As college tuition continues to increase, earning an undergraduate degree is more challenging than ever for millions of students each year. Fortunately, the options for bridging the ever-widening affordability gap are also increasing, allowing students to save money, earn college credits early, and take control of their future. Let’s explore how free and low-cost programs like CLEP exams can help make college more accessible for everyone.
The cost of college today
According to Forbes Advisor, the price of college—including tuition and living costs—increased 180% from 1980 to 2020, rising from $10,231 to $28,775 (inflation adjusted). Student loan debt now exceeds $1.7 trillion, and even at public universities, students borrow an average of $32,362 to complete a bachelor’s degree.
How are people responding to this crisis?
Addressing the affordability, accessibility, and trust issues in higher education won’t happen with any single solution. It will require combining the following solutions that are already being implemented—and perhaps others that haven’t even been considered yet. Here are three common responses to rising college costs for students and families.
1. Choosing alternatives to college
Trust in higher education as an institution has declined over the years, and as a result, some students are foregoing college altogether. In some cases, this is an overdue correction to a single-minded belief that college is the only legitimate next step for learners after high school.
Students should understand the range of paths open to them and choose the one that matches their aspirations. Still, college remains the most reliable path to economic stability for many, as most jobs that pay sustainable wages will continue to require a degree.
Related: 5 College Tuition Tips for a Lower Bill
2. Making college more affordable
A wide range of programs has arisen to shift some of the cost burden off students and their families, including:
- Free community college and “College Promise” programs that guarantee affordable college pathways
- Increased financial aid from institutions that have historically been among the nation’s most expensive
- Program expansions like dual enrollment and Advanced Placement, which allow high school students to earn college credit early at no personal cost
Additionally, potential policies like student loan forgiveness aim to relieve billions in debt for borrowers. These approaches make college more affordable for learners, but it’s far from clear whether they make higher education more affordable or sustainable overall.
3. Reducing the actual cost of college
A third approach aims to reduce the cost of higher education for learners and institutions. The emergence of massive online open courses (MOOCs) revealed a new way to offer free or low-cost access to education—but these courses historically lacked a direct pathway to credit, limiting their practical value for degree seekers.
Offered by the College Board since 1965, College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams allow anyone to demonstrate mastery of college-level material and earn an average of three credit hours at more than 2,900 colleges and universities. However, these exams historically lack preparatory courses. That changed in 2017 with the creation of Modern States Education Alliance, a national nonprofit organization focused on helping make college more affordable and accessible for learners.
Related: Pre-College Credit: How to Earn It and How It Transfers
What to know about free CLEP prep and exams through Modern States
The Modern States Education Alliance offers free CLEP prep courses and exam support with a library of 32 online courses that are taught by college professors and designed specifically to prepare learners for CLEP exams. Students can take classes at their own pace and then use their exam results to demonstrate their learning to ultimately receive college credit.
Modern States will cover the cost of taking the exam and test center fees once a learner completes a course (or courses) through its platform; this would otherwise cost students $125 or more. This partnership of free courses with CLEP exams offers an accessible solution that lowers the college tuition burden by up to 25% or more—with no strings attached.
Real results for real students
To date, more than 600,000 learners have taken Modern States courses, with 140,000 CLEP exams attempted for an estimated tuition and fee savings of $175 million. Many of these learners are high schoolers or other traditional college-age students, but this path is also open to adult learners and others who don’t have access to programs like AP or dual enrollment. Students like Julia Shingleton and educators like Rick Casey have shared their stories of how the program has made a difference in their lives. Many describe this philanthropy as a game-changer, opening doors they thought were closed due to financial constraints.
Related: 4 Ways to Pay for College That Won’t Leave You Trapped in Debt
A path forward for college affordability
Improvement for hundreds of thousands of students does not have to wait. Resources like Modern States, which combines proven tools into an innovative program, help put college within reach for anyone. By taking advantage of the growing number of free and low-cost education options available, you can take control of your future and prove that a quality education doesn’t have to be accompanied by a mountain of debt.
