> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.novascholars.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Free College Credit: What Modern States Can Do for Your Family - URL: https://www.novascholars.org/free-college-credit-modern-states/ - Published: 2026-10-11T16:25:55.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-11T16:25:55.000Z - Author: Daa'iyah Na'im, Ed.S. - Tags: college credit, CLEP, Modern States, free resources, college planning What if your teenager could earn a full year of college credit without paying a dollar in tuition? That is not a sales pitch. It is a real program, it is free, and I have been pointing families to it since 2018. ## What Is Modern States? Modern States Education Alliance is a nonprofit built on a simple idea: access to affordable education is fundamental. Their flagship program, called Freshman Year for Free, offers more than 30 free online college courses taught by professors from top universities. These courses prepare students to pass CLEP exams, which are accepted for college credit at nearly 3,000 colleges and universities. The courses cover the subjects you would expect in a freshman year: English composition, college algebra, psychology, American government, biology, Spanish, and many more. Everything is self-paced. All it takes is an internet connection and a willingness to learn. ## How It Works The process is straightforward: 1. Create a free account at modernstates.org and pick a course. 2. Complete the course, including all quizzes and the final exam. You need to score 75 percent or higher. 3. Request a CLEP exam voucher. Modern States sends you a code that covers the full exam fee. 4. Register for the CLEP exam through the College Board website and enter your voucher code at checkout. Your total is zero. 5. Take the exam at a testing center. If the center charges a separate seat fee, Modern States reimburses it. You submit your receipt and score report, and they send you a check. Each course you complete and each exam you pass is real college credit. Students who pass 8 to 10 CLEP exams can save roughly a full year of college costs. That is thousands of dollars per course that stays in your family's pocket. ## Why I Recommend It I am not paid to say this. Modern States does not have an affiliate program. I recommend it because it works, and because it lines up with everything Nova Scholars stands for: making higher education attainable and giving families real tools to reduce the cost of a degree. I have been referring families to Modern States for years, since around 2018\. I have seen students walk into college with credits already earned and a head start their peers did not have. If your family is looking for a legitimate, no-cost way to earn college credit in high school, this is the first place I would look. ## Where Nova Scholars Fits In Modern States handles the coursework and the voucher. But families still need a guide. Which CLEP subjects make sense for your student's target schools? How do you build a study plan around a self-paced course? What happens after the credit is earned? That is where we come in. Nova Scholars helps families build customized college and career pathways, from test preparation to credit planning. Our full-length ACT mock exam, held every Saturday under real timed conditions, comes with a detailed score report that shows exactly where to focus. New families on Outschool pay just $5 with our referral link. Start with Modern States for the free credit. Come to us when you want a plan. [Explore Modern States](https://modernstates.org/?ref=novascholars.org) --- *Ready to see where your student stands? Our Saturday ACT mock exam is $5 for new Outschool families:* [*sign up here*](https://outschool.com/teachers/msnaim?signup=true&usid=KL5IU8Rb&couponCode=MsNaimE20&referralProgram=outreach&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=educator%5Fshare%5Finvite%5Flink&ref=novascholars.org)*.* --- *Daa'iyah Na'im, Ed.S., is a certified teacher and doctoral candidate researching ACT scores. She founded Nova Scholars, a Mississippi nonprofit, and teaches live ACT prep on Outschool.*