Trudy Wortham

Veterans may be able to use the hours they spent in training toward a bachelor’s degree.

“Many educational institutions grant course credit for military training depending on the nature of the training, the material covered and a student’s specific degree plan,” UHV Registrar Trudy Wortham said.

For example, military computer operations courses may count as credit toward a computer science or information technology degree, and language courses may count toward core degree requirements, she said.

Some credit may even be given for courses students might not expect. The Army’s “Ordinance Officer Basic” course may get a student three credit hours in speech communications.

The American Council on Education offers guidelines to universities about how to apply these credits toward degree requirements. General guidelines are available at militaryguides.acenet.edu.

ACE guidelines also will be included on military training transcripts, which former soldiers can acquire through Veterans Affairs. Academic advisers at each of UHV’s four schools will make the actual determination as to what military training will count toward academic credit.

Jeffrey Di Leo

Former soldiers may be particularly interested in UHV’s Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences. Up to 44 hours of vocational training, like that required to be a tank mechanic, may count toward the degree, said Jeffrey Di Leo, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, which houses the program.

“This is a great opportunity for soldiers coming back from serving our country in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places to gain all the benefits that come from having a bachelor’s degree,” Di Leo said.

Soldiers could earn a bachelor’s in as little as two years, he said. And with many of the educational benefits available to veterans, that education may be next to free, he said.

A new state law that went into effect this month makes it even easier for soldiers to get credit at public schools in Texas.

Under the new Texas House Bill 269, many military training courses provide physical education credit, and a maximum of 12 hours of elective credits outside of a major or minor can be earned for many advanced military training classes.

To find out how specific military training can be applied to a degree, consult with the academic advisers in the appropriate UHV school. They can be reached by calling the UHV switchboard at 361-570-4848 or toll free at 877-970-4848. For more information about programs, visit www.uhv.edu.