Is it Possible to Turn Military Schools into College Credits?

Hey, I was wondering if anyone knows about turning military schooling into college credits? I plan to serve, and I figured it would be smart to make the most of any training or schooling I get during my time in the service. Does anyone know how this works, or have any personal experience with this process?

Sure, turning military courses or training into college credit can be quite feasible. The American Council on Education (ACE) collaborates with the Department of Defense (DoD) to review military schools and training courses and align them with certain college credit. They create college credit recommendations that are then considered by many higher education institutions.

However, it's crucial to note that the acceptance of military credit is not universally standardized and is ultimately at the discretion of the institution in which you're seeking to enroll. Some colleges are more generous than others in their credit evaluations and policies.

For you to transfer your military school credits, you would need to first obtain an official Joint Services Transcript (JST). The JST is an academically accepted document approved by the ACE to validate your military occupational experience and training. This transcript would then be sent to your prospective institution's admissions or registrar's office, who will evaluate it and determine what credits, if any, may be transferred.

Some colleges have Veteran's services offices that can help navigate this process. There are also Yellow Ribbon Schools, which are known for their commitment to military students, and may have more experience with the process of transferring military credits.

Remember also that the course must be relevant to the college degree program you will be enrolling in for the credits to possibly be transferred. It may be beneficial to reach out directly to the schools you're considering for clear guidelines on their protocol for evaluating military training.

Lastly, a good resource to start with is the ACE's Military Guide, a tool that connects military courses and occupations with related academic credits. It's a useful tool to start recognizing what type of credit you might be eligible for.

Hope this helps, and thank you for your decision to serve! It's a great idea to make the most of your military experience in this way. Good luck!