College Credit for Heroes

Mission

The College Credit for Heroes initiative seeks to maximize college credits awarded to veterans for their military experience in order to expedite each veteran’s transition into the Texas workforce. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is committed to honoring veterans by helping them enter the Texas workforce with the recognition of the skills they earned while honorably serving their country. To help veterans translate their military service skills into college credits and certifications, seven Texas community colleges will help create standards for assessing military training that can then be used by any college in the state.

Active duty service members or veterans in Texas can receive a college transcript based on the training they received through the military by visiting Central Texas College’s College Credit for Heroes web site.

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Background

Administered by TWC, this workforce development initiative is designed to recognize the exceptional knowledge and skills gained by military service members and award them college credits for their military experience, allowing these veterans to more easily re-enter the workforce.

Seven community colleges were selected to participate in the College Credit for Heroes program. The colleges will develop models for awarding college credit by evaluating military training, including testing and prior learning assessments, with the goal of implementing a statewide assessment system for other colleges and training providers. There will be an initial focus on allied health careers, and the program will partner with the Military Education and Training Campus (METC) in San Antonio to provide current active duty service members with an accelerated degree plan.

• College Credit for Heroes Report to the 83rd Legislature and Governor Rick Perry

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Current Participating Colleges

The following colleges are laying the groundwork to create standardized practices for awarding veterans college credits or certifications based on their military experiences:

Alamo Colleges
Veterans Associate Degree Programs
Alamo Colleges is developing an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in health professions to streamline transferable credit and will accelerate attainment of the degree for service members and veterans. Alamo Colleges also is developing a career mobility track program that will provide active duty service members and veterans an accelerated path to an Associate of Applied Sciences in nursing. For more information about the Veterans Associate Degree Programs at Alamo Colleges, please contact Thermajean Jones at 210-486-5898 or tjones118@alamo.edu.

Central Texas College
Online Military Training Evaluation System
Central Texas College has developed a web-based application and database for veterans and service members to receive additional college credit hours with an official transcript that can be used by colleges throughout the state. For more information about www.collegecreditforheroes.org, please contact Brigitte Flynt at  254-501-3000 or brigitte.flynt@ctcd.edu.

Houston Community College
Accelerated Alternate Delivery Program
Houston Community College is developing and implementing an accelerated refresher program for surgical technicians who were trained in the military to sit for the national accrediting exam and receive credit toward an Associate’s degree in Allied Health. For more information about the Accelerated Alternate Delivery Program, please contact Christine Castillo at 712-718-7362 or christine.castillo@hccs.edu.

Lee College
Model Program for Individual Education Plan for Veterans
Lee College is developing an Education Plan for Veterans in which they will identify, develop and support methods to maximize college credit for veterans and service members using prior learning assessments and credit by examination. For more information about the Model Program for Individual Education Plan for Veterans, please contact Ehab Mustafa at 832-556-4302 or eamustafa@lee.edu.

Lone Star College
Texas Inter-College Council on Veterans and Best Practices
Lone Star College is convening and organizing the Texas Inter-College Council on Veterans, composed of representatives from the seven colleges participating in the College Credit for Heroes program, and will outline their findings in fall 2012. For more information about the Texas Inter-College Council on Veterans and Best Practices, please contact Tina Dealy at 281-290-2754 or Tina.Dealy@lonestar.edu.

San Jacinto College
Allied Health Programs Analysis Project and Summit
San Jacinto College is developing a comprehensive analysis of allied health profession offerings at all Texas community colleges, and in spring 2012 will outline its analyses of training gaps, existing and needed transfer credit opportunities, barriers to awarding credit for military experience, and external barriers such as certification, licensing or accreditation processes. For more information about the Allied Health Programs Analysis Project and Summit, please contact Amy Ammerman at 281-459-7175 or amy.ammerman@sjcd.edu.

Temple College
Accelerated Emergency Services Program for Veterans
Temple College is developing and implementing an accelerated program in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for veterans and service members with military medical experience. For more information about the Accelerated Emergency Services Program for Veterans, please contact Jeff Fritz at 254-298-8563 or jefffritz@templejc.edu.

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