WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced bipartisan legislation to provide more veterans an opportunity to translate their military training into college credit, which is important to helping increase veteran graduation rates. The Military Learning for Credit Act allows all veterans to use veterans educational assistance funds to cover portfolio assessments and fees for standardized examinations that can be translated into college credit at thousands of institutions of higher education.  

“Our veterans receive intense and thorough training as servicemembers, often during the years when other Americans are attending college. The least we can do is ensure that once they enroll in college, veterans have every opportunity to translate their military training into college credit. Permitting all veterans to take credit exams and receive portfolio assessments for free will save our veterans time and money as they work toward a degree, while also reducing federal funding expenditures through the GI bill. It truly is a win for all,” said Senator Coons.

“Our servicemembers and their families deserve the opportunity to use their military training educational assistance for college credit. Allowing all veterans to use veterans education assistance funds to cover portfolio assessments and fees for standardized examinations will reduce the expenses covered by federal funding, while simultaneously increasing veteran graduation rates,” said Senator Ernst.

Each year, veterans receive nearly $10 billion in GI bill benefits to use at the college or university of their choice. Under current law, veterans receiving benefits under the Post 9/11 GI bill are permitted to use a portion of their benefits to cover the costs associated with prior learning assessments.  However, for veterans receiving benefits under other programs, such as the Montgomery GI bill, the cost of prior learning assessments is not covered by their benefits.  The Military Learning for Credit Act will correct this inequity.

Veterans Education Success and the American Council on Education support this legislation. 

A one-pager on the bill is available here. 

The bill text is available here. 

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