Military experience counts for college credit

Transferring military experience into college credits can save time and money towards an education for eligible service members.

According to the Joint Services Transcript website, the transcript is an academically accepted document approved by the American Council of Education to validate a service member’s military occupational experience and training along with the corresponding ACE college credit recommendations.

The JST converts military schooling and work history into a standard form, making it easier for colleges to read and recommend credits.

“The overall reaction from service members has been that they were unaware of the JST and didn’t realize just how many semester hours they had,” said Ava White, an Education Center education services specialist. “JST isn’t just about saving time and money; it also helps with promoting. During the promotion board, you can achieve points for college credits.”

Eligible service members include Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard active-duty, National Guardsmen, Reservists and veterans.

“The colleges can give you credit for knowledge already acquired,” said Shannon Knowles, Army Education Center education services specialist. “However, in most cases, service members need to take at least one class from the accredited college for members to receive an official transcript from them.

“Around 2,300 accredited schools accept the JST,” Knowles said. “While credits for operational experience can vary, each service member receives credits

for basic training and technical schools.”

The JBER-R Education Center can only confirm the credits from an official college transcript.

For more information on the JST, visit https://jst.doded.mil or visit the JBER-R Education Center in Building 7 on Chilkoot Avenue.