Academic Credit for Navy Training and Work Experiences

selection board. Some of the opportunities for which Navy members are eligible are as follows: Associate, bachelor, and graduate degree programs Vocational and technical certificates High school diploma or general education development (GED) equivalency certificate Financial assistance for educational programs Tests to gain college admission, receive college credit, or obtain national certification Educational advice from professionals (education specialists and guidance counselors) Educational opportunities that will open doors to advancement, including various commissioning programs Q3. Personnel in paygrades E-3 through E-5 who earn either an associate and/or a bachelor’s degree while on active duty, can also earn what for advancement? ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR NAVY TRAINING AND WORK EXPERIENCES Navy personnel may receive academic credit from civilian schools for certain Navy training and work experiences. These include the following: Service schools that are at least 45 contact hours Job experience in the individual’s Navy rating Limited duty officer (LDO) or chief warrant officer (CWO) specialties Certain Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) codes that have been evaluated and recom- mended for college credit The longer people remain in the Navy, the more educational credits they can build. Navy members can make their academic credits “pay off” at an educational institution. In such cases, Navy College Office counselors can recommend where personnel can use those credits to the best advantage. To help personnel learn how much credit they may earn for their military courses and job experience, ESOs should refer to the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Published by the American Council on Education (ACE), this publication is referred to as the ACE Guide. You can request a copy through DANTES. The ACE Guide provides credit recommendations for various service schools, all ratings, LDO/CWO specialties, and certain NECs. Navy College Offices have copies of the ACE Guide. Although the ACE Guide recommends credit, it cannot guarantee the amount of credit civilian educational institutions will grant. Neither the Navy nor ACE can award academic credit. Only the educational institution can grant academic credit for military training/experience as it relates to the student’s degree program. Beginning in FY00 the Sailor/Marine Corps ACE Registry Transcript (SMART) will be available. It lists the military courses the service member has taken and the ACE recommended credits (if any) for those courses, as well as the recommended credits for the member’s Navy rating. It also contains information on any DANTES tests the member has taken for college credit (CLEPs, DSSTs,ACT-PEPs,RCEs), and a list of other college courses taken by the individual while on active duty. An unofficial copy of the transcript can be sent directly to the member or, upon request, an official transcript can be sent to the educational institution the member is attending. SMART is produced by the Naval Education and Training Professional Development and Technology Center in Pensacola, Florida. Until the SMART transcript becomes available, or if the transcript is not all inclusive, the ESO or the custodian of military records can help members prepare an Application for the Evaluation of Learning Experiences During Military Service, DD Form 295, available from a Navy College Office. After applicants complete this form, they must submit it to the school from which they are seeking credit. The ESO/custodian verifies all course titles, course identification numbers (CINs), and course locations. Navy College Office counselors verify the ACE Guide course or occupational identification number and sign the first page of the form. The importance of complete, accurate information on this form cannot be overemphasized. Q4. Who can grant academic credit for military experience? Q5. ESOs should refer to what publication for a listing of credit recommendations for various service schools and ratings? Q6. For the evaluation of learning experiences during military service, what form should an applicant complete? 2-3