We are delighted to report that the Henry George Institute’s Principles of Political Economy program has been approved by the National College Credit Recommendation Service. The service, a division of the Board of Regents of the State of New York, coordinates teams of evaluators to review education and training programs. NCCRS evaluators translate those learning experiences into college credit equivalencies when applicable. This does not mean that the HGI’s program had become accredited in its own right. However, some 1500 Cooperating Colleges and Universities will consider granting actual college credit based on NCCRS recommendations.

On February 17th we met in New York (the Henry George School graciously offered meeting space) with NCCRS Director Tina Grant, and our academic evaluators, Dr. Kris Feder and Dr. Fred Foldvary (Fred joined us by phone). HGI Board members George Collins, Gil Herman and Marcial Cordon also attended. In a nearly four-hour meeting, many questions were asked, notes taken and suggestions made. (Some of the suggestions offered by Feder and Foldvary will soon be showing up here and there in HGI course materials.) Finally, hands were shaken over a successful evaluation. The NCCRS recommends that colleges grant three semester hours of college credit for our series, comprising the courses Understanding Economics, Applied Economics and Economic Science.

This is the culmination of a twoyear process of updating courses, training and evaluating faculty members, and devising new record-keeping and testing procedures. We’d like to thank HGI members, who helped us to raise $10,000 to pay for this campaign. Thanks also to Program Advisory Committee members Gordon Abiama, George Collins, Mike Curtis, Stewart Goldwater, Gil Herman, Dayton Loyd and Nicholas Rosen, who were “in the loop” all along, reviewing progress and making suggestions.

This “added value” to our program will, at long last, compel us to remove the words “tuition-free” from our advertising. To take advantage of our final exam and credit recommendation, students will have to pay a tuition fee of $250. However, students may also enroll in our courses for the old, (low!) prices if they do not intend to seek credit — and, if they wish to seek credit in the future, they can pay the tuition fee and take the exam later. We will be making this offer available to past graduates as well.