PLAR MATURITY CREDITS AND PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION  You may be closer than you think to obtaining your diploma. Students enrolled in an Ontario high school prior to 1999 may be eligible for Maturity Credit exemptions. Those enrolled after 1999 may be eligible for prior learning credits. Maturity Credits To be eligible for maturity credits, you must have been enrolled in an Ontario high school prior to 1999, be over the age of nineteen, and been out of school for at least one year. You may receive two credits per year that you were not in school up to; a) a maximum of twelve (12) credits or b) the attainment of twenty-six (26) credits, whichever comes first. The last four credits must be earned by the student, and must be from grades eleven and twelve. A grade twelve English course (at any level) is essential. Maturity credits can only be granted after the student has successfully completed at least two required credits. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is the formal evaluation and credit-granting process through which mature students may obtain credits for prior learning – the knowledge and skills that adults have acquired, in both formal and informal ways, outside secondary school. The PLAR process for mature students involves three procedures: “individual assessment/equivalency” (Gr. 9/10), “equivalency” (Gr. 11/12), and “challenge” (Gr. 11/12). There is no charge for mature students to participate in the PLAR process. Who is a Mature Student? A mature student is: - at least 18 years old on or before December 31 of the school year; - enrolled in a secondary school credit program for the purpose of obtaining an OSSD; - one who has been out of school for a period of at least one year before returning as an adult. PLAR credits can only be awarded after completing 4 credits. Counsellors can help you determine what you need and to plan the best method of completing your goals. |