3 Ways to Get Academic Credit for Military Training

Since veterans cash in their GI Bill benefits and check out college, many are up against a battle they were not anticipating: the struggle to earn academic credit for their years of armed service training.

"It is a challenge, " says Bill Hubbard, spokesman for Scholar Veterans of America. "Say you were a fund officer for the Military services for 10 years. You might go to get a degree in finance and then only get a few courses of credit. It can feel somewhat disappointing. It's a concern that folks in the military are extremely concerned about. very well

Veterans and service users have many different ways to earn credit for their military experience, but finally it's up to the school or university to decide points to accept, says Becky Klein-Collins, senior overseer of research and coverage development for the Authorities for Adult and Experiential Learning.

Schools run the gamut in conditions with their credit-granting policies, experts say. Some offer no credit for military training, while some have policies that is much more generous.

3 Ways to Get Academic Credit for Military Training

Before signing up for a school, students need to be certain they have an understanding showing how and if their credit will transfer, Klein-Collins says. Usually the information just isn't easy to find, and students need to be prepared to be powerful, she says.

"A great deal of institutions do not have an official written policy that is manufactured available to students, " claims. "They may well not have it on a site or a college or university catalog. Students have to know to ask for it. "

The pursuing are several ways experts and service members can get academic credit for military training.

1 ) Joint services transcript:

The moment veterans leave the military services, they can obtain a record of their training known as the joint services transcript. The records is a record of completed training that is approved for credit by the American Council on Education. The nonprofit care group for colleges and universities has been practicing with the military considering that the 1950s to get veterans credit for their military experience.

When universities aren't guaranteed to acknowledge the council's credit advice, around 2, 000 organizations have a regular practice of doing so, says Cathy Sandeen, vice chief executive for education attainment and innovation at ACE.

Nevertheless students shouldn't necessarily get their hopes up if their institution says it will grant credit in line with the transcript, says Steve Borden, director of the Wally Tillman Veterans Center at Arizona State University.

Various schools grant credit depending on ACE's recommendations, nevertheless they prize it as general optional credit, he says. "It doesn't fill in any specific degree requirements, very well Borden says. "It makes the service member feel good, but it does not signify it is beneficial toward helping them complete their degree early. inches

3 Ways to Get Academic Credit for Military Training

2. Credit by exam

Veterans also have the choice to earn school credit through taking exams that test their knowledge of content taught in college or university courses. But again, it can up to the specific schools to decide whether they will grant credit for the exams.

The College Level Examination Software allows students for taking thirty-three standardized exams in topics such as biology or American literature, according to its website. Many experts and their family people will take the tests for free.

Similarly, veterans can go through DSST, a standardized test process first established by the Section of Defense. The option is also available at Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State College and a handful of other colleges offering their own examinations that enrolled students and more can take for credit.

If those programs avoid give you a test in a veteran's desired subject area, Klein-Collins with the Authorities for Adult and Experiential Learning suggests veterans ask about having a "challenge exam" within their school. In those instances, states, school will develop an exam for students to take to demonstrate their knowledge in a specific subject matter.

3. Portfolio assessment

A lot of schools give students the choice of petitioning for credit through submitting a portfolio with their work, Klein-Collins says.

That profile often involves supportive documents as well as a written narrative that traces what students learned, the context through which they discovered it and exactly how they have applied that knowledge. Teachers in that subject area then review the stock portfolio and make an advice if the student should obtain credit, states.

While some schools make it harder than others to gain credit for military experience, the good news is the wave is changing, says Sandeen, with the American Authorities on Education. "More and more colleges and schools are adapting their techniques because we all want to do an improved job of serving our old soldiers, " she says.

Institutions including the University of Maryland--University College, Thomas Edison, Excelsior and Charter Oak Express College may be a particularly good fit for veterans given that they specifically aim for adult students, Sandeen says.

"In general, institutions like that tend to have the structures in location to facilitate a smooth changeover, " states.

3 Ways to Get Academic Credit for Military Training