College credit for military recruit

[gypsymama]

I have a teen son who is looking to enlist soon and considering getting college credits through Sophia beforehand. What would be the best and most affordable way for him to get those credits on an official transcript to have his rank adjusted during enlistment?
I was considering Clackamas for the library research credit or something else similar for him. Could he complete that course, apply as a transfer student and then have all his credits - the one from Clackamas and any Sophia courses show on his transcript from Clackamas? Open to any other programs that may be able to work similarly. He doesn't want to take time for an entire semester or year at community college before enlisting.

[Charles Fout]

Should he decide to enlist, His only focus should be on completing his initial training and following the guidance of his chain of command. In He will have access to professional counseling regarding off-duty education in due time. Eventually credit recommendations will appear on his Joint Services Transcript. It is very important to remember that any credits listed, as with all ACE recommendations, are just that recommendations. It is entirely up to the receiving institution to award credit or not. Most importantly, new recruits should focus on the task at hand before worrying about off-duty education.

[turbotortuga]

Should he decide to enlist, His only focus should be on completing his initial training and following the guidance of his chain of command. In He will have access to professional counseling regarding off-duty education in due time. Eventually  credit recommendations will appear on his Joint Services Transcript. It is very important to remember that any credits listed, as with all ACE recommendations, are just that recommendations. It is entirely up to the receiving institution to award credit or not. Most importantly, new recruits should focus on the task at hand before worrying about off-duty education.

Chief, focus on his actual question. This dude is looking to have advanced rank (E1--> E3) prior to signing his enlistment contract due to college courses taken. These guys are wayy smarter and more saavy than we ever were when we joined so please focus on his questioon and save the lecture for an appropriate moment. 

I have a teen son who is looking to enlist soon and considering getting college credits through Sophia beforehand. What would be the best and most affordable way for him to get those credits on an official transcript to have his rank adjusted during enlistment?
I was considering Clackamas for the library research credit or something else similar for him. Could he complete that course, apply as a transfer student and then have all his credits - the one from Clackamas and any Sophia courses show on his transcript from Clackamas? Open to any other programs that may be able to work similarly. He doesn't want to take time for an entire semester or year at community college before enlisting.

OP, I understand your question and your dilema for your son. First off, good on him for joining up and trying to hit the ground running with advanced rank for college courses. When is he planning on signing his contract/shipping out? He will probably need at least 60 semester hours of coursework for E-3, so there are a couple of possible scenarios that he could utilize that I am personally aware of:

1. He could do one term at UMPI for $1700 and take as many courses as he could muster. Spring 2 or Summer 1 would be the earliest one he could attend. UMPI gives all Sophia/SDC courses transfer credit and lists them on the UMPI Official Transcript as such with 3 semestor hour equivalency. 

Or 2. He could signed up for an easy TECEP at TESU for a few hundred dollars and get the sophia courses on a TESU Offical Transcript as well. I'm not super familiar with TESU so I don't know how they will appear, but TESU has a close relationship with the Navy, so if that's his branch, then he will have a good jump on finishing a degree with them in the future.

[bjcheung77]

Basically, your best bet is dual enrollment if your teen is under 19. You may want to provide more details by completing the addendum and template, in order to show an overall picture of the scenario.  Age, state, budget, commitments, study habits, etc are mentioned in the list of info asked for.  https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works

UMPI requires the student to be a high school graduate, plus a year out, so they'll have to usually be at about 19-20.  If your teen isn't that age or graduated from high school yet, your best options are doing the dual enrollment at a community college such as Pierpont, accumulate the cheap or free credits.  I would do all the Coursera, TEEX, Sophia.org, etc, ACE/NCCRS credits that can go into a Bachelors later.  

You can have these on a Pierpont or community college transcript, as long as they take ACE/NCCRS credits. Then place these credits at either, COSC, Excelsior, TESU, etc, for completion of a Bachelors, or even wait for UMPI. You can ladder up to 90 ACE/NCCRS credits into a Bachelors, the rest can come from your community college dual enrollment or residency credits at the institutions you intend to graduate from.

[ss20ts]

1. He could do one term at UMPI for $1700 and take as many courses as he could muster. Spring 2 or Summer 1 would be the earliest one he could attend. UMPI gives all Sophia/SDC courses transfer credit and lists them on the UMPI Official Transcript as such with 3 semestor hour equivalency. 

UMPI is not an option. You are required to be 20 years old to attend UMPI. He's a teen and it sounds like he's enlisting soon.

[Stonybeach]

Also, check which branch of service offers stripes for college credits or Eagle Scout. I was in the Army National Guard and entered as an E3 with 30 credits on an accredited college transcript, which were actual college courses. They may count Sophia and other sources only if they are listed on an official transcript from an accredited college. I joined mainly to get a skill set and go to college on the Army's dime as I ran out of money while in college. The difference in pay was minimal, but using the GI bill immediately for college helped. Charles Fout is correct about earning college credits for your MOS, AFSC, etc. They are posted on a JST transcript, typically accepted as a free elective by many colleges. The Pierpont associate degree looks appealing, but remember, once you are in the military, there are numerous resources to earn a college degree on Uncle Sam's dime. The Army National Guard and regular Army accepted associate degree holders for the Warrant Officer Helicopter pilot program in my day, but policies change, so check around. Most branches require a bachelor's degree to enter officer training school.

It appears Frederick Community College still allows FEMA courses to be converted to college credit at $90 a credit, but according to recent news, FEMA may be history. https://www.frederick.edu/FCC/media/Prog...to_FCC.pdf

https://macem.org/independent-study-cred...rams.aspx/

[Charles Fout]

turbotortuga, Thank you for the clarification.
gypsymama, All the best to you and your son. It is wonderful to read of young people giving thought to enlisting in the military.
turbotortuga and others appear to have offered solid advice.
I hope your son is able to enter the service at a higher pay grade.
That said, after his enlistment his sole focus should be completing his initial training.