With so many different types of credits and credentials, it can be hard to know what you’re actually signing your teen up for- and which are worth college credit? Microcredentials are popular, but what are they and are they worth college credit?
To help you sort it out, I’ve put together a quick reference list using plain language. This is designed for busy homeschooling parents who want real answers, fast.
And if you think everyone else understands these terms except for you, you’re WRONG. My March 3rd Inside Higher Ed newsletter had a huge article highlighting how even employers, colleges, and students are confused by the explosion of credentials.
“The large, growing microcredential market is strong, but learners also struggle to make sense of offerings. By one count, the United States is home to more than one million unique educational credentials, which represents a more than threefold increase since 2018. (Some are offered by nonacademic providers.)”
Let that sink in—over a million different credentials! With so much chaos, there are NO HARD RULES that companies and colleges follow. So, let’s clear things up.
Here’s what I want you to do: Ignore the names—yes, even if it sounds fancy or costs a lot of money. Let’s boil the program down into the type of credit you’re actually getting.
At the end of the day, no matter what you’re buying or signing up for, there are only three possible outcomes when it comes to earning credit:
- College Credit (college + high school credit)
- Noncredit (high school credit only)
- Potential College Credit (not college credit yet)
College Credit Microcredentials
If the microcredential is worth college credit, it will:
- Be taught through a college, and
- Be recorded on an official college transcript
- Issue an undergraduate certificate from the college.
- Include classes that can be used towards a degree at that college.
You must confirm that it’s a real college course being provided by a real college.
⚠️ Watch out: Some businesses sell courses and say they are “worth college credit.” But unless a college is teaching it and giving the credit, those belong in the next category.
A true college course = high school credit (because you’re homeschooling) + college credit (because a college issued it). This is what we aim for in Homeschooling for College Credit!
🚫 Noncredit
Noncredit is the default category. In fact, you are wise to assume the microcredential is noncredit unless you can prove otherwise.
These sound familiar, right?
- Certificates
- Certifications
- CEUs (continuing education units)
- Professional development
- MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
- Adult education
- Workforce training
- Digital badges or microbadges
Despite the professional packaging, none of these are automatically college credit. Even prestigious providers (like Google, Microsoft, or top universities offering free courses) often only award noncredit credentials.
Two important things:
- (1) These may still be excellent for skill-building or your teen’s résumé. And as a homeschool parent, you can always award high school credit for their work.
- (2) But you should know: these are almost never convertible into college credit later, no matter how good they are or how much they cost.
🟡 “Potential” College Credit
This category is where many parents get tripped up—because the credit is real… sort of. It’s not guaranteed.
If a course or program uses a third-party evaluator like ACE or NCCRS, it becomes potential college credit.
Examples:
- Sophia Learning
- Study.com
- StraighterLine
- CLEP exam
- AP exam
- Saylor Academy
These providers aren’t colleges themselves, but they’ve gone through the process of getting their courses evaluated for college-level learning. This is great! But remember:
🎯 It only becomes real college credit if a college accepts it.
And even then, it only counts at that college. So just because your teen earns 3 credits through ACE, doesn’t mean all colleges will take it. This is where smart planning comes into play—we use strategies at HS4CC to choose colleges with friendly transfer policies.
Microcredential is a marketing term. It can mean:
- A one-hour class
- A 10-course program
- Something free
- Something that costs $1,200
- A program offered by a university
- A course taught by a non-college platform
There is zero consistency, and that’s the problem. Sometimes colleges use “microcredential” to mean continuing education (which is noncredit). Other times, companies call their ACE-reviewed course a microcredential (which might be potential credit).
So, if your teen wants to pursue a microcredential, your job is to:
- Ask who is offering it
- Ask who is teaching it
- Ask if a transcript or credit recommendation is available
- Ask if it’s from a college or evaluated by ACE/NCCRS
This detective work is worth it. The name means nothing—the content and credit outcome mean everything.
Final Thoughts
You’re not alone in feeling confused, and you’re not behind. The credential marketplace is constantly shifting, with more names, more labels, and more flashy promises than ever before. But when you boil it all down, just remember:
👉 If it’s on a college transcript = it equals college credit
👉 If it’s not, it’s either noncredit or potential credit
At Homeschooling for College Credit, we help you spot the difference and make strategic choices. Not all learning needs to be for credit, but when it is—let’s make sure it counts.
Good to know. Your time, research, and sharing is appreciated. Thank you!