Earning College Credits from Military Service

Hi everyone! I've heard that some colleges might give credits for serving in the military. Can anyone with firsthand experience or some knowledge around this clarify whether or not this is true and how it works?

Yes, you're correct, many colleges and universities do give academic credit for military training and experience, often based on guidelines provided by the American Council on Education (ACE). The ACE works closely with the Department of Defense (DoD) to review military training and experiences, to recommend appropriate college credit for those experiences.

Here's how the process typically works: when you separate from the military, you receive a Joint Services Transcript (JST), which is an official transcript tool that validates your military occupational experience and training along with the corresponding ACE college credit recommendations.

You then submit this transcript to the college you're interested in, the same way you would with a traditional academic transcript. The institution will then evaluate your JST to determine how many credits, if any, they're able to grant you for your military experience. This can offer significant benefits from a time and cost perspective, as it may eliminate the need for you to take certain courses.

It's important to note that policies regarding the awarding of academic credit for military experience can vary greatly from one institution to another. Some colleges may grant a significant number of credits for military training and experience, while others may award few or none at all. Therefore, you should reach out to the specific institution's admissions or veterans services office to get a better understanding of how your military training and experience will be evaluated.

Remember, it can also be beneficial to highlight your military experience in your college applications and essays, as this experience can demonstrate skills such as leadership, teamwork, and discipline that can make you a competitive applicant.