Frequently Asked Questions — AF, CG, DoD and MC

Click here for a directory of military forms specifically used by the Air Force, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, and Marine Corps that may also provide additional documentation of completed educational training. These forms may be used at the discretion of the individual reviewing them for the appropriateness of the credit requested. However, users are advised to use the AARTS and SMART transcripts as primary source documents for the review of military training completed by the servicemember, verified by the services, and evaluated and endorsed by ACE.

1. Which learning experiences are included in this volume of the Guide?

The online Guide contains exhibits for formal courses offered by the Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and selected Department of Defense schools, and for Coast Guard enlisted rates and ratings, warrant officers, and aviators, as well as selected Marine Corps MOSs. This includes all courses and occupations that have been evaluated by ACE to date, including previously archived exhibits dated from 1954 through 1989.

2. Does ACE issue Marine Corps transcripts?

No. ACE does not generate any military transcripts. The Sailor/ Marine/ACE Registry Transcript (SMART) is a product of the Navy and Marine Corps and must be ordered from: SMART Operations Center, NETPDTC, N2, 6490 Saufley Field Road, Pensacola, FL 32509. The toll-free number is: 877-253-7122. E-mail requests may be sent to: ncc@navy.mil. The SMART website is: https://smart.navy.mil.

3. What information is found on the transcript?

The transcript is divided into separate sections that include:

• Personal servicemember data;
• Military course completions — all courses that have been evaluated by ACE, with full descriptions and credit recommendations;
• Military occupations — full descriptions, skill levels, and credit recommendations;
• College-level test scores — CLEP, DSSTs, NCPACE, ACT/PEP, and Excelsior Test score data; and;
• Other Learning Experiences — additional completed courses and occupations not evaluated by ACE for college credit.

These two addenda are provided for advisory purposes only and are not endorsed or maintained by ACE:

• A Summary Transcript — this lists in summary, line-item format all courses and occupations formally evaluated by ACE in the main body of the transcript.
• An Academic Institute Page — this lists all tuition-assistance courses completed by the servicemember while on active duty at accredited colleges and universities.

4. Who is eligible to receive a SMART transcript?

Eligible members for the SMART transcript include active duty and Reserve Sailors and Marines, Navy veterans who separated or retired after January 1975, and Marines, who separated or retired on or after June 1999. More historical data is becoming available for servicemembers with service periods prior to the above dates. These individuals are advised to seek further information by calling the SMART Transcript Operations Center at: 877-253-7122 to determine if they are eligible.

5. What if a servicemember or veteran is not eligible to receive a transcript?

In such cases, the student should submit a DD Form 295, Application for the Evaluation of Learning Experiences during Military Service, a DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or course completion certificates. The DD Form 295 is available to all active duty servicemembers and may be obtained from Education Centers at the onsite duty location. For veterans who do not have these documents, copies may be obtained from the National Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records), 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100 or by visiting their website at http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/index.html.

6. If an applicant has served in more than one branch of the Armed Services, can all the information be consolidated into one transcript?

No. However, if servicemembers have served in more than one branch of the military, they may be eligible for more than one transcript. Military transcripts are products of the individual services and must be ordered separately. They are available at no charge to the servicemember or the institution. Please remember that the services maintain their own training and service records, with varying dates of eligibility. Thus, servicemembers are advised to check with their respective Operation Centers to confirm their eligibility to receive a transcript.

7. What is the Community College of the Air Force?

Servicemembers who started an Air Force course after April 1972 can obtain a Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript at www.maxwell.af.mil/au/ccaf/contact.asp. Servicemembers who take courses after this date should contact CCAF for information on transcript availability. The transcript may be used to request transfer of credit to another institution or to otherwise document college credit. CCAF does not award credit for all Air Force courses, but only those regularly attended by Air Force enlisted personnel and taught by CCAF-affiliated schools. The transcript also has credit for Air Force Specialty codes (occupations).

To obtain a CCAF transcript, send a completed AF Form 2099 (available to active duty personnel from the Education Office) or a brief letter requesting a transcript to CCAF/RRR, 130 West Maxwell Boulevard, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112-6613. A certificate of training must accompany the request.

DD Form 214 is acceptable for Basic Training only. A copy of the ID card, front and back, is also needed. Specify the type of transcript (personal or official) and the address to which the transcript is to be mailed. Provide full name and social security number, and ensure that the person whose transcript is requested signs the request form. The transcripts are free. Official transcripts will be mailed only to institutions.

8. Does the volume contain correspondence course recommendations?

Yes. ACE has evaluated correspondence courses for the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning (formerly Extension Course Institute), the Coast Guard Institute, and the Marine Corps Institute. Exhibits for these courses are listed in the Keyword Index under Correspondence for easy identification. In addition, the advanced search capability in the online Guide (keyword: correspondence or by correspondence) will quickly identify and list those courses ACE has evaluated for college credit for all of the services.

9. Why are most Defense Language Institute (DLI) courses end-dated in 1990? What do I do for foreign language courses taken after that time?

The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center has been authorized by Congress, the regional Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to grant an Associate of Arts Degree in Foreign Language to qualified students. Details regarding eligibility, general education requirements, and petition forms can be found on the DLI webpage: http://www.dliflc.edu; click on "AA Degree Program."

For those not eligible for a transcript, credit recommendations are based on successful completion of the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) end-of-course examination.

ACE's Credit by Examination Program began evaluating DLI's end-of-course examinations in October 1990. Credit recommendations are now based on successful completion of the DLPT III and IV series. These examinations may be taken by servicemembers who complete the DLI courses, as well as by servicemembers who must demonstrate ongoing language proficiency without having taken formal training. Evaluation of the tests is a way to ensure that both groups receive appropriate recognition. Please refer to the Defense Language Proficiency Test charts for more information on the ACE review process and how the examination results are reported.

For DLI to prepare a DLPT score report, the applicant must submit a signed DLPT Score Request Form, directed to

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
Attn: ATFL-APO-AR (Registrar Office)
Presidio of Monterey, Monterey, CA 93944-5006
Phone (831) 242-5366/6439, DSN 768-5366/6439, FAX (831) 242-5146
E-mail: transcripts@monterey.army.mil

10. What are USAFI and DANTES? Should I grant credit for those courses and tests listed on an applicant's USAFI or DANTES military test reports?

USAFI was the United States Armed Forces Institute, which offered an extensive educational program to active-duty personnel. USAFI correspondence, seminar, self-study courses, end-of-course tests, and Subject Standardized Tests (SSTs) were made available to servicemembers worldwide until 1974, when USAFI was disestablished. Credit recommendations for USAFI courses and examinations are listed in the Handbook to the Guide.

The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) was established in 1974. DANTES continues the development and administration of Subject Standardized Tests (SSTs) and other educational services. Summaries of ACE Credit recommendations for DANTES SSTs are listed in the Guide to Educational Credit by Examination, which is available from the ACE Credit by Examination Program.

In verifying completion of USAFI or DANTES courses or tests, the military test report is not to be considered official. That report is given to all servicemembers who have taken a course or test. To obtain official USAFI or DANTES transcripts, refer to the addresses provided in Other Resources.

11. Which military schools grant degrees?

The following list contains the only military schools with degree-granting status at publication time:

• Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL; accredited at the two-year community college level;
• Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS; accredited to grant an M.A.;
• Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH; accredited through the doctoral level;
• Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center; accredited to grant Associate of Arts degrees in foreign language;
• National Defense Intelligence College (formerly Joint Military Intelligence College and Defense Intelligence College), Washington, DC; accredited to grant a B.S. in Intelligence and an M.S. in Strategic Intelligence;
• Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA; accredited through the doctoral level;
• Naval War College, Newport, RI; accredited to grant an M.A.;
• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine, Bethesda, MD; accredited through the doctoral level;
• The National Defense University's National War College; accredited to grant an M.A.;
• Industrial College of the Armed Forces; accredited to grant an M.A.; and
• The service academies.

12. What is the Defense Acquisition University?

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) is a consortium of a number of schools offering courses in contracts, logistics, management, and acquisition. A number of years ago, some courses, offered by various sponsors, were evaluated by ACE's CREDIT office, because attendees were primarily civilian. Other courses offered by military schools were evaluated by Military Programs. In the mid-1990s all component schools came under the oversight of the Department of Defense. All courses were standardized, so that now there is consistency in the courses offered by all component schools. CON 101, for example, will have the same content, regardless of the component school offering the course. Because of that standardization, Military Programs recommends credit for the courses when they are offered with DAU as the school of record. Credit recommendations can be found under Department of Defense course exhibits in the Guide.

13. How can I distinguish among the terms paygrade, general rate, rating, and rate?

A paygrade is a position from 1 to 9 on the Navy's pay scale for enlisted personnel; in a paygrade, the letter E (enlisted) precedes the number (E-1, E-2, E-3 through E-9). A general rate is an apprenticeship that indicates eligibility for entrance into various ratings. A rating is an occupation, e.g., Air Controlman. A rate is an identifying term or title associated with a given paygrade. For example, for paygrade E-4, the rate is petty officer third class. A rate may also be associated with a specific rating; for example, a petty officer third class whose rating is Air Controlman will usually refer to his or her rate as Air Controlman Third Class. Navy men and women usually refer to themselves by their rate. Refer to Appendix A for description of a Navy Enlisted Rating Structure.

14. Do all ratings provide paths of advancement and career development for paygrades E-4 through E-9?

Although most ratings begin at paygrade E-4 and culminate at paygrade E-9, there are some exceptions. For example, the Legalman rating consists of paygrades E-5 through E-9. In this case, a person progresses to paygrade E-5 from paygrade E-4 of the Yeoman rating. At the other end of the spectrum, some ratings are structured so that a person holding a rating that consists only of paygrade E-9 may have progressed from any one of several related ratings that terminate at paygrade E-8. Paths of progression are provided in each exhibit in the Career Pattern section of an exhibit.

15. Should persons be granted credit for their Coast Guard general rate (paygrade E-3) as well as rating (paygrades E-4 to E-9)?

Yes. Anyone holding a rating is also eligible for the credit recommended in the general rate exhibit. The six general rates are Airman, Constructionman, Dentalman, Fireman, Hospitalman, and Seaman. The item Career Pattern section in the rating exhibit will indicate the general rate the individual held before progressing to the rating. The credit recommended for the general rate should be considered in conjunction with the credit recommendation for the rating.

16. How does a student document MOS proficiency in a Marine Corps aviation MOS?

The applicant should submit an ITSS MATMEP summary sheet. Check in the top right corner for the item "Level Completed".

17. I have looked up exhibits for several courses and occupations for one applicant. It appears that a lot of credit recommended is in the same subject area. How can I avoid granting duplicate credit to this person?

You may grant credit for any combination of learning experiences. In doing so, however, you must be alert to the possibility of overlapping credit recommendations. When the student is applying for credit for more than one learning experience, the credit recommendations might cover some of the same learning. In such cases, awarding a simple total of the recommended credit could result in the award of more credit than the learning merits.

To determine how much credit should be awarded without duplication, use the following steps:

• Read and compare all the descriptions, and, on the basis of the person's program of study, identify the appropriate recommendation in each exhibit.
• Read and compare all the recommendations. It may be necessary to obtain additional information from the individual through interview or further assessment.
• Make decisions on how much credit might be awarded without duplication. Credit should be awarded as appropriate to the educational goals of the individual and the policies of the institution.

If you cannot determine whether duplication exists, contact ACE.

18. Does the Center for Lifelong Learning still publish a newsletter?

The newsletter, the Center Update has been replaced by an electronic newsletter now available on the web and is known as Centerpoint. It contains new features including: legislative actions affecting adult learning; innovative programs and partnerships; letters to the editor; guest editorials; the latest in adult education; ACE news; and compelling stories of real people who have used the Center's services to build successful futures.

To subscribe to Centerpoint free of charge, simply send an e-mail to centerpoint@listserv.nche.edu and type 'subscribe' in the subject line. With each new issue, you'll receive an e-mail including content highlights and direct links to the stories and information you want.

19. How can I contact ACE if I have questions?

ACE maintains an advisory service as well as a Military/CREDIT Call Center to assist students and schools with questions about the Military Guide, courses and occupations that have been evaluated by its Military Evaluations department, and to provide information on ordering the AARTS and SMART military transcripts. If you have any questions, please contact the toll-free ACE Call Center at 866-205-6267 (CREDIT Program) or 866-641-2099 (Military Programs).