Texas Workforce Commission

The College Credit for Heroes (CCH) program helps military veterans and service members get college credit for their experience.

CCH is a Texas government initiative. It does the following:

Awards college credit to veterans and service members for their military experience.
Eliminates obstacles to getting licensing, certification and accreditation.
Makes it easier for veterans to earn college degrees.

College Credit for Heroes - Credentials for Heroes Grant Program (CCH Credentials): Bridging Military Service to Academic and Career Success

The Texas Workforce Commission is funding grants to Texas Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) for the development of CCH Credentials programs. These programs will help Veterans and Active-Duty Service Members (VADSMs) earn college credit and credentials for their military training.

The CCH Credentials grants focus on:

developing a comprehensive evaluation process for VADSM's prior learning;
building a CCH Credentials team and recruiting program champions;
utilizing the ACE Military Guide for credit evaluation;
implementing Prior Learning Assessments (PLA) to award credit;
tracking credits awarded towards credentials or degree plans; and
developing a leadership/business operations management course that aligns with the skills and knowledge gained by Combat Arms VADSMs (including Infantry, Armor, Cavalry, and other related specialties).

Public and private Texas IHEs are eligible to apply for grants of up to $200,000.

Ready to apply? Download the application here.

The College Credit for Heroes Capacity Building and Sustainability Program

CCH has a special two-year grant. It's called the Capacity Building and Sustainability Program. The first year is for planning, and the second year is for implementing the plan. The program supports active-duty service members and veterans.

The program has four main goals:

Develop and document a pilot military transcript evaluation process. The process is to make sure that academic credit is awarded consistently to all veterans and service members.
Develop a sustainable tracking system for students in the program. The tracking system is to accurately gauge the benefits that students receive. It also confirms that processes and policies are followed the same way across the institution.
Recruit program champions. The program looks for current and past CCH participants. These program champions can be students, alumni or faculty members. They are recruited to advocate for the program and be a program resource.
Integrate CCH information into veteran or active-duty service member resources.

High School for Heroes

The High School for Heroes program gives information to high school students, teachers and administrators about military service. For example, they discuss the following about a someone going into the military:

How what service members learn in the military can help them get a college degree.
How military work experience can count as college experience.

College Credit for Heroes Accelerated Educational Pathways

Some degrees, certifications and licenses that veterans and active duty service members can earn through CCH are:

Business administration
Computer science
Criminal justice
Nursing
Engineering
Business administration
Computer science
Criminal justice
Nursing
Engineering

CCH also offers credit for a variety of certifications and licenses.

The list below is a small sample of the degrees, certifications and licenses that CCH participants can get. The specific programs that are available may vary depending on the college or university.

Ways for Veterans and Service Members to Obtain Academic Credit for Military Experience, Education and Training

Joint Services Transcript (JST)

When veterans leave the Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps or Navy, they can get a record of their training. This record is called the joint services transcript. It shows completed training that is approved for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE).

Air University (AU)/Community College of the Air Force (CCAF)

The CCAF provides transcripts for Air and Space Force veterans.

Standardized Testing – College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) offers you the opportunity to receive college credit for what you already know. You earn qualifying scores on any of the 34 CLEP® exams. CLEP® exams allow people who have acquired comprehensive subject knowledge through independent or prior study, on-the-job training or cultural pursuits to show that they understand college-level material.

Credit by Exam

A credit-by-exam (CBE) program allows you to earn college credit for what you already know by passing a test in a specific subject that you would normally take in college.

Portfolio Assessment

A portfolio is a collection of proof that shows what you have learned from your military experience. It includes details about how and where you learned and how you used that knowledge. Some schools in Texas use the guidelines from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) to assess portfolios and see how much you have learned outside the regular classroom.

Logins

Services

Programs

Data & Reports

Agency Information