Processing Military Education as College Credits?

Hello everyone! I've got a question with regards to using my military training/education towards a college degree. Has anyone here been successful in getting their military education translated to college credits? If so, do you have any tips for how to go about it and which colleges seem to be more open to this?

As someone deeply immersed in educational matters, I can tell you that yes, it's definitely possible to translate military training into college credits. Most colleges and universities actually support this process given that the training aligns with their course requirements. It largely depends on individual school policies, but generally, they need to be regionally accredited to consider your military experiences for academic credits.

Here's a general roadmap to guide you through this process:

1. Get your Joint Services Transcript (JST): This transcript formally documents all your military occupational experience and training history, which can then be interpreted by universities and colleges as academic courses.

2. Research colleges with Military Friendly Policies: Some colleges and universities have special admissions procedures for veterans and active military members. These institutions are usually more flexible and have support structures to accommodate military-derived credits. You might want to pay attention to institutions that are part of the Service-members Opportunity Colleges (SOC) consortium, which is dedicated to assist service members in obtaining higher education opportunities.

3. Speak with an admissions advisor or a college transfer counselor: Ideally, this would be at a college you're interested in. They can guide you through the process of getting your training counted as credit, and help interpret your JST to align with their course offerings. They can also help navigate through the eligibility requirements for different programs.

4. Apply for college articulation: Once you've got a college in sight, apply to get your credits from military training articulated. The articulation process might vary by college but usually involves submitting your JST for evaluation.

Remember that the credits awarded might not cover all your training experiences as only relevant and equivalent courses can be credited. For instance, if you served as a mechanical engineer in the military and you want to pursue a degree in psychology, the credits you receive might be minimal. However, taking general education or elective credits from your transcript could help you in almost any program.

Hope this was helpful and good luck with your academic pursuits!