Want to know how to get out of some college classes and save some money? If so, then remember these four letters: CLEP. CLEP is an acronym for the College Level Examination Program. This program allows students to skip college classes if they can prove they already know the information. Instead of the class, students can take a test (for a fee of around $70) to prove that they already know what the class would teach them. Fr. David Zettel, one of Trinity’s college counselors, explained that CLEP is “designed for people who get the experience of college-level courses without college. Most of the time, it’s for people who get the knowledge through experience. CLEP is simply a way for them to prove that.” Doug Denton, director of the Student Development Center at Indiana University Southeast, said that “(students) can also get the knowledge from reading books. If (students) pass the CLEP test, they get a passing grade for the class that has no affect on their GPA.” CLEP is useful to students who go straight from high school to the armed forces. During their tour of duty, they may gain knowledge on topics related to their military work. For example, a bomber pilot may learn architectural information that helps him effectively destroy enemy buildings. When he becomes a civilian again, he can take a CLEP exam to prove he knows the architectural information, as opposed to paying for the class that would teach it to him. IUS, Bellarmine, U of L, and Ivy Tech are only some of the local colleges that offer CLEP. To find out if the college you are interested in provides the program, either visit that college’s Website or give them a call. For more information on CLEP, visit www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html.