College Credit for USAF Courses

[ang1sgt]

As some of you know, I will be un-employed at the end of the year. While this is difficult for me personally, it has also shown me that I need to step up "MY" program and get with it.

To start this off I have been working with my local Veterans Outreach Center:
http://www.veteransoutreachcenter.org/

These folks have been VERY helpful! I have never had to have a piece of paper (Resume) do the talking for me. Between the USAF and my only Civilian Job for the last 28 years, I have never had to have a resume.

One thing that came up is my lack of Formal Education. For some employers, this does shut the door on you before you even get the chance to look for a job. I know that at my last check, I had well over 126 credit hours from the Community College of the Air Force. The problem is that I don't have a transcript of these credits.

Well, CCAF does have a website that very quickly can get your transcripts to you or to an accredited college.

http://www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/transcripts.asp

So, I hope that with this and maybe some Life Experience credits that I may be able to achieve a minimum of an AAS Degree. I have credit hours from Rochester Institute of Technology that will fill in some of my course that I needed. With all of this, I’ll be taking the information to either Excelsior College in New York State or Empire State College. Both Colleges work closely with Military Members to get them advanced degrees.

Empire State College:
http://www.esc.edu/esconline/online2.nsf/ESChome.html

Excelsior College:
https://www.excelsior.edu/


So, before you get into a situation like myself, do your legwork and see what Colleges can help you both in your Civilian career as well as your Military career.

[JohnP]

1st Sgt,
You may have 126 hours of equivilant courses in CCAF but you still need the basic courses of English, Math and sciences to earn even an AA. An option for you to consider is using the CLEP at your closest Active Duty Unit's education office. Most offer quick study programs prior to taking the tests and as a member of the military you can take as many tests as you like for free (dependants were $50.). These tests will give you 1 to 6 hours of college credits in required courses to earn your degree.
Good luck upon your retirement. Have you any idea what your 2nd career is going to be?

[ang1sgt]

John,

This post was really put here for people to find and search out. As a Retired Air Guard First Sergeant (Retired October 2000) and a Former Squadron Career Adviser, I am well aware of the requirements of an AAS degree.

As one that is 52 years of age, and worked at this one company since I left active duty in 1980, it quite frankly sucks to be looking for another job at this time. When you consider that my Father and Father in Law both retired from this company in 1982, my Dad with 57 years of age and 37 years of service, my Father in Law with 52 years and 27 years of service, you have to wonder if you are me why my 28 years nets me almost nothing except a miniscule annuity and a lump sum that I have to manage and can't live off of that either.

Please note that I DO NOT get Military Retired Pay until I reach the Age of 60! That is 8 years off. After 24 years of service I have to wait. Her agan, I am VERY fortunate that I have what I have because many other won't have this. It is just down right depressing that this situation has happened through NO FAULT of my own.

[JohnP]

I can understand and relate. I retired in 1999 from Alpha Company, 111 Engineers, of the Army of the Republic of Texas with 22 years of continuous, faithful service with 16 on active duty.
I, again ask, what are your plans? There are a few government agencies that don't look down at your time and age and will welcome you in. I work for one with a starting pay of 19.75 an hour.

[NightRunner]

Thank you! You've answered one of my questions before I could ask it!

I've been having trouble trying to communicate with my local community college about my CCAF credits. Maybe this will help out.

I've already noticed how many online job-applications list a college degree as a prerequisite to apply. Even some local businesses tend to only accept an "educational background" that is from a drop-down list of state accredited colleges on their applications (even Walmart!) It's very frustrating!

[Rabbit]

I've been having trouble trying to communicate with my local community college about my CCAF credits. I had the same issue with my local community college. The whole thing was a mess. Luckily, I knew one of the girls that worked there and she helped me get everything in order.

[Warsong]

The CCAF accredited all my military education, such as F-100-PW-220 Engine Maintenance, F-15 Secondary Power JOAP Testing, and CAMs training as Criminal Justice. Idiots.

Fortunantly Embry Riddle has been extremely helpful with getting me towards my Aeronautical Engineering Degree, though I encountered the same problems...no English,Math, etc.

Anyhow Top, good luck with it all, you're experiences are a valuable resource :p

[JohnP]

The CCAF accredited all my military education, such as F-100-PW-220 Engine Maintenance, F-15 Secondary Power JOAP Testing, and CAMs training as Criminal Justice. Idiots.

Fortunantly Embry Riddle has been extremely helpful with getting me towards my Aeronautical Engineering Degree, though I encountered the same problems...no English,Math, etc.

Anyhow Top, good luck with it all, you're experiences are a valuable resource :p

Do what I did, CLEP you basics. Take a 98 or 99 course in the catagory you need (English for example) It will give you enough to pass the CLEP with at least 3 hours and at times 6, depending on your memory. It will save you time and money and counts just as much as going through all 6 hours of classes.

My degree is in communications...Would you like fries with that?

[already710]

Good luck and hope to hear from you soon.:D
simulation credit (http://simulationcredit1.com)

[Warsong]

Do what I did, CLEP you basics. Take a 98 or 99 course in the catagory you need (English for example) It will give you enough to pass the CLEP with at least 3 hours and at times 6, depending on your memory. It will save you time and money and counts just as much as going through all 6 hours of classes.

My degree is in communications...Would you like fries with that?

I'll try that when I'm back in Alaska. I won't have much time left in the Army so I'm gonna bust my nuts and try and finish it before I leave for the civvie life.

[PaulR]

I went to the Air Force Independent Duty Medical Technician School at Sheppard Air Force Base, as a Coast Guard member. Now... I was told that the Community College of the Air Force would not give me a transcript for the credits earned because I am not a member of that particular branch of service. Is this true? Is there a way around this?

I have a lot of credits from courses I have taken in the CG, but I would like to get what I can from the Air Force school, as it was very long and supposedly worth a lot of credit hours.

[wukong]

I went to the Air Force Independent Duty Medical Technician School at Sheppard Air Force Base, as a Coast Guard member. Now... I was told that the Community College of the Air Force would not give me a transcript for the credits earned because I am not a member of that particular branch of service. Is this true? Is there a way around this?

I have a lot of credits from courses I have taken in the CG, but I would like to get what I can from the Air Force school, as it was very long and supposedly worth a lot of credit hours.

Why don't you ask for it via official channels?

[PaulR]

I went through my official channels and they said that they did not know of how to get the credits from another branch of service.
I got the same answer from the Air Force. "I dont know..." cannot be the final answer here, but that is what the "Officials" on both sides told me.

[JohnP]

I went through my official channels and they said that they did not know of how to get the credits from another branch of service.
I got the same answer from the Air Force. "I dont know..." cannot be the final answer here, but that is what the "Officials" on both sides told me.

I’m not an expert in any of this; however, I did attend many schools from different services while in the Air Force.


If the Air Force did not recognize the school as one of its own, i.e., Ranger School, Scuba School, it did not award college credit for it. Period, no argument and not a dang thing we could do about it. Arguments were even made when the school was a requirement for the AFSC; i.e., Pararescue and CCT require scuba and jump school, but even that was a resounding no.

Now my knowledge of this is a little dated, I retired in 1999 and things may have changed since then.

Good luck and don’t give up until the phrase, I don’t know can be fixed.

[wukong]

Sounds like a job for the SecDef. A mailing campaign to Congress could help. You could write a letter to Secretary Gates. FWIW, upon retiring I wrote the Secretary of the Air Force with my displeasure with the way my retirement was being handled and got my wish. I see no down side in a letter with your concerns.

[PaulR]

I sure hope that there is a way to get the credits for the class. I will use the advice you provided. The class I took was the Air Force Independent Duty Medical Techician course. It was one of the more involved medical courses offered at Sheppard AFB and was told that it had a substantial amount of credits. It would be cool to be able to get them! I am trying to wrap up my degree and they would be very beneficial.

Thanks again for your help!

[Sandbagger]

I squeezed 13 credits out of my USAF training.

not a bad deal IMO.

[PaulR]

What class did you take?

[Sandbagger]

What class did you take?

Basic Military Training credit plus Supply Management Apprentice technical training.