Award of Credit for Military Education and Training

Award of Credit for Military Education and Training

I. Policy Statement

In recognition that active duty and veteran military members receive valuable, but limited, benefits toward their education based on their military service, Fort Lewis College will assist veterans in timely certificate and degree completion by providing the following services:

1. The Registrar or a designee will notify all admitted students who self-identify as veterans via the application for admission or via a communication with an enrollment office of the opportunity to receive up to 90 credits toward their degree by submitting to the institution any or all of these official documents, with the exception specified in policy statement 2:
   1. DD-214;
   2. Score reports for the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support and the College Level Examination Program;
   3. Joint Services Transcript;
   4. Transcripts showing credit awarded by another Colorado institution based on portfolio review; 
   5. Transcripts showing coursework completed before, during, or after their military service at a regionally accredited college or university.
2. If students have been awarded gtPathways credit by another Colorado institution after review of the documents listed in policy statement 1 b.-d. that credit will be re-awarded without resubmission of the official documents to Fort Lewis College.
3. The Registrar or a designee will evaluate all prior learning before the student’s advising for their first semester of attendance consistent with the institution’s credit evaluation policies.
   
   1. The recommendations of the American Council on Education will guide evaluation of score reports for Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support, the College-Level Examination Program, and the Joint Services Transcript.
4. The Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs or a designee will provide guidance to veterans on program selection and the most efficient path to completion during the student’s advising for his or her first semester of attendance and for subsequent semesters, even for students assigned a faculty member as the primary advisor.
5. Because the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a stricter standard than that set forth in Colorado Revised Statutes 23-5-145 (2017), the Registrar or a designee will additionally monitor compliance by veterans receiving benefits in accordance with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as specified in the School Certifying Official Handbook.
6. Active duty and veteran military personnel will be eligible for first day of registration privileges. 
7. Students will be notified of this policy via:
   
   1. An email from the Registrar or a designee in response to inquiries about certification of military benefits;
   2. Postings on the Admission and Admitted Students websites;
   3. Postings on the advising/student success website;
   4. Publication of a summary of this policy in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of each year’s Catalog of Courses, effective 2018-2019.

III. Responsibilities 

For following the policy: Registrar, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Director of Admission

For oversight of the policy: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

For notification of policy: Policy Librarian

For procedures implementing the policy: Registrar, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, Director of Admission