Adults often prefer self-directed learning over teacher-directed, classroom-oriented learning. They feel that their life experiences and self-initiated projects teach them more than they can learn in a formal classroom situation. Persons usually do not pursue such self-directed learning, however, because of conflicting role requirements, a lack of facilities, and a lack of rewards or credentials. The most important obstacle is the lack of credentials for self-directed learning. There are personal, economic, and social constraints on any person's decision and authority to award credentials. A learning contract brokerage model is proposed to help the determined self-directed learner to overcome these constraints to credentialing. The model would set up a brokerage system in which the learner can do needed work for a teacher--who then becomes a "client"--in exchange for an academic credential, or some similar item, such as a letter of recommendation. A third party serves as the "broker" between the learner and client, and helps to overcome the issue of high-status teacher versus low-status learner. The market dynamic is also accounted for in the model as a means of motivating productivity and rewarding creativity. A model contract is proposed for the brokerage. (KC)