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Can I earn college credit through my military experiences?

A forward-thinking service member can capitalize on his or her goal of earning a college degree in several ways.

By Sean-Michael Green, 8/17/09

More than 95 percent of the people who enlist in the military invest in higher education by paying to participate in the Montgomery GI Bill. They are investing their own money in their goal of earning a degree.

The military produces a special class of creative adult learners. In recognition and in support of this phenomenon, the military has the Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES). The organization coordinates learning opportunities across the branches of the military.

Every service member has an ACE transcript that provides credit recommendations for most schools and training courses attended. A Marine who has completed basic training has an ACE transcript that recommends several credits; a soldier who has attended a training course in military intelligence has additional credit recommendations.

The military, however, uses its own transcript system with the assistance of ACE. Marines and sailors have SMART transcripts, soldiers have AARTS transcripts and airmen have a transcript from the Community College of the Air Force. Those proprietary transcripts employ ACE credit recommendations as well as list nonresident courses and other training experiences not addressed by ACE. Thus, a service member can provide a school with a document that more fully outlines his or her experiences in the hope of obtaining college credit.

Moreover, credit by examination is a key mission at DANTES. Service members can take examinations at no cost to them, and exams may be given on military bases.

A forward-thinking service member can capitalize on his or her goal of earning a college degree in several ways. A bit of advanced research in different military jobs will reveal that some carry more ACE credit recommendations than others. Furthermore, a service member can CLEP away a year or more of college, which makes service in the military a great way to earn a college degree. Finally, you may find several opportunities to take college courses on base.

Sean-Michael Green is a former enlisted Marine; a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University; and the author of Marching to College: Turning Military Experience into College Admissions (Random House 2004).

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