If needed your military career can help you gain a degree once you return to civilian life. The technical training you received while serving can apply towards receiving your college degree thanks to strategic partnerships between military and educational institutions and ACE.
Formed in the early twentieth century, the American Council on Education (ACE) provides a set of guidelines for colleges and universities to use when granting college credit for military training or for military experience. This is good news for you if you have military experience and want to pursue a college education and degree.
The ACE guidelines and recommendations enable accredited, educational institutions to recognize the academic value of your military service and can help you to receive academic credit for a significant portion of the training received.
Generally, ACE suggests applying your military experience towards college elective requirements. However, the college or university you select ultimately has the final say on where and how military experience applies towards getting a college degree. This is why is it important to select the correct learning institution when looking to apply military experience because a school may not even grant college credit at all.
Request your official military service records and submit them to the college you choose. In particular, if you served in the Army, Coast Guard, Navy or Marine Corps, you want your Joint Services Transcripts (JST). You are eligible for JST Transcripts if you are active duty, reserve or a veteran. Although you may want to include awards, letters of recognition and other designations such as medal certificates related to your military career, none of those help persuade or otherwise change how a school can award or will award college credits.
Over two-thousand (2000) universities and colleges recognize the JST as official military documents and follow ACE guidelines regarding recommendations in awarding academic credit. Depending on the college you choose and the amount of college credit you receive, your military experience could save you several months of class time and over $500 dollars per class. Take action now and find out how much of your military service applies towards college credit.
