Military Transcripts on College Board: What's the Deal?

I'm coming across references to military transcripts on the College Board site, and I'm a bit confused. How do these transcripts tie in with the college application process? Any guidance would be appreciated.

Military transcripts refer to the documentation and assessment of military training and experiences. These transcripts aim to translate the skills and knowledge acquired in the military into civilian terms, so higher education institutions can understand the value and transferability of these experiences into college credits.

The American Council on Education (ACE) is an organization that determines the collegiate-level equivalencies for military coursework and occupational experience. This ACE credit evaluation allows institutions to award military personnel college credits for their experiences during service. The military transcript includes both military coursework and occupational experiences along with college level equivalencies.

In the college application process, military transcripts play an important role specifically for veterans and active-duty military personnel who decide to pursue higher education. By presenting their military transcripts, applicants illustrate their skills and knowledge gained in service, which might earn them college credits. This helps them potentially bypass some foundational courses, saving both time and money.

One example of a military transcript is the Joint Services Transcript (JST) used by the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines. Air Force personnel use a different approach with their transcripts handled by the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).

In summary, military transcripts essentially provide a pathway for military service to translate into academic credit in colleges and universities. This reinforces the value of military experience in an academic context.