Ernst’s bipartisan bill supports U.S. veterans earning college credits for military training

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) on Aug. 1 introduced bipartisan legislation that would provide more American military veterans with the chance to gain college credits for their previous military training.

“Our servicemembers and their families deserve the opportunity to use their military training educational assistance for college credit,” Sen. Ernst said. “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.”

Sen. Ernst is the original cosponsor of the Military Learning for Credit Act of 2018, S. 3318, introduced by main sponsor U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE).  

By law, institutions of higher education (IHEs) are required to review student veterans’ joint services transcript, which document a veteran’s prior military learning and training.

Colleges and universities, which are actively recruiting veterans, currently receive $10 billion a year from the GI bill funds that veterans collectively spend, according to a one-page summary of S. 3318 released by Sen. Coons’ office. However, schools aren’t required to grant any credits for prior military learning — and according to the senator’s staff, research shows many IHEs do not grant such credits.

“Our veterans receive intense and thorough training as service members, often during the years when other Americans are attending college,” Sen. Coons said. “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.”

  1. 3318 would not authorize any new funds, but instead provides another use for existing veteran educational assistance entitlements, according to the lawmakers’ summary.

In addition to several other provisions, S. 3318 would expand veterans’ eligibility to use veterans educational assistance funds to cover up to $500 of the fees required to take the College Level Examination Program and the Dantes Subject Standardized Test Program credit exams, which are a group of standardized tests that assess college-level knowledge in 38 subject areas, and the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate Examination.

  1. 3318 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.