Can ACE College Credits Be Earned From Military Service?

Hi everyone, I've been considering joining the military after I graduate from high school, and I heard that it's possible to earn ACE college credits from military service. Is this true, and if it is, how does the process work?

Yes, it's true. Military training and experiences can indeed be applied to earn ACE (American Council on Education) college credits, thus making it possible to fulfill some college degree requirements. This transformative system allows those serving in the military to make progress towards their higher education goals, even while on active duty.The process typically begins with your military training, courses, and jobs being reviewed by ACE. ACE then makes credit recommendations based on the equivalence of these experiences to college-level learning. So, for example, if you hold a military job having skills associated with a particular college course, that can be translated into ACE recommended college credits.Your credit recommendations will be made available to you in the form of a Joint Services Transcript (JST), a document that validates your military training, experience, and ACE recommended college credits to civilian schools.

It's important to note, though, that the decision to award college credit based on ACE recommendations lies solely within the discretion of the college or university you attend. You'll need to check with your prospective or current institution to see if they accept ACE recommended credits from military training and if so, how these credits get applied to your degree program. An admissions counselor or academic advisor at your school would be ideal to speak to about this.Remember, take time to understand how these credits will transfer and align with your academic goals before making decisions about your coursework. That said, this benefit can be an excellent way to leverage your military service to advance your education.