CUNY program gives students credit for previous experience, accelerating path to graduation
NEW YORK -- The City University of New York (CUNY) is helping adults return to school and complete their degrees with credit for previous work or military experience.
As Lori Mercado will tell you, the road to graduation wasn't easy.
"I actually ended up having to drop out because, one, funds and, two, my mother got unwell. During the pandemic, I actually was furloughed from my job while I was eight months pregnant with my son," Mercado said.
The Washington Heights native says she always wanted to work in health care, but despite her more than 10 years of experience in it, she wasn't getting the positions she wanted because she didn't have a bachelor's degree.
One day, Mercado came across the CUNY School of Professional Studies that offered a program called, "Credit for Prior Learning." It allows students like her to complete their degrees sooner with skills they already have, such as their native language, retail experience, previous learning and more.
"I come from a Spanish, a Dominican American home, so I was able to use my fluency in Spanish to take tests and I got six credits for that," said Mercado.
CUNY School of Professional Studies reports nearly 62% of U.S. adults over the age of 25 don't have a bachelor's degree, including eight-in-10 Hispanics. Mercado's former professor, Holli Broadfoot, says the new program is a game changer.
"We have a lot of options in, 'Credit for Prior Learning,' and we can probably save you a year in getting your degree. So we really want to make this very personalized, and I think that is really the big thing we do," said Broadfoot.
Even a GPA lower than a 2.5 won't turn you down from getting into this accelerated path. Both Broadfoot and Mercado say the online program is all about creating opportunities, not obstacles.
"We're finding that -- it's been very successful -- that 30% of our graduates have some form of credit for prior learning," Broadfoot said.
"I would've graduated when I was supposed to 10-15 years ago if these were options that were available. So don't hesitate," said Mercado.
Mercado's husband and two young children are now supporting her on the path of getting her masters -- an example that it's never too late.
