Processing Other Credits

This Quick Reference Guide reflects future visual updates that will be implemented on 10/11/2025.

Purpose: Use this document as a reference for processing other credit in ctcLink.

Audience: Transfer Credit Evaluator

You must have at least one of these local college-managed security roles:

  • ZC SR Transfer Credit Eval
  • ZD SR Transfer Credit Eval
  • ZZ SR Transfer Credit Eval

If you need assistance with the above security roles, please contact your local college supervisor or IT Admin to request role access.

Add a New Other Credit Record

Navigation: Records and Enrollment > Transfer Credit Evaluation > Other Credits - Manual

  1. The Other Credits search page displays.
  2. Select the Add a New Value button.
  3. Enter:
    • ID – Student ID number.
    • Academic Career – e.g., UGRD or GRAD.
    • Academic Institution – Your college’s code.
  4. Select Add.
    • The Other Credit Detail tab displays.

Enter Other Credit Detail

  1. On the Other Credit Detail tab, enter:
    • Transcript Level: Level where the credit applies (UGRD, GRAD, etc.).
    • Academic Program: Required for posting credits.
    • Academic Plan (optional): Add if the credit is tied to a specific plan.
    • Articulation Term: Must match a term where the student is term activated. ⚠️ Credits will not post if the student is not term activated. See Term Activation QRG for details.
  2. Select the Edit Equivalent Course icon to continue.
  3. Use the [+] icon to add more rows for additional courses in the same articulation term.

Equivalent Course Information

  1. The Equivalent Course Information page opens.
  2. Enter Other Credit Section: Enter type of incoming credit:
    • “Prior Learning Assessment” for ACPL.
    • “CTE Dual Credit” for CTE awards.
  3. Short Description (Short Desc):
    • “ACPL” for Academic Credit for Prior Learning.
    • “CTE” for CTE Dual Credit.
  4. Long Description:
  5. Enter "CTE Dual Credit" for CTE Dual Credits awarded.
  6. Use one of the recommended naming conventions (see below) for Academic Credit for Prior Learning.

Prior Experiential Learning

  • PLA-PR — Portfolio Review
  • PLA-HSPR — HS21 + Portfolio Review

Extra-Institutional Learning

  • PLA-CRT — Individual Industry Certification
  • PLA-OCW — Occupational Crosswalks
  • PLA-ACE — American Council on Education
  • PLA-JST — Joint Services Transcript

Course Challenges

  • PLA-CLG — Credit by Exam

CTE Dual Credit

  • CTE-Dual Credit

Other Credit Setup

  • Other Credit Type: Select code matching the description above.
  • Evaluation Date: Date credit is being evaluated.

Equivalent Course Section

  1. Course ID: Enter or look up the equivalent course.
    • Defaults populate from the catalog but can be adjusted as needed.
  2. Grading Basis:
    • Use GRD, SUS, or PNP.
    • Use TRN if transferring, not awarding, credit.
    • Refer to SBCTC policy manual for ACPL guidelines.
  3. Official Grade: Replace “T” with S (Satisfactory) or P (Pass) per local policy.
  4. Include in FA WI Stats: Check this box to include in Financial Aid Weeks of Instruction. The Financial Aid Term process uses these values to calculate the student's academic level.
  5. Select OK when complete.

Post the Other Credit

  1. Back on the Other Credit Detail tab, go to the Other Credit by Term tab.
  2. Select Calculate to add the course to transfer credit statistics.
  3. Select Post.
    • This also saves the page.
    • Verify Model Status = Posted. ⚠️ If Model Status = Complete, the student is not term activated for that articulation term. Credits in Complete status do not post or calculate in the student's statistics.
  4. Select Save.
  5. Process complete.

Correcting the Grading Basis (if needed)

  1. If you need to update the grading basis on an awarded credit:
    • On the Other Credits search page, select Find an Existing Value.
    • Enter:
    • ID, Academic Career, Academic Institution.
    • Select Search.
  2. On the student record, go to the Other Credit by Term tab.
  3. Select Unpost (right side of page).
  4. Return to the Other Credit Detail tab.
  5. Select the Edit Equivalent Course icon.
  6. Update the Grading Basis (e.g., GRD, SUS, PNP, or TRN).
    • Note the grade first—it will be cleared when you change the grading basis.
    • Re-enter the grade in the Official Grade field.
  7. Select OK.

Policy and Reference Notes

According to the Academic Credit for Prior Learning coding guidelines document, colleges must include transcript text that clearly identifies the category or source of prior learning. For additional details on other credit information and policy guidelines, please refer to the SBCTC policy manual.

Video Tutorial

The video below demonstrates the process actions described in steps listed above.  There is no audio included with this video.  Select the play button to start the video.

Video Tutorial via Panopto

View the external link to Processing Other Credit.  This link will open in a new tab/window.

10 Comments

Suzanne

The generate article to PDF link does not work. Get an error message indicating that Page not found.

Tanjagay Martin

Hello Suzanne, Thank you for your comment. It sounds like you might want to change browsers or allow a pop-up window. Here are a few resources--follow the instructions below to configure your web browser to allow pop-up windows for your selected websites.
-Apple Safari (macOS) https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987
-Google Chrome .current (Windows/macOS) https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95472?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
-Mozilla Firefox.current (Windows/macOS) https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/pop-blocker-settings-exceptions-troubleshooting
-Microsoft Internet Explorer (Windows) https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-security-and-privacy-settings-for-internet-explorer-11-9528b011-664c-b771-d757-43a2b78b2afe
Would you mind letting us know if this resolves your issue? Thank you--Tanjagay Martin | CS Core Trainer

Therese McGee

At one time, there was a section listing examples of or recommendations for the Other Credit, Short Desc.,
and Long Description fields. Where did that go?

Tanjagay Martin

Hello Therese, Thank you for the question. I added the information from the QRG you mentioned--great suggestion. ~Tanjagay Martin | CS Core Trainer

Kari Collen

Could you please include the query for ACPL? It would be helpful to have it included with the QRG for processing.

Tanjagay Martin

Hi Kari,
There are multiple ACPL queries; therefore, I added metaLink information so users can search for the queries that meet their business needs. Thank you so much, Kari. ~Tanjagay Martin | CS Core Trainer

Amy West

Good Afternoon, I work for a CTE Dual Credit Consortium - PNW College Credit - partnered with Bellevue College, Lake WA IT, and Edmonds College. I am hoping you could tell me who to contact regarding CTE Dual Credit course credit being transcribed as "ACPL" or "other" credit. I know that SBCTC instructed the change to transcribing in this way - but who authorized the policy change? Again, I'm not sure you can answer my questions, but if you could please let me know who to contact, I would greatly appreciate it!

Tanjagay Martin

Hello Amy, Thanks for asking such a great question. The SBCTC Student & Course Coding Manual (https://www.sbctc.edu/colleges-staff/data-services/coding-and-reporting-guidelines), last updated on 07/10/2024, states the following, "In the fall of 2016, the Joint Transfer Council (JTC), WACTC Education Services, Instruction Commission and the Articulation and Transfer Council (ATC) approved the following modifications: 1) 'Awarding Credit for Non-Traditional Learning' will now be referred to as 'Academic Credit for Prior Learning.' The current WSAC Prior Learning Assessment Work Group will be referred to going forward as the Academic Credit for Prior Learning Work Group (pp. 38-39)." I hope you find this information helpful. Please accept my sincere thanks for your time. ~Tanjagay Martin | CS Core Trainer.

Ruth Adams

How are CTE credits being handled when a student wants to "transfer" it for inclusion in another degree at another WA CC? By placing it under Prior Learning, this complicates the transferability of the class. Is there a statement on this from SBCTC?

Tanjagay Martin

Hello Ruth,
Thank you for your comment. Per the Academic Credit for Prior Learning coding document (https://www.sbctc.edu/resources/documents/colleges-staff/data-services/data-warehouse/academic-credit-for-prior-learning.pdf), colleges should include a Transcript Note (https://ctclinkreferencecenter.ctclink.us/m/79558/l/1026888-9-2-entering-transcript-text) to clearly identify the category/source of prior learning (For example, “ENGL&101 awarded from AP). Thank you so much for your time, Ruth. ~Tanjagay Martin | CS Core Trainer

Add your comment

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.