Earning Credit for Military Training

The College will grant credit for those military service schools which have been evaluated by the Office on Educational Credit and Credentials of the American Council on Education (ACE) as well as select military schools that have undergone institutional reviews in order to award additional credits not recommended by ACE.

Members of the armed forces currently on active duty should submit an AARTS, SMART or Coast Guard Institute transcript to receive credit. Air Force members should submit an official transcript from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) to receive credit.

Since 1950, a separation report has been identified as DD Form 214. Prior to 1950, Army and Air Force veterans were issued a Separation Qualification Record; Navy and Coast Guard veterans were issued a Notice of Separation; Marine Corps veterans were issued a Report of Separation. A notarized photocopy of the original separation report should be submitted to the College. Students should not submit the original. Students unable to locate the original separation report can request a copy from The National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132, and forward it with the cover form from the National Personnel Records Center to the College. Members of the reserves or National Guard should contact their units for any necessary documentation.

In certain circumstances Thomas Edison State College will accept the certification of a commissioned officer in the United States armed forces in lieu of a notary public’s signature. To submit documents certified by a commissioned officer, download the Commissioned Officer Notary Public form located on the Student Forms page.

For Students in the Army
Army enlisted personnel and veterans who entered the military after Oct. 1, 1981, should request that a copy of their AARTS transcript be sent directly to the Office of the Registrar.

Army personnel who entered active duty on or after Oct. 1, 1981, who remained on active duty on or after Jan. 1, 1984, are eligible for the Army/ACE Registry Transcript System (AARTS). AARTS will provide a transcript for any service school, MOS or CLEP/DSSTs: ECE Examination that has been passed and carries American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations. Army/ACE Registry Transcripts may be ordered electronically.

It is recommended that Army personnel review the AARTS transcript online for accuracy prior to submission to the College for credit review. All documents must be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar. Veterans should submit a notarized or certified copy of their Notice of Separation (DD214). Please visit http://www.tesc.edu/military/army/index.cfm for application and enrollment procedures.

For Students in the Army National Guard
Army National Guard transcripts may be ordered electronically. It is recommended that Army personnel review the AARTS transcript online for accuracy prior to submission to the College for credit review.

Veterans, prior to AARTS (1981) should submit a DD295- Evaluation of Learning Experiences or a command letter indicating the duty and dates held, Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report (NCOER), and Enlisted Record Brief (ERB). All notarized documents must be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar. ESC experts will match your military and educational experiences with the Thomas Edison State College degree of your choice. Thomas Edison State College personnel work closely with the ESC to ensure a smooth transition of transfer credit. The College will accept CLEP/DSST/ECE examination scores directly from the AARTS transcript. Please visit National Guard Application Guidelines for application procedures.

For Students in the Navy or the Marines
Navy and Marine enlisted personnel and veterans may request a copy of their SMART transcript be sent directly to the Office of the Registrar.

SMART transcripts may be requested at https://smart.navy.mil/official.html. The College will accept CLEP/DSST/ECE examination scores directly from the SMART transcript. Navy veterans who separated/retired prior to 1975 or Marine veterans who separated/retired on or after Jan. 1, 1990, should submit a notarized or certified copy of their Notice of Separation (DD214). For application and enrollment procedures, please visit http://www.tesc.edu/military/navy/index.cfm.

For Students in the Air Force
Students who served in the Air Force prior to 1972 should submit a notarized copy of the DD 214 or other appropriate service records showing training completed. Students who served after 1972 should request an Official Transcript from:

Community College of the Air Force
CCAF/DESS
100 South Turner Blvd.
Maxwell-Gunter AFB, AL 36114-3011
https://augateway.maxwell.af.mil/ccaf/stu_svcs/transcriptrequest/

For application and enrollment procedures, please visit: http://www.tesc.edu/military/air-force/index.cfm

For Students in the Coast Guard
Active duty personnel should fill-out form CG 1651J (Official USCG Transcript Request) and send it to:

Registrar’s Office
5900 SW 64th St., Suite 235
Oklahoma City, OK 73169-6990
(405) 954-7275

This form may be obtained from the education service officer (ESO) or through the Web at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg1/cgi/forms/CG_Form_1561.pdf Veterans should submit a notarized or certified copy of their Notice of Separation (DD214). The College will accept CLEP/DSST/ECE examination scores directly from the CGI transcript. For application and enrollment procedures, please visit: http://www.tesc.edu/military/coast-guard/index.cfm.

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges
Thomas Edison State College is a long standing member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC). More than 1,800 colleges and universities hold membership in SOC, an organization that actively promotes articulation between members to assure service members and their families transferability of credits between institutions.

Thomas Edison State College is also one of approximately 160 member institutions that comprise the SOC network. The SOC network works closely with the military to map military training to degree programs through a SOC agreement.

Even though service members and their families may be stationed in several locations during their military career, they are assured their credits will transfer to other SOC colleges enabling them to complete degrees from regionally accredited colleges and universities, including Thomas Edison State College.

When service members and their families from the Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard or Coast Guard apply to Thomas Edison State College, the College provides to both the student and to SOC an agreement form and a copy of the Academic Program Evaluation, which shows the credits applied toward the degree and the credits needed to complete the degree. All applicants and enrolled service members and their families have access to the advisement staff through telephone, e-mail, letters and individual appointments.

Army Education Offices, Navy College Offices as well as Coast Guard and Marine Education Service Offices have the SOC publications, which list the 1,300 member colleges and the degree programs included in their network. All Thomas Edison State College degree programs are available to all service members and their families, in addition to those listed in the SOC publications.

It is noted that the Air Force is not part of SOC because the Air Force has established the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), which has received regional accreditation by North Central Association. Transcripts from CCAF are accepted by Thomas Edison State College.

To learn more, visit, www.soc.aascu.org.

Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Veterans

1. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will apply to students who utilize Veterans Education Benefits as defined by the Veterans Administration (VA). In order to maintain SAP, students must achieve the minimum GPA of a 2.0 for each enrollment term. Failure to maintain SAP will result in a hold being placed on the student’s record (Veteran Academic Hold or VAH) restricting the open registration for future terms; and if SAP is not met, may result in the restriction of utilizing Veteran Education Benefits to pay for tuition and fees at Thomas Edison State College.
2. Veteran Academic Hold (VAH): A student is placed on Veteran Academic Hold (VAH) if the term GPA falls below a 2.0. The VAH restricts student registration for the next term but does not bar a student from enrolling in a subsequent term. The student is contacted and advised regarding VAH status and the actions needed to register for the following term (See 3. below). VAH status requires the student to contact the Assistant Director and Senior Certifying Official of the Office of Military & Veteran Education to be advised on the steps that must take place to be removed from VAH, and the possibility of being placed on Veteran Academic Probation (VAP) if SAP is not met while on VAH status.
3. Registration while on VAH: A student will be allowed to register for a term while on VAH, but will be limited to one term at no more than 9 credits being certified for VA benefits. If the student achieves a GPA of 2.0 or higher for the term they will be eligible to register for one more term at no more than 12 credits being certified for VA benefits. If the student achieves a GPA of 2.0 or higher for both terms the VAH is removed to allow the student to register for future terms.
4. Veteran Academic Probation (VAP): A student on VAH who does not meet the minimum GPA of 2.0 for the term in which they are registered will be placed on VAP. Once a student is on VAP they are given an opportunity to register for 6 credits; however the College will NOT certify the credits for VA benefits regardless of chapter type. The student is responsible for payment of tuition and fees and may use any other financial aid for which they are qualified, excluding Veteran Benefits. If a 2.0 GPA is met for the term, they will be moved to VAH status and subject to the VAH procedure (See 2. above) being certified after grades are posted. If a student does not meet a 2.0 while on VAP, they will be placed in Veteran Benefit Denial (VBD) status.
5. Veteran Benefit Denial (VBD): A student will be placed in VBD status if, while on VAP, they do not meet the minimum term GPA of a 2.0. A student on VBD is responsible for payment of tuition and fees and may use any other financial aid for which they are qualified, excluding Veteran Benefits. Additionally Thomas Edison State College will not certify benefits under any chapter of Veterans Educational Benefits.
6. VBD Appeals: A student can appeal a VBD decision through the College’s administrative appeals process. The appeal should be submitted to the Office of Military & Veteran Education and will be reviewed by the OMVE on a case by case basis. The student will be notified of the decision within 10 days of the appeal. A student may also submit a transcript from an accredited college or university showing academic progress has been achieved after the VBD was executed (i.e., student attended a community college or university after the VBD was executed and earned at least a 2.00 with no failing grades) which would place the student on VAH (See 2. above) allowing the student to utilize Veteran Benefits at Thomas Edison State College.

Learn more about our programs for members of the United States military.