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Gateways credentials vs college credit
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Gateways credentials vs college credit is a choice Illinois directors face on the 64-hour route. Under 225 ILCS 10/6.3, the Gateways Level I Illinois Director Credential can stand in for the 3 hours of administration, leadership or management, but it does not replace the 64 college hours or the 21 child development hours. Plan both with licensing in writing.
What each one is
Gateways to Opportunity is Illinois's professional development system for early childhood staff. It issues credentials, including the Level I Illinois Director Credential. College credit is coursework on an accredited college's transcript, counted in semester or quarter hours.
The law treats them differently, so it helps to know exactly where each one fits.
Both matter in Illinois early childhood work. Credentials show professional preparation recognised across the state system, while college credit builds toward degrees and can move between colleges. For the director rule, though, the law gives each one a specific job, and mixing them up can cost months.
Where each fits in the director rule
On the hours route, a director needs 64 semester hours with 21 in child development, and one management item.
| Requirement | College credit | Gateways Level I Director Credential |
|---|---|---|
| 64 semester hours | Yes, this is college credit | No |
| 21 child development hours | Yes, from an accredited college | No |
| Management item | 3 semester hours in administration, leadership or management | Yes, it meets this item |
| Associate degree route | Associate degree in the field | Not needed |
When the credential makes sense
If you already have 64 hours with 21 in child development, the credential may be a natural next step, especially if your centre or funder values it. Ask Gateways about its current requirements, timeline and any scholarships for early childhood professionals.
Remember that the credential replaces only the management item. If a licensing representative tells you your hours are short, the credential will not close that gap, so count your hours before you choose. Some directors earn the credential later for their own growth even after meeting the rule with a college course.
When college credit makes sense
If you are short of hours, a 3-credit management course meets the management item and adds 3 hours toward the 64 at the same time. General courses also count toward the 64. Our courses are ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended and reach licensing via a college transcript; an accredited college must post them. UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited.
We do not offer child development or early childhood courses, so plan the 21 hours at a college.
A useful check is to list every course on your transcripts with its hours, mark the ones in child development, and add them up. If the total is under 64, college credit is the only way to close the gap, whatever route you take for the management item.
Questions to put in writing
Ask before you spend money or time.
- To licensing: will this course count as administration, leadership or management?
- To licensing: do my current hours meet 407.130(e)(2), and what is missing?
- To the college: will you post this outside course, and how many credits?
- To Gateways: what does the Level I Director Credential require now?
A simple way to decide
Short of hours: take a college management course and general courses, then finish the child development hours. Hours complete: compare the credential and a single management course on time and cost. Either way, keep every written answer with your transcripts, because licensing reviews staff files on visits.
From 1 July 2027, interim conditional directors must finish the missing item within 12 months, so pick the route you can complete in that time.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your Department of Early Childhood licensing representative in writing whether your planned general hours and management course will count, and ask the college in writing which courses it will post, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Can the Gateways credential replace college hours?
Not under Section 6.3. The Level I Director Credential is one way to meet the management item. The 64 semester hours and the 21 child development hours still have to come from college credit.
Do Gateways training points count as college credit?
No. The law lists 3 points of credential-approved training as a separate option for the management item. Training points do not add semester hours toward the 64; college credit does.
Can I hold both?
Yes. Many directors build college hours and later earn Gateways credentials. Only one management item is needed for the director rule, but your centre or funder may value both, so ask what helps your role.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Introduction to Psychology
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Management, leadership and general courses are on PRO. Ask the college and licensing in writing first.
Sources
- Illinois General Assembly: Public Act 104-0773 (HB4587), Child Care Act of 1969, Sections 6.3 and 6.5 (official)Sec. 6.3: directors hired on or after the effective date need (1) an associate degree from an accredited college or university in child development or early childhood education, or (2) 64 semester or 96 quarter hours in any discipline with at least 21 semester or 31.5 quarter hours from an accredited college in child development, early childhood education or early childhood special education, plus a Gateways Level I Illinois Director Credential, 3 semester or 4.5 quarter hours in administration, leadership or management, or 3 points of credential-approved training. Sec. 6.5: interim conditional directors for 12 months while completing 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.130(e)(2), with 2 years or 3,120 hours as a teacher at the centre and 64 hours with 15 or 21 in early childhood; repealed 30 June 2032. Act effective 1 July 2027. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.