Struggling to get into Army

[cookderosa]

Like I said you should check with your recruiter that they will accept a credit bank. I would say go with TESC unless someone knows of a cheaper school. You would fill out your app $75.00 bucks and have your transcripts from FEMA sent there http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/downloads/tranrqst1.pdf
Then pay the credit bank fee at tesc which i believe is $400.00 app here Powered by Google Docs
Then wait about 4-6 weeks for the transcript to be done. Get on them every 2 weeks explaining you need it for the Army they might be quicker since they are military friendly at TESC.
But again clarify with your recruiter this will work if not a big waste of money.
If you are good with math pay $20.00 bucks and try to snap out some ALEKS math work too ALEKS Course Products they are about 3 undergrad credits also each. If you are good up to trig thats about 15 credits there. So in theory you could have 45 credit banked if you do 30 fema and 15 math. When you get done with A school then you can transfer some of that training at TESC into credit out of it. All said and done coming out of 6 months of Army doing the prereqs here you could be close to some sort of an associates degree through TESC.
Hope this helps. BUT CHECK WITH THE RECRUITER !
And make sure your final depart papers state everything you and your recruiter spoke about and agreed about. I think you stated you were doing this for your husband. But in the military you are the one facing it alone so get as much as you can.

See, now I'm thinking that the 15 ALEKS credit would be crazy-hard, but maybe that's just me? Are there really people who just "know how" to rock out algebra? I think it would require serious learning, which is good too, but maybe for another day?

She needs 15, so I'm of the mind that anything beyond the required 15 credits should "count" for a future degree. Who'll be nice enough to post an updated FEMA list of classes that TESC takes for credit? If she sticks to that schedule, these 27 FEMAs will count toward her bachelor degree.

[annegirl]

Attached is the list of FEMAs that TESC accepts as of Summer 2009.

Go here for info on NFA credits.

There are some FEMAs on the list I'm attaching that are no longer offered. Don't worry, there are still enough to get you to 15 or 27. :hurray:


Good luck!

[blu2blu]

In theory it's a good idea to check with the recruiter but in reality it may backfire. We need to be realistic here when you start throwing around terms like "credit bank" and "ACE" the recruiter might get really confused. When the Military gets confused it just starts saying "no, that won't work." If she walks into the recuiting office with a transcript issued by a regionally accredited college (FCC) showing fifteen credits then no one will argue with her. Military recruiting is all about numbers so once they have a piece of paper that "works" they will not investigate further.

I'm not picking on the ARMY, I'm in the NAVY and was previously in the AIR FORCE and believe me it's all the same s##t.

[Saedrea]

Okay so I double checked and they do take the banked credits as long as its from an accredited college..I was looking around and people are talking about Fredericks College, Clackamas College, Excelsior College, and Thomas Edison State College. They are saying that they have to get transcripts for FEMAs through Fredericks and then transfer them to Exclsior, I'm assuming this is for a good reason but why wouldn't they just take them straight from FEMA, it seems like a waste of time and money...Should I get transcripts with Fredericks or TESC? Will I get the military discount being a dependant? I'm going to call them in the morning for some more info but I figured I might as well ask someone out here while I'm wide awake and see what I can dig up...Thanks for helping me out everyone, I really appreicate it.

[Saedrea]

Well crap...This puts a big damper on my plans since I might have been taking the wrong tests...Didn't know they only took specific ones...Guess I'll go through and see how many are good/worthless, lol.

[Saedrea]

I was looking at that list you attatched...and I took around 4 test NOT on the list so that's a huge bummer. But I was looking and some of the ones they accept are not even on the FEMA website course list...And one test I noticed IS-20 says it is worth 1 Credit on that attatchment but on the FEMA course list says it's only worth 1 when combined with another test...Also why are they worth 1 credit on the FEMA course list if the college doesn't even accept them? What's the point of it being there. This is all rather confusing and I'm not sure what tests to attempt to take now. =S

[cookderosa]

I was looking at that list you attatched...and I took around 4 test NOT on the list so that's a huge bummer. But I was looking and some of the ones they accept are not even on the FEMA website course list...And one test I noticed IS-20 says it is worth 1 Credit on that attatchment but on the FEMA course list says it's only worth 1 when combined with another test...Also why are they worth 1 credit on the FEMA course list if the college doesn't even accept them? What's the point of it being there. This is all rather confusing and I'm not sure what tests to attempt to take now. =S

>>

Ok, I see you have been rocking these out cheersmate So, there is a list of which FEMA classes the specific school TESC will give you credit for....but then that is not the same thing as what FEMA issues credit for. I know that's confusing, but honestly- you have not wasted anything in my opinion. Those credits are still counting toward your 15.

See if this makes sense. Say you go to ABC College and take a class in Basket Weaving. The college issues you 3 credits. THEN, separately, you apply to XYZ College, and they say "no" we won't give you 3 credits for that class, we will only give you 2. YOU STILL EARNED 3 CREDITS, just the school you are looking at - if you choose to enroll- has denied some of the credit.

So, you took FEMA, you have FEMA. Period. The way to put those onto a transcript is the TESC Credit Bank. So, go to the TESC website Thomas Edison State College and investigate what is necessary to do that. It won't be free, it will be a few hundred bucks. TESC is an accredited college, I even have 2 degrees from there.

The point I made earlier about the list is that WHEN the time comes, and you'd like to earn a full degree, TESC will give you FEMA credit for the ones on the list. My suggestion was to focus on the list ones only simply because WHEN the time comes, you won't have to worry about a doing more or if they all count. So you did a few that TESC might not give you credit for at some point (or might - who knows about the future). Big deal- don't let this even be a speed bump. You are not out any money- you are just out a few hours of time. From here forward, yes, I'd choose from the list so you can count them later- but for now- your ARMY counts them, you EARNED THEM, so put ALL of your FEMAs onto your credit bank and keep on kickin' butt!

P.S. You shouldn't need to do anything with Fredrick's college, that's for people going to Excelsior College.

[Shawn A]

In theory it's a good idea to check with the recruiter but in reality it may backfire. We need to be realistic here when you start throwing around terms like "credit bank" and "ACE" the recruiter might get really confused. When the Military gets confused it just starts saying "no, that won't work." If she walks into the recuiting office with a transcript issued by a regionally accredited college (FCC) showing fifteen credits then no one will argue with her. Military recruiting is all about numbers so once they have a piece of paper that "works" they will not investigate further.

I'm not picking on the ARMY, I'm in the NAVY and was previously in the AIR FORCE and believe me it's all the same s##t.

2nd this point - don't mention credit bank, ACE. etc. to the recuriter. They'll have no clue.

Just get that FEMA/CLEP stuff on a TESC transcript via a credit bank, and walk in to the recuriter with a transcript. Done.

Shawn

(23 years with uncle in the Army National Guard - now retired)

[Saedrea]

Thank you for clearing things up for me, I've made a list of the ones I've taken along with the ones needed on that list and I think i can complete it by the end of the week. I do have couple more questions though.(I know, I'm sorry, lol) so all of the tests I've taken with FEMA will still show up on the TESC transcripts or only the ones on the list? Or will the none credits show up but just say something like N/A for credit worth. I'm just wondering how people will know I've taken those few tests that don't count for TESC otherthan the little certificates they give you to print out.(seems like they wouldn't be totally legit to someone else looking at them because they don't have a seal or whatever on them) and my last question hopefully...Is there any process I have to go through to ACTUALLY make my GED into a High school diploma with these credits? Or is it just "technically" one when I get 15+ credits? Thank you guys for putting up with me over the past few days!

[nj593]

Okay so I double checked and they do take the banked credits as long as its from an accredited college..I was looking around and people are talking about Fredericks College, Clackamas College, Excelsior College, and Thomas Edison State College. They are saying that they have to get transcripts for FEMAs through Fredericks and then transfer them to Exclsior, I'm assuming this is for a good reason but why wouldn't they just take them straight from FEMA, it seems like a waste of time and money...Should I get transcripts with Fredericks or TESC? Will I get the military discount being a dependant? I'm going to call them in the morning for some more info but I figured I might as well ask someone out here while I'm wide awake and see what I can dig up...Thanks for helping me out everyone, I really appreicate it.

I would say TESC because you can send raw transcripts from FEMA to them. Fredericks is a rip off...
And im glad you check into that. Im not stating that the other two posters were wrong. But, the problem with recruiters is that they promise and lie. No offense to you ex recruiters. :o
I got to processing many moons ago and had crap coming up even throughout boot that my darn recruiter fudged.
Anywho to your other ? the credit bank willl show course then the amount of credit distributed. XYZ = 1 credit
and so forth. Atleast thats the way my credit bank was.
Hope this helps.