Alternative Ways to Earn Credit

Consistent with Florida Statute (F.S.) 1007.27 and College Policy  3.0220 (Acceleration  for  Program Completion), Seminole State College will accept  credits from a combination of any of the acceleration mechanisms listed in this section. Students must earn at least 25 percent of degree requirements in residence at Seminole State to be awarded a degree from the College. Credit awarded by the College through acceleration mechanisms  may or may not be accepted at other colleges or universities. Credits will not be awarded for examinations that duplicate coursework or other exam credits previously posted to a student's academic record.

Institutional credit(s) earned at other institutions will be matriculated only by formal agreement(s) with Seminole State. The credit(s) must be identified on the student's transcript as "institutional credit." The student is responsible for providing documentation of how such learning was evaluated and the basis on which the credit(s) was awarded.

1. College Level Examination Program (CLEP): A series of tests developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and offered by testing centers throughout the nation, CLEP enables students to demonstrate their competencies in certain subjects and thereby earn college credit for particular courses without attending classes. Seminole State serves as a CLEP national test center. Students interested in receiving college credit via CLEP must adhere to the following procedures:
   1. Register for the CLEP exam on the College Board website and bring the voucher to the Assessment and Testing Center.
   2. Official scores from College Board should be sent to Seminole State College's Enrollment Services/Registrar’s Office which will determine the number of credit hours to be awarded based upon College guidelines and examination results.
   3. To receive maximum benefits, it is suggested that students take advantage of this program prior to their initial registration. Credit will not be awarded in areas covered by the CLEP examination when it would duplicate credit already awarded to the student for successful completion of college-level coursework.
   4. For students who plan to transfer, it is their responsibility to contact the institution to which they wish to transfer to determine the acceptability of CLEP credit.
   5. Students are awarded credit only. “P” (Passing) grades are given for CLEP courses and CLEP courses are not included in the GPA. Gordon Rule Courses  credit by CLEP will be treated no differently from credit earned by students taking the courses. There are 34 CLEP examinations. A student may earn three to eight credits by passing any one exam.
      CLEP Registration Guides are available on the Assessment and Testing Website. This registration guide should be studied carefully before applying to take a CLEP test.
2. The College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Program: Seminole State cooperates fully with accredited high schools and colleges in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board. To qualify for college credit, students must earn a score of 3 or higher on the nationally administered examination in May. Credits will not be awarded for examinations that duplicate coursework or other exam credits previously posted to a student's academic record. Official scores from College Board should be sent to the Seminole State College Registrar’s Office, which will determine the number of credit hours to be awarded upon College guidelines and examination results. Students are awarded credit only. “P” (Passing) grades are given for AP courses and AP courses are not included in the GPA. Students are responsible for making test arrangements with the College Entrance Examination Board. Additional information can be obtained from the College Board Website.

3. International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program: Students who successfully complete the International Baccalaureate examination with grades of 4 or higher will receive college credit. An official transcript is required and must be received by Seminole State College's Enrollment Services/Registrar's Office directly from the International Baccalaureate Office. Students are awarded credit only. “P” (Passing) grades are given for IB courses and IB courses are not included in the GPA. Evaluations of IB examinations are made after the student has been admitted to the College.

4. Defense Activity of Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES) Examination/DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST): Military personnel, former military personnel, and students may request credit based on the results of their DANTES examinations, including DANTES Subject Standardized Tests after they have been admitted to the College.

5. UExcel: UExcel exams (formerly known as Excelsior College Examinations, Regents College Exams, or the Proficiency Examination Program/PEP) were developed by Excelsior College using national committees of faculty consultants and national studies to assess how well the tests measure the performance of students in actual college courses. Excelsior College Examinations are approved by the American Council on Education and Excelsior College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. These exams are no longer being offered; however, students may visit the  Excelsior website for more information about requesting exam transcripts.  

6. Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Examination Equivalents: The AICE program is an international, advanced pre-college curriculum and assessment program modeled on the British pre-college curriculum and "A-Level" examinations. Florida's public colleges and universities provide college credit for successfully passed exams. Students in Florida's public secondary schools enrolled in AICE courses do not have to pay to take the exams. An official transcript is required and must be received by the Seminole State College Registrar's Office directly from Cambridge International. More information can be found on the Cambridge International website.

7. German Abitur: German Abitur credit is internationally recognized and is the certification that a student has successfully completed the German college preparatory educational program and has scored passing grades on the Abitur examination. Based on the specific subject area and results of the Abitur exam, students in a degree or certificate program may receive 3 to 10 credit hours per subject area when a minimum grade of 8 is achieved. Credit earned through one examination program may not be duplicated by another examination or course and will appear on the student's permanent record as earned credit only. “P” (Passing) grades are given for German Abitur courses and German Abitur courses are not included in the GPA. Official German Abitur scores must be submitted to Seminole State College of Florida for awarding of credit. For additional information contact the Enrollment Services/Registrar’s Office at 407-708-2050 or transfercredit@seminolestate.edu.

8. Credit for Industry Certifications: The Florida Department of Education has established statewide articulation agreements for specified industry certifications. Seminole State also has agreements for certifications that pertain to academic programs offered at the College, including but not limited to: Automotive, Child Care, EMT, Fire Science, Information Technology and Paramedic. Agreements are posted on the Seminole State Articulation Agreement website.

9. Specified Credit for military service: A student who has served continuously for six months or more of active duty in one of the military service branches may request college credit for training and experience in accordance with the recommendation of the American Council of Education (ACE). To receive ACE credit at Seminole State, the request must be for similar courses offered at the College and credits will not be removed once posted.

10. Seminole State Instructor Created "Credit-By-Exam": Credit-By-Exam for a course is offered by some faculty in some departments. Evidence of proficiency in a subject area when presented to the appropriate dean, instructor or director, may qualify a student to request an examination for credit, if available. More information about eligibility and procedures can be found on the Seminole State College website (Institutional Credit by Exam, Procedure 4.0305).

Students who qualify receive a grade of "P" and the appropriate credit is awarded for an examination marked "Passed." No other letter grade is assigned. Credit-by-exam does not affect GPA.

11. High School Students: Students who wish to enroll in college credit courses at the high school level must meet the same entrance requirements prior to beginning the courses as students desiring to enroll in those courses on the College campus, including taking the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT).

12. Early Admission courses are subject to the same requirements as dual enrollment courses.

13. Dual Enrollment: Dual Enrollment allows qualified high school students to enroll in college credit or vocational credit courses that apply toward their high school diploma. Students are exempt from the payment of all application, registration, matriculation, laboratory and textbook fees. Once enrolled in a dual enrollment course, students may not withdraw without written high school approval. To be eligible, students must provide appropriate test scores that meet course requirements and meet the following criteria:

Requirements for College Credit General Education Courses:

1. Students must have a cumulative unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 or higher. Public school and private school students must have the approval of their high school principal or their designated representative to enroll.
2. Must be college ready and meet the same entrance requirements as degree-seeking students, to include taking the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT).
3. Students will initiate their application for Dual Enrollment courses with their high school guidance department. The high school guidance department and the College's Office of Admissions are responsible for screening students prior to enrollment.
4. High school guidance personnel will provide Seminole State's Admissions Department a completed college application and an Advanced Instruction (Dual Enrollment) contract (868 Form) for each student seeking admission into a dual enrollment program.

Requirements for College Level or Career Preparation Dual Enrollment

1. Students must have a cumulative unweighted high school GPA of 2.5 or higher. Public school and private school students must have the approval of their high school principal or their designated representative to enroll.
2. Students desiring to enroll in college credit or career credit courses at the high school must meet the same entrance requirements prior to beginning the courses as students desiring to enroll in the same courses on the College campus.
3. Students will initiate their application for Dual Enrollment courses with their high school guidance department. The high school guidance department is responsible for screening students prior to enrollment.
4. General exemptions to the criteria set forth above may be initiated by the high school principal. Approval by the College's Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee) or the appropriate academic dean (or designee) is needed before an exemption can be granted. The high school guidance department will notify the College in writing of the reasons the principal wishes to exempt a student from the stated criteria. It is the responsibility of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee) or the academic dean (or designee) to notify the principal of the approval or disapproval of the exemption within 10 business days from receipt of the exemption request.
5. High school guidance personnel will provide Seminole State's Admissions Department a completed college application and an Advanced Instruction (Dual Enrollment) Contract (868 Form) for each student seeking admission into a dual enrollment program.
6. Home education students/parents must submit a home education articulation agreement and a letter from the county verifying enrollment in a home education program along with the application.

14. Career Pathways: This partnership program between Seminole State College and Seminole County Public Schools allows students to earn free college credit in technical areas that apply toward an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree or college credit certificate. Students may also use this credit toward electives in the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree. In Florida, the Career Pathways program ties directly to the Gold Seal Scholarship. Students who complete a defined sequence of courses in high school with at least a "B" average in the sequence and pass the assessment are eligible for college credit for corresponding courses at Seminole State. To have the college credit posted to their transcripts, students must enroll in and complete at least one college-level class at the College within two years from the date of high school graduation. Students are awarded credit only. “P” (Passing) grades are given for Career Pathways courses and Career Pathways courses are not included in the GPA. Students must also complete the Request for Career Pathways Credit form. More information is available on the Career Pathways website. 

15. Formal Articulation Agreements with Other Educational Institutions: A list of agreements is available on the Seminole State College website (Articulation Agreements).

16. Formal Internal Articulation Agreements: Formal internal articulation agreements exist between some programs at the College. Students may check with the appropriate dean and program managers for information. These requirements are also posted on the Seminole State College website (Articulation Agreements).