Turning Military Experience into College Credits: Possible?

Hey, all! Has anyone had experience transferring military expertise into college credits? I've been in the military for a couple of years, and I've picked up loads of skills and knowledge. I was wondering how I can 'translate' this into something colleges will recognize. Thoughts?

Absolutely, it is possible to convert military experience into college credits. Many colleges indeed recognize the value of military service and provide ways to translate this into academic credit. The starting point though would be your Joint Services Transcript (JST), which provides a description of military schooling and work history in civilian language.

Once you have your JST, you can submit it to colleges during the application process. You may also want to look into colleges that accept the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), which can also allow you to convert military training into college credits.

Remember though, each institution has its own policies regarding how these credits are assessed and applied to degree programs, so it’s a good idea to reach out to the schools you're interested in and ask about their particular policies.

In addition to this, many colleges have a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process through which you can earn college credit for what you learned in your military service, which may not appear on your JST, but is actually college-level knowledge.

An example is the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) which enables you to earn college credit for what you already know by earning qualifying scores on any of the 33 examinations. If you have developed proficiency in languages during your military service, CLEP also offers an opportunity to demonstrate your language skills and earn credits.

So it's definitely possible, and can be a great way to capitalize on your military learning!