Frequently Asked Questions about ACE Credit Recommendation

1. Can I earn college credit for Scuba Schools International training courses?
Yes. Many colleges and universities have developed policies and procedures for awarding credit for learning that is attained outside the college classroom. This includes learning acquired from work and life experience, independent reading and study, and participation in formal courses sponsored by associations, business and industry, the military, and government. The American Council on Education (ACE) has established, through an intensive review process, that a number of SSI training courses are college-level instruction and has recommended credit for them.

2. What is ACE and what is its role in the review process?
The American Council on Education is the major national coordinating body for post-secondary education. ACE, through its College Credit Recommendation Service, reviews and makes credit recommendations for formal educational programs and courses offered by organizations such as SSI. Its credit recommendations are intended to guide colleges and universities as they consider awarding such credit. ACE reviews all courses according to standardized policies and procedures and therefore has a consistent review process that is accepted by colleges and universities as non-partial and credible.

3. Which Scuba Schools International courses carry ACE college credit recommendations?
To date, four SSI courses have been documented and reviewed by ACE and awarded college-level credit recommendations. As ACE reviews additional courses and awards college credit recommendations, it will publish descriptions of those courses in its annual edition of The National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs.

4. How does ACE determine the number of credits to be awarded?
ACE bases the number of credits recommended for each course on factors such as length of course, level of difficulty, reviews of student achievement or knowledge gained by satisfactory completion of the course, required readings and reports, and writings or performance demonstrations.

The National Guide lists the recommended number and level of credits for each course at the end of each course exhibit. A team of subject-matter experts makes this recommendation when it has determined that a course is at the college level.

5. Is college credit automatically earned when someone successfully completes a course listed in The National Guide?
No. Successful completion of such a course results in actual course credit only when a post-secondary institution accepts the course toward a degree or certificate. Students who have already taken one of the courses listed in The National Guide, or who plan to take one, should contact the admissions office or their faculty advisers to determine the acceptability of the course for credit. The extent to which the content of the course is relevant to a student’s academic program of study forms the basis for determining the number of credits that will be accepted.

These are credit recommendations. A college is not required to grant as much credit as recommended by the reviewers, nor is the college limited to granting only that amount of credit.

6. Are policies for granting credit the same in all colleges?
No. Each college sets its own policies, and these vary from college to college. While most colleges grant credit for a course conducted by a noncollegiate organization, some may not. It should be noted that sometimes a college does not grant credit, but it may instead waive a prerequisite course.

Each institution, and in many cases each academic department within the institution, sets its own policies for granting credit. The college admissions office should be able to guide students to the appropriate official responsible for deciding credit recommendations.

7. How much credit may be earned from courses taken from ACE participating organizations?
Colleges and universities have different policies regarding the amount of off campus credit that may be earned. The student should check with the college to determine the amount of credit that will be granted for such courses and the subject area in which the college will grant credit for these courses. A college may grant credit only provisionally at enrollment time and may withhold full credit until the student successfully completes one or more courses at the college.

8. What are the steps for requesting college credit for completed SSI courses?
1. Verify that you are certified in the SSI courses for which you are requesting a certificate.
2. Inform your college or university adviser that you have completed the course(s) and would like to have the ACE-recommended credits applied to your degree program.
3. Purchase an official transcript from your local SSI Training Facility or online at www.ssiusa.com. You may also enroll in the ACE Transcript Service, a computerized transcript service.
4. SSI will send the academic institution an official transcript confirming that you have successfully completed the course(s).
5. Call or write the college registrar and ask if the course transcript has been received and is in your file. Talk with your college or university adviser to find out whether the ACE-recommended credits will be transferred to your program of study.
6. If your adviser is not familiar with the ACE credit recommendations for training, the adviser may call the American Council on Education directly at (202) 939-9437 or refer to National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs. The guide is a reference book listing credit recommendations and course descriptions for ACE-reviewed training.

9. What should be done if my college does not accept the credit recommendations?
The appropriate ACE program office should be informed promptly. Lack of familiarity with the American Council on Education or College Credit Recommendation Service may be the reason for a college’s refusal to accept records or credit recommendations. A phone call or letter from the appropriate ACE program office to the college may alleviate that problem. The phone number for the ACE College Credit Recommendation Service Office in the Center for Adult Learning and Educational Credentials is (202) 939-9437.

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