Veterans Transfer Information
Military credits can be reviewed for transfer credit or advanced standing. If you have questions, please call Paula Speropulos at 608.789.4767 or email at Speropulosp@westerntc.edu.
To have your prior-earned credits reviewed:
- Submit the Transfer Credit Evaluation Form to Paula Speropulos, Western Technical College - Veterans Services, 400 7th Street North, P.O. Box C-0908, La Crosse, WI 54602-0908.
- Transcripts are required for review. If you have not already submitted your military and/or college transcripts, please submit them with the Transfer Credit Evaluation form.
- Students receiving Federal GI Bill Education Benefits are required by the Veterans Administration to submit transcripts of prior college and military experience.
How do I obtain my military transcripts?
Students receiving Federal GI Bill benefits are required by the Veterans Administration to submit both military and prior college transcripts to the institution they are attending. Each branch of service provides transcripts for current and former service members that include individual military education, training, and experience, which are evaluated according to the American Council on Education (ACE) standards for recommended college credit:
To obtain your transcripts, please visit the appropriate websites listed below.
- Army - The Army uses the AARTS system, which automatically captures your academic credits from military training and standardized tests. The AARTS system is available to enlisted soldiers only.
- Navy and Marines - The Navy and Marine Corps use the SMART system. This system automatically captures training, experience and standardized test scores.
- Air Force - The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) automatically captures training, experience and standardized test scores. Transcript information may be viewed at the CCAF web site.
- Coast Guard - The Coast Guard Institute (CGI) requires each service member to submit documentation of all training (except correspondence course records), along with an enrollment form, to receive a transcript.
The American Council on Education (ACE) evaluates military training and education, and translates courses and occupations held by servicemembers into college credit recommendations. Descriptions of the courses and occupations evaluated by ACE, along with recommended numbers of credits, are published in the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. The actual type and amount of credit awarded depends on the policies of the college or university and your academic goals.
The ACE (American Council on Education) Military Guide (Guide to Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services). The website is searchable and updated daily, providing you with the most current listings of courses and occupations that ACE has evaluated for the services.
DSST
The DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) are approved by ACE and accepted or administered at over 1,900 colleges and universities nationwide. DSSTs enable people to use the knowledge acquired outside the classroom to accomplish educational and professional goals. The website includes downloadable forms, practice tests, and other information.
SOC
Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) is a consortium of over 1800 colleges and universities pledged to support the higher education needs of military personnel. SOC works with civilian and military educators to overcome obstacles associated with gaining a college education when pursued through traditional means. Among its key goals is the award of credit for military training and experience. The SOC Consortium Guide provides specific information for awarding credit for national testing programs, military experience, and other non-traditional learning.
Service members, reservists, and veterans are encouraged to review their military transcript, obtained from their branch of service (see above), alongside the institutions' credit-award information contained in the SOC Consortium Guide.
Many public and private Wisconsin institutions (e.g., UW-Madison) accept SOC recommendations, including accepting some or all DSSTs, CLEPs, and ACE recommendations for college credit.
