During the recent economic downturn, many higher education institutions, including community colleges, career colleges, and traditional colleges, have seen a surge in enrollment. Some students have been laid off from their jobs and are returning to school in order to receive training for a new career. Other adult learners wish to receive additional education in order to make themselves more valuable and less dispensable in their current career. Still others are furthering their education in order to enter a new, more lucrative career and be in a better position to meet their financial obligations and save for the future.

Because attending a career, technical, or traditional college will involve a great amount of time and money, each person contemplating enrollment must weigh his or her options and consider whether or not their long term earning potential after pursuing additional education is worth the expense of obtaining the education. Many students may be surprised to learn that there are several ways of saving both time and money while attending a community or traditional college.

One of the primary ways of saving both time and money while obtaining a college degree is the CLEP test. CLEP, which stands for College Level Examination Program, is a unique program that allows students to take a standardized exam in order to demonstrate college-level proficiency of a subject and gain college credits. The College Board, the company that oversees CLEP exams, offers 34 different exams, each covering material taught in lower-level college classes, that is, classes that students typically take in the first two years of college. Examples of CLEP tests include American Government, English Composition, Humanities, and College Math. Most satisfactory exam score will result in the student gaining between 3 and 6 credits. With over 2,900 colleges and universities, ranging from community colleges to Ivy League universities, accepting credits earned through CLEP exams, many students are likely to find that their school accepts CLEP credits. CLEP tests, which each cost less than $100 to take, can save the student a substantial amount of money on tuition.

In addition to the monetary savings, can also save students? time. If a student opts to take a CLEP test in order to receive credits instead of attending the actual course, he or she will save the time required to commute to class, the time involved with attending class, and the time required to study and complete projects. Students who take CLEP exams are often able to enjoy a lighter course load during one or more semesters, begin taking degree-specific upper level course requirements sooner, and graduate sooner.

In spite of the potential financial and temporal benefits of exams, many students may be unsure about the CLEP exam procedure or uncertain how to prepare for a CLEP test. Many students who possess little or no prior knowledge of a subject are able to prepare for, take, and earn a satisfactory CLEP test score. Various methods students can use to prepare for CLEP tests include CLEP study guides, college textbooks, online study systems, and practice CLEP tests. Many students are able to prepare for their CLEP in a few weeks? time if they are able to devote several hours to studying each day.

The College Board, the company overseeing CLEP, has an informative website, www.collegeboard.com, which can provide valuable resources and information for students who are interested in learning more about CLEP exams. Students will also find that their academic advisor can often be a valuable resource for information on the specific college's CLEP policies.