TRANSCRIPTS AND MILITARY TRANSCRIPTS
Students receiving VA benefits “must furnish the school transcripts of all previous education and training […] the school must determine whether the student meets its matriculation criteria. This process includes evaluation of prior credit. If the student cannot matriculate immediately upon enrollment, then the requirements the student must meet in order to matriculate must be identified and documented. […] Schools should make every effort to obtain transcripts to comply with the requirement to evaluate and grant credit where appropriate. However, if a transcript cannot be obtained, [the SCO] may continue to certify enrollment as long as the student has matriculated (see definition of non- matriculated students). Reviews of prior credit policies will be conducted during compliance surveys and treated as approval issues if the school is not complying. […] Non-matriculated Students (38 CFR 21.4252 (L) (2) and (3)): VA defines matriculated as having been formally admitted to a college or university as a degree-seeking student. VA educational benefits cannot be paid to non-matriculated college or university students unless they are pending admission to your school. In that case they can be certified for two quarters or semesters. The student can be certified beyond this two-term limit only if the student is admitted to your school as a degree- seeking student, irrespective of the number of credits taken” (VA SCO Handbook, Revision 6.3, October 29, 2021).
Note that although VA policies may allow a two semester/term limit on certification without all transcripts officially evaluated for credit, other DBU Admissions and Financial Aid policies may prevent students from enrolling past their first semester/term until all official transcripts have been received.
Furthermore, regardless of DBU policy that may only require Graduate level students to provide official transcripts specifically “from institution where bachelor’s degree earned, and official transcripts from each institution attended as a post-baccalaureate or graduate student” (see “Master’s Programs Admission Procedures” catalog section), students receiving VA benefits are still required by VA regulations to provide “transcripts of all previous education and training.”
Additionally, all veteran students receiving VA Education Benefits need to request military transcripts. Veterans who served in the Army, Coast Guard, Navy or Marine Corps may obtain military transcripts from Joint Services Transcript (JST) website: https://jst.doded.mil/official.html. Veterans who served in the Air Force may obtain military transcripts through the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF website: https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/Display/Article/803247/. Per VA directions, military transcripts must be in the student’s file even if there is no transfer of credit applicable.
Credit for Military Experience
Students may receive, subject to departmental approval/policies, credit for Army courses and military occupational specialties (MOS); Navy general rates, ratings, warrant officer and limited duty officer specialties; Air Force courses; Coast Guard courses; Marine Corps courses; and Department of Defense courses, if they have been evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE). DBU will accept credit recommendations made by ACE as specified in The Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.