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Get a Jump on College Credit During Military Service Through Testing

By U.S. News & World Report

Members of the armed forces can earn college credit for knowledge gained in high school, during military training or though independent study by taking a standardized test to prove proficiency in a particular subject.

The credit gained through these exams can expedite a service member’s path to a degree, experts say, and help them maximize their GI Bill benefits by knocking out general education requirements or other college courses.

[Discover three ways to get academic credit for military training.]

Joey Scott, a veteran and recent college graduate, took enough of these tests during his seven years in the Army to be able to transfer 21 credit hours to the University of Memphis, where he enrolled after leaving the service. Scott says the tests are “the best kept secret in the Army.”

Two of these prior learning assessment programs are the College-Level Examination Program, or CLEP, and DSST. Each offers exams in more than 30 subject areas, and while there is some overlap, each program has distinct exam offerings, too.

The tests are available to anyone — military or civilian — but the Department of Defense will pay for active-duty service members to take CLEP and DSST exams, which cost around $80 each. This includes National Guard and Reserve component members.

The exam and administration fees are covered if an active-duty service member takes one of them on a military base — either in the U.S. or overseas — or at another site designated as a fully funded test center. DOD will pay for one attempt per test per service member, according to the tests’ websites.

Not all colleges and universities award credit for these assessments, says Susan Sine, Army education services officer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Each school has its own policies, which service members can research online via a tool on the CLEP website, and through a similar tool for DSST policies on that program’s website.

More than 2,900 colleges and universities award credit for CLEP tests, according to the College Board, which owns the tests. Some 1,900 schools give credit for DSST exams, according to the DSST website.

James Schmeling, executive vice president at Student Veterans of America, a nonprofit, says the CLEP and DSST exams do not evaluate a person’s military experience so much as their prior academic studies. However, he says, some types of military training can give service members a boost on certain tests.

For example, Schmeling says: “Somebody who’s a public affairs officer who’s getting training in English and written communication and oral communication may find some usefulness in those for the English CLEP.”

CLEP exams last around 90 minutes each and contain mainly multiple-choice questions, according to the program’s website. The DSST is similar, with each multiple-choice exam lasting for two hours.

[Find out about four questions to ask before pursuing CLEP credit.]

Between 2012-2016, nearly 275,000 CLEP tests were taken by military-funded test-takers, which include active-duty personnel as well as some military spouses and civilian employees, according to the College Board.

Approximately 213,000 DSST exams have been given to military-funded test-takers since 2012, according to Prometric, which owns the DSST program.

Mark Brown, a Navy veteran and recent college graduate who earned credit for three CLEP exams, recommends that service members look at the military pass rates for the different exams — available on the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, or DANTES, website — to help determine which ones they have the best chance of scoring well on.

In fiscal year 2016, the CLEP exam with the highest military pass rate — 85.7 percent — was the Spanish language test. The DSST exam with the highest pass rate during the same period was Principles of Supervision, which 95.6 percent of military test-takers passed.

There are CLEP and DSST study materials available online for free to members of the military. Libraries located on base will also have study materials, says Sine.

[Learn how to earn credit for work or military experience as an online student.]

Another benefit of these tests for some service members is that they can help them earn promotion points — Scott says that’s why he started taking them in the first place.

In part from the credits he earned through CLEP and DSST tests, Scott completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Memphis in one year and will be starting law school there in August. He says earning credits through testing helped him maximize his education benefits as a veteran.

“I can get all but one semester of law school paid for by the GI Bill because of CLEP tests,” he says.

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

More from U.S. News

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Military Service Gives Students an Edge Paying for Grad School

Get a Jump on College Credit During Military Service Through Testing originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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