Zero Problems: Modern States CLEP Course Tips, Tools and Troubleshooting
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Modern States CLEP Course Tips, Tools and Troubleshooting

You made it to 100 % course completion—nice! Before you celebrate, lock in your two money-saving documents: the CLEP voucher (pays your $97 test fee) and the testing-center reimbursement (puts your site fee back in your pocket). In the next few minutes you’ll see exactly where those links appear, what they ask for, and the most common form hiccups that delay students at times.

By the end, you’ll know how to…

  • Spot the “CLEP Voucher Request” button that only shows up after you pass the final quiz.
  • Complete the tuition-center reimbursement form successfully.
  • Fetch the three required files: Modern States voucher email, testing-center receipt, candidate score report.
  • Review the name, date, and file-size specs for smooth uploads.
  • When to seek Modern States for support if your voucher email hasn’t arrived in 48 hours.

Watch the 12-minute video, or read the steps below to submit your CLEP voucher request—today.

Jump to: Steps ↓ | Quick Terms | Transcript

Watch the Walkthrough

Timestamps

  • 00:29-00:33 Voucher Request
  • 02:0202:06 Testing Center Reimbursement
  • 04:52-04:54 Many ways to get to the same spot
  • 05:38-05:49 Links on the left lead to sub-section tables of contents
  • 06:39-06:47 Awards
  • 07:11-07:19 Encouragement
  • 08:02-08:04 Modern States help
  • 08:15-08:20 Brightspace help
  • 08:53-08:58 Notifications (orange dot)
  • 09:45-09:49 Download the PDF slides, transcripts, or textbook sections

Quick Terms to Know

  • Modern States: A nonprofit platform offering 100% free, college-level courses—then pays for your CLEP exam.
  • CLEP: College-Level Examination Program. Pass the test, skip the (paid) class.
  • Voucher: A free exam coupon Modern States sends after you complete a course.
  • Course Dashboard: Your private classroom inside Modern States.
  • Testing Center Reimbursement: A check back to you for what you paid the testing center itself (usually $15-$35). Form + receipt upload = 6-8 weeks to land in your mailbox.
  • Module: One bite-sized lesson (video + slides + PDF reading).
  • Sub-section: A bundle of modules ending in a quiz.
  • Awards: Orange badges that pop up once the course is finished. Visual proof you can screenshot for resumes and unofficial transcript, etc.
  • Table of Contents: Left-side navigation tree. Clicking a section jumps straight to its miniature TOC so you can hop straight to quizzes, slides, PDFs, or transcripts without endless scrolling.
  • Check mark vs. dot: Check mark = lesson fully viewed. Dot = you started but bailed (it’s ok—go back anytime).
  • Progress bar: Only counts sections and quizzes marked complete (not just videos watched).
  • Gradebook: Shows every quiz attempt + highest score—retake as often as you want.
  • See the full glossary >>
Awards in Modern States
A selection of awards on Modern States screenshot

Step-By-Step Walkthrough

Get Your FREE CLEP Voucher (2 min)

  1. Finish every module → gray % bar hits 100.
  2. Take the final exam → score screen appears → click “Continue.”
  3. Scroll the left-hand table of contents—look for the new line “CLEP Voucher Request.”
  4. Click → new page says “Congratulations!” → big blue button → click it.
  5. Check email within ~48 hours with a subject line like, “Your Modern States CLEP Voucher.” Save it; you’ll need the voucher number for the next step.

Apply for Test-Site Reimbursement (3 min)

  1. From the same Dashboard (“My Courses”), click “Tuition Center Reimbursement” in the left menu.
  2. Fill all required fields:• Your exact exam name (e.g., “Introduction to Psychology”).
    • Date you sat for the test (MM/DD/YYYY).
    • Dollar amount charged by the test site.
    • Answer “Not a participant” if none of the listed programs apply.
  3. Attach 2 documents (limit 3 MB each):
    • Receipt (PDF/JPG, name it “Receipt_ExamDate”).
    • Candidate Score Report (download from your College Board account, name it “ScoreReport_ExamDate”).
  4. Copy the 12-digit voucher code found in the email above.
  5. Solve the CAPTCHA → hit Submit. Bookmark your confirmation page.
  6. Expected turnaround: 6–8 weeks direct deposit or mailed check.

Pro-Tip: Use a scanner app (Genius Scan, Adobe Scan) to avoid blurry phone pics.

Need help?

  • No voucher email in 48 hours? → support@modernstates.org, include email + exam.
  • Form upload fails → shrink file or convert PDF to PNG under 3 MB.

Watch next: How I studied for CLEP exams: Modern States to the rescue

CLEP voucher request

About Modern States

Modern States is a nonprofit education initiative offering free online courses that prepare students for CLEP exams and college credit. I was a 2024 Modern States Ambassador. Read more on what is Modern States.

One Step

Are you in the middle of a course or need to finish one? Don’t let anything stop you. Let me know what’s hold you back, if anything. Leave a comment.

Finish Line

Don’t forget to check out your awards page once you complete one, two, or more course. You’ll have a visual of your hard work. Drop your course title in the comments when you’re ready to cheer each other on.

Back to: CLEP Exams: The Ultimate Guide to Earning Free College Credit

Related Blog Posts

Links and Resources

Questions?

X/Tweet @tracyaltheide #moveupfam. If there’s enough questions, I’ll add an FAQ section here or add a related post.

Transcript

So Modern States makes studying for your CLEP exam simple and easy. But what if you run into trouble along the way?…

(Full transcript continues—toggle open the arrow on the left)

So Modern States makes studying for your CLEP exam simple and easy. But what if you run into trouble along the way? As a 2024 Modern States Ambassador, I’m going to show you my best tips, tricks and troubleshooting for the most common issues that you might run into so you can focus on studying without any of the tech edits. Let’s go.

In this section I’ll walk you through submitting a voucher request and a tuition center reimbursement. Once you pass that exam you’re going to see on the bottom left of the course table of contents section a new section called Voucher Request. It’ll only show up after you pass your final exam.

Click on that section and it’ll take you to a subsection with a link that says CLEP Voucher Request. Click it and you’ll land on a page that says congratulations on passing your exam. Then click the big blue button to trigger the voucher request. You’ll know you did it right because you’ll get an email about two days later. If you don’t, contact Modern States. The actual voucher will be at the end of that email.

To do a tuition center reimbursement, exit the course and go into the Modern States Dashboard where all your courses live. In the navigation click Tuition Center Reimbursement. That page takes a bit to load. The form is longer and processing takes six to eight weeks. You’ll need the voucher you received from Modern States, a copy of your exam receipt and the candidate score report. Also your email phone country name exam name and birthday.

Upload the receipt and score report under three megabytes in one of the accepted file types. Enter the exam date and the voucher number from your email or the voucher itself. Check the recap and hit Submit.

Table of Contents is a summary of all the main links for the section on the left. Same links live in different spots, so if you’re lost you’ll probably find what you need in another place.

Clicking a main link on the left takes you to the table of contents for that section, not the first module, so you choose what to read next.

Awards shows badges you’re working toward. When you finish the course the badge will show up orange.

You’re not alone even if it feels like it. Hundreds of students are doing asynchronous courses right now. Whether you’re watching at 11:00 p.m. or 10:00 a.m. you’ll get through it. You’re smart enough and you can handle it even with your crazy schedule. One step at a time.

For help hit Modern States Help which opens a page to search articles or submit a request. Brightspace help tackles platform issues but course questions are better handled through the main help link.

When a little orange dot appears on the bell at the top right that’s final calculated grade. You’ll see something like zero out of 79 which just tells you your starting point; no stress.

Downloading resources—open any module and you’ll see Reading Video Slides. Each item opens in its own page. You can download slides or transcripts with the button at top or bottom for PDF. Click to print specific pages or download the whole thing. Transcripts open in a new window with download or print options as do slides.

That’s it. Drop questions in the comments. Check the other videos in the series plus the blog on CLEP, Modern States and competency-based education. I personally used Modern States to pass five CLEP exams; my journey video’s linked below. Future vlogs are coming, so like and subscribe if this helped. I’m Tracy Altheide—see you in the next video.

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Tracy helps self-starters and project finishers find the tools, strategies, and confidence to complete the work that matters most. She shares actionable tips, book notes, reviews, and personal experiments to help you start strong and finish well.