Transferring JST into College Credits

I'm in the military and have a JST. How do I go about transferring these credits to college? I'm not sure how the process works and if there are any specific colleges more open to accepting these.

Firstly, kudos to you for trying to leverage your military training and experience in the academic setting. Transitioning your Joint Services Transcript (JST) into college credits is certainly doable and a good way to speed up your progress toward a degree.

1. Understand Your JST: The JST provides a record of all your military training and experience. It has been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) to recommend equivalent college credits for individual training courses and occupations.

2. Contact Prospective Schools: Reach out to the admissions or registrar's office of the schools you're considering. Ask them about their policy on accepting military training as college credit. Every institution has its policy regarding accepting JST credits. Some schools may accept more credits than others based on factors such as how closely the skills you learned in the military match their course requirements.

3. Send Your JST: Once you have a school that accepts JST credits, you'll need to send them your JST. This can be done electronically through the JST website. The school's admissions or registrar's office can guide you through their preferred process.

4. Verification and Evaluation: After the school receives your JST, they will evaluate each course and experience listed on it for equivalent credit. This process can take several weeks, so it's a good idea to start early.

5. Discuss Evaluation Results: Once the evaluation is complete, you'll get a notice from the school detailing which credits they are willing to accept. You can discuss these results with an academic advisor to understand where these credits fit into your degree plan.

In terms of finding military-friendly schools, look for institutions that are members of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium. These schools have committed to making it easier for military students to earn degrees. Also, many state schools have solid programs for accepting military training as academic credit. For example, the State University of New York (SUNY) system has a generous acceptance policy, and many community colleges are also very accommodating.

Remember to connect with Veterans Affairs or a similar department while on campus – they can provide a wealth of information and resources to help you transition smoothly from military service to college life. It's worth the time to explore how your JST can serve you in the academic environment. Good luck!