Veterans' Resources
Discover free public data, tools, and resources from GeoTech Center
This section provides numerous resources for veterans (or current members of our armed forces) who are looking to attend a college or university. We begin with a general overview and then move to review servicemembers opportunity colleges (SOCs), the joint services transcript (JST), and a military crosswalk.
Institutions of Higher Education
The Department of Defense (DoD) chose to end the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) program. The DoD explained that the vast majority of all service members using military education benefits are either involved in online or hybrid learning programs. The use of primarily online programs reduced the obstacles faced by transferring courses between programs that were location-bound. The DoD transitioned to the Voluntary Education Program. Military Friendly Colleges - There is no hard definition of what constitutes a “military friendly college”, but the attributes relate to the accommodations afford to military/veteran students.
Joint Services Transcript (JST)
The Joint Services Transcript (JST) is a synchronized transcript presenting data for the United States Army, Air force, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard. Each JST is “owned” by the service member’s or veteran’s specific service, so you will see each service’s seal with the American Council on Education (ACE) seal at the top. Each JST includes service member data; military course completions (all courses that have been evaluated by ACE (with full descriptions and credit recommendations); military occupations (full descriptions, skill levels, and credit recommendations); college level test scores (CLEP, DSST, and NCPACE); other learning experiences (additional completed courses and occupations that have not been evaluated by ACE for college credit); and a summary page with Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Course Category Codes.
Military Crosswalk of Competencies
The NGTC created a military crosswalk to award credit for prior learning and facilitate a service member's transition to a civilian education. The foundation of the crosswalk is based upon the Joint Service Transcript (JST). The JST provides information regarding military course completion, military experience, or college-level test scores and serves as the foundation for a military crosswalk of competencies acquired while in service. The American Council on Education (ACE) develops an “exhibit” which provides recommended credit for service members. There are course and occupation exhibits developed for applicable military occupations and service schools. A course exhibit contains an evaluation developed from the official military program of instruction (POI) and includes learning outcomes. An occupation exhibit contains an evaluation of the knowledge gained in the course of a service member’s career and recognizing the additional skills inherent to career progression. The pertinent course and occupation exhibits, with the ACE’s recommended academic credit, were compiled into spreadsheets. This information summarized all recommended credit for a service member who attended a geospatial (or related) military school or worked in a geospatial occupation. This effort enables an expedited evaluation by the receiving academic institution.
Military to Civilian Occupation Translator
The first step to landing a job is figuring out how your military experience applies to the civilian workforce. Just enter your Military Occupational Classification (MOC) and you will receive equivalent job titles and descriptions that will fit with the skills of your military position. This is an important tool that allows Veteran Job Seekers and Military Job Seekers to translate your military skills, military experience and military training to find civilian career opportunities that fit your capabilities. You’ll get information on matching occupations including wages, education, outlook, and a link to current local job postings.
Useful Web Links for Veterans and Service Members
Institutions of Higher Education
The Department of Defense (DoD) chose to end the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) program. The DoD explained that the vast majority of all service members using military education benefits are either involved in online or hybrid learning programs. The use of primarily online programs reduced the obstacles faced by transferring courses between programs that were location-bound. The DoD transitioned to the Voluntary Education Program. Military Friendly Colleges - There is no hard definition of what constitutes a “military friendly college”, but the attributes relate to the accommodations afford to military/veteran students.
Joint Services Transcript (JST)
The Joint Services Transcript (JST) is a synchronized transcript presenting data for the United States Army, Air force, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard. Each JST is “owned” by the service member’s or veteran’s specific service, so you will see each service’s seal with the American Council on Education (ACE) seal at the top. Each JST includes service member data; military course completions (all courses that have been evaluated by ACE (with full descriptions and credit recommendations); military occupations (full descriptions, skill levels, and credit recommendations); college level test scores (CLEP, DSST, and NCPACE); other learning experiences (additional completed courses and occupations that have not been evaluated by ACE for college credit); and a summary page with Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Course Category Codes.
Military Crosswalk of Competencies
The NGTC created a military crosswalk to award credit for prior learning and facilitate a service member's transition to a civilian education. The foundation of the crosswalk is based upon the Joint Service Transcript (JST). The JST provides information regarding military course completion, military experience, or college-level test scores and serves as the foundation for a military crosswalk of competencies acquired while in service. The American Council on Education (ACE) develops an “exhibit” which provides recommended credit for service members. There are course and occupation exhibits developed for applicable military occupations and service schools. A course exhibit contains an evaluation developed from the official military program of instruction (POI) and includes learning outcomes. An occupation exhibit contains an evaluation of the knowledge gained in the course of a service member’s career and recognizing the additional skills inherent to career progression. The pertinent course and occupation exhibits, with the ACE’s recommended academic credit, were compiled into spreadsheets. This information summarized all recommended credit for a service member who attended a geospatial (or related) military school or worked in a geospatial occupation. This effort enables an expedited evaluation by the receiving academic institution.
Military to Civilian Occupation Translator
The first step to landing a job is figuring out how your military experience applies to the civilian workforce. Just enter your Military Occupational Classification (MOC) and you will receive equivalent job titles and descriptions that will fit with the skills of your military position. This is an important tool that allows Veteran Job Seekers and Military Job Seekers to translate your military skills, military experience and military training to find civilian career opportunities that fit your capabilities. You’ll get information on matching occupations including wages, education, outlook, and a link to current local job postings.
Useful Web Links for Veterans and Service Members
