning to degree programs. Print editions of College Credit Recommendations contain a list of cooperating colleges, now numbering close to 1,500, who have reported they are willing to consider awarding credit based on National PONSI's recommendations. This list provides solid evidence of the Program's support within the academic community. The list is now maintained on this website.

The operation of National PONSI is an extension of the accreditation activities of the New York State Board of Regents, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a national accrediting agency. National PONSI is administered by the State Education Department's Office of Higher Education, the same office which oversees higher education accreditation activities in New York State. College officials may be assured, therefore, that the credit recommendations are established according to the same criteria that they would employ themselves.

The New York State Board of Regents established National PONSI to serve as a link between the noncollegiate and academic sectors of education in recognizing the merits of quality course work completed outside the college classroom. The Regents hoped to create opportunities for colleges to attract mature and motivated future students. As a national accrediting body, however, the Regents are also concerned that the granting of credit for noncollegiate learning be considered carefully. They, therefore, conceived of National PONSI, with its objective, third party assessment of noncollegiate learning, as a means to lend legitimacy to the credit decision process.


Updated November 6, 2005