Skip the Lecture, Keep the Credit

CLEP and Modern States Helped Student Brewer Stinson Save Time, Money and Stress

A path to free college credit may sound too good to be true, but for University of Louisville College of Business student Brewer Stinson, it marked the beginning of a faster, more affordable college experience. Through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and its nonprofit partner Modern States, the first-year student completed free online courses, earned exam vouchers and entered college with credits already on his transcript. In this Q&A, Stinson shares how the program helped him accelerate his education while saving time, money and stress, highlighting how programs like these can make higher education more accessible for students nationwide.  

College of Business: Tell us a little bit about yourself.  

Brewer Stinson: I am a freshman finance major from Louisville, Kentucky. I have lived here since I was adopted at 7. [I also spent] two years in Fort Worth, Texas.

College of Business: Why did you decide to pursue a degree at the University of Louisville?  

Brewer Stinson: I decided to pursue a degree at UofL mainly due to proximity. To go out of state is very expensive, so I chose UofL mainly out of financial convenience and to be close to home.

College of Business: How did you initially find out about the CLEP and Modern States?  

Brewer Stinson: I initially found out about CLEP and Modern States through my high school College Algebra class. In April of my senior year, before taking the CLEP test in May, my teacher informed me about Modern States. So, I was able to take my College Algebra CLEP for free my senior year.

College of Business: What made you decide to use CLEP and Modern States?  

Brewer Stinson: After taking the College Algebra CLEP, I decided to look at UofL’s website and see what other credits they offered through CLEP. I saw that, as a finance major, I could pretty much CLEP out of a lot of introductory general education classes, along with a couple of introductory business courses.

College of Business: What were some of your main goals going into Modern States and CLEP?  

Brewer Stinson: My main goal was to save money and get credit. I have gained 15 credits through CLEP alone, which is equivalent to probably $6,000 in tuition at UofL. Along with this, I may graduate next year, even though I am just a freshman this year.

College of Business: What specific courses did you take through Modern States and CLEP? Do you feel that you are on the same level of understanding as your peers in your current courses?  

Brewer Stinson: I took the equivalents of Math 111, Econ 201, Econ 202, Claw 301 and Mgmt 301. It is too early for me to tell whether I have the same level of understanding as my peers, due to my not having taken advanced business courses yet, so that remains to be seen. I do have to say, you can access the videos on Modern States at any time, even after you’ve finished the course. So, if I do have a little bit of trouble in a future college course that pertains to what I did in Modern States, I plan on watching the videos and reteaching myself fundamentals if needed.

College of Business: How did studying for CLEP compare to a traditional college exam?  

Brewer Stinson: Studying for CLEP is a little bit different than a traditional college course. I say that because you must teach all the information to yourself. You’re not going to have a teacher helping you and answering questions. It is your initiative to do the Modern States course by yourself. Doing CLEP is not easy. It requires discipline and a willingness to manage your time well. 

College of Business: How has CLEP changed how you manage your time in college?  

Brewer Stinson: CLEP has helped me focus more on my college classes after passing the exams. I am able to stack on more credits and focus on getting done earlier. I can take the most important courses at UofL, instead of sitting in on classes that I know I can do and teach myself. 

College of Business: Have you noticed any differences in difficulty or pacing with your courses?   

Brewer Stinson: I currently have not noticed any difficulty within my courses yet. Again, I am still in my first year technically, so I am still doing freshman/sophomore level classes, which consist more of general education classes and introduction classes.

College of Business: What were the biggest benefits of using CLEP and Modern States?  

Brewer Stinson: The biggest benefit is saving time and money. On average, one is supposed to spend at least 90 hours throughout the semester in a college 3-credit course. Each Modern States course took me about 12-15 hours to study for. That means I have saved a total of 390 hours of my time doing CLEP. Along with this, I have saved approximately $6,000 in tuition through [taking] CLEP tests. 

College of Business: How did you best study for the CLEP exams?   

Brewer Stinson: Watch the videos. Modern States provides videos for each course, 5-10 hours total, depending on the course. They will also provide a digital textbook for you to read through, but the videos were enough for me. Don’t buy College Board’s $10 study guide, the practice questions in Modern States are the same ones you’ll see in that guide, so you already have access to them for free. You must do the practice questions at the end of each section in order to request a voucher for the CLEP test. You must score 75% or above on each quiz and the final exam at the end of the course. After that, they will allow you to request a voucher, which they will give to you via email. Study when you know you will have the time, don’t try to cram it in when you know you have other events or activities going on.   

College of Business: If you could do it all again, what would you change about how you prepared?  

Brewer Stinson: I think the only thing I would’ve done differently is spaced out all my CLEP tests more. I have done five CLEP tests between these last two semesters alone, so it is a lot. There was one I did not pass, and it would’ve been easier if I had been more patient with myself.  

College of Business: What motivated you to finish courses faster and earlier than your peers?   

Brewer Stinson: For me, I want to enter the sports industry. My future career goal is to work in the front office of a professional sports team and because of this, I plan on getting three more degrees after my bachelor’s. So, I want to finish earlier to move forward in my career, but I also don’t want to be in school until I’m 40.

College of Business: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?   

Brewer Stinson: This may seem like a lot, but anyone can do this. Don’t make excuses that you’re not smart enough or that something in you is missing or that you don’t have the talent. All it requires is discipline and time management. There are plenty of examples in our world to see very talented people fail, and it is largely because they lacked discipline. There must be a want and a desire to do this. And don’t put a ton of pressure on yourself. If you want to do one course per semester, great. Don’t feel like you must combine or finish all the courses you want to do on Modern States all at once. It is through that that you will experience burnout and not want to do it when you could.

About the UofL College of Business:   

Founded in 1953, the UofL College of Business fosters intellectual and economic vitality in our city, region and the global business landscape. Our academic programs, research, community outreach initiatives and commitment to student success inspire lives and businesses to flourish through entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, diversity and the power of people.   

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