Transfer Credits Credits for Service

Union is honored to provide you with the opportunity to secure full credit for your military education and experience. We know your fieldwork has taught you what you can’t learn in a classroom, so we allow you to use your experience as our credits. You will be surprised at just how quickly you can complete your studies.

Requesting your military transcript

Each branch of service will provide you unofficial personal copies of your transcript and send Union Institute & University an official copy at no charge. View each service branch system for recording your military education and experience credits below.

US Army

The Army uses the AARTS system, which tracks your academic credits from military training, and standardized tests. The AARTS system is available to enlisted soldiers only. 

Navy & Marine Corps

The Navy and Marine Corps use the SMART system. This system captures information regarding your training, experience, and standardized test scores.

Community College of the Air Force

The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) automatically tracks your training, experience and standardized test scores.

Coast Guard Institute

The Coast Guard Institute (CGI) requires each service member to submit documentation of all training (except correspondence course records), along with an enrollment form, to receive a transcript. Unlike the other services, you will be unable to get into the transcript system after you leave the service, so it is important to enroll now. To order a copy of the official U.S. Coast Guard transcript, please visit the Coast Guard Website.

Veterans not eligible for these transcript systems

Under most circumstances, veterans are eligible to use their former service branch transcript program. However, if you are not eligible for AARTS, SMART, CCAF, or CGI systems, you will need to fill out form DD-295 and provide your DD-214 to receive credit for your experience.

Ace credit assessment services

You can assure yourself the quickest path to full credit for your military education by taking advantage of American Council on Education (ACE) credit assessment services. Since 1942, ACE has developed and refined credit assessment processes to recognize the educational value of military training and experience. ACE continuously evaluates military schools, correspondence courses, and occupations to determine the amount and level of academic credit each should be awarded.

Through ACE, you have the opportunity to transfer much of the training you have received into academic credit, this includes basic training. In most cases, ACE-recommended credits will be used to fulfill your free-elective requirements. Get started as soon as you can; the longer you delay, the further away your degree will be.