Transcript Questions? We have the Answers!

I need my transcripts! How do I find them?

Will I have to pay for my transcripts?

How long will it take to get them?

Most military members have lots of questions when they begin pursuing a post-secondary education; questions about the right classes to take, tuition assistance, online classes, and transcripts – just to name a few topics for discussion. These questions will likely continue as your education journey takes detours and gets off course from time to time. Thankfully, you have dedicated education counselors and advisors to help you navigate in the right direction and find the answers you are looking for.

The Defense Department's (DoD) Voluntary Education (VolEd) community has the responsibility of ensuring your education questions are answered to help you and other military members successfully reach your education goals and complete your college degrees. The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support or DANTES is just one organization within the VolEd community offering active duty, National Guard and Reserve component members education benefits, services, and the help necessary to understand it all.

You have questions. We have answers.

This article, the third in a series on FAQs, or frequently asked questions, strives to help you succeed in your pursuit of education goals and professional development. Our first article shared questions on preparing for online learning with DLRSA, the Distance Learning Readiness Self-Assessment . The second article answered the top 5 questions received on the Kuder Journey program, a free college and career planning tool.

This blog focuses on the all-important and vital education document – your military transcript; specifically, your JST or Joint Services Transcript.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Joint Services Transcript (JST)

Q. What is the JST?

A. The JST is the Joint Services Transcript, an academically accepted document approved by the American Council on Education (ACE) to validate a Service member’s military occupational experience and training along with the corresponding ACE college credit recommendations.

JST replaced the Coast Guard Institute Transcript, the Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript System (AARTS) and the Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART).

Q. What benefit does the JST provide me?

A. Your JST provides a description of military schooling and work history in civilian language. The transcript serves as an aid in preparing resumes and explaining military work experience to civilian employers. It can also save time and money with recommended academic credit for past experience, which could mean less tuition to pay and less time spent in the classroom. The JST also serves as a helpful counseling tool for academic and career counselors in advising Service members and veterans.

Q. Do all colleges/universities accept the recommended credit listed on my JST?

A. It is up to each institution to decide what ACE credit recommendations can be accepted, modified, or rejected. Whether an academic institution accepts the credit recommendations depends on its policies and procedures for transfer credit, your program of study, and your degree requirements.

Q. Who is eligible for a JST?

A. All enlisted members, officers and warrant officers, both active and veterans from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard are eligible for a no-cost JST transcript. The JST receives its data from underlying Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel systems and is updated regularly. Air Force personnel should contact CCAF to receive transcripts.

Active duty, National Guard, Reserve, and veteran personnel can access easily their JST. You do not have to be active duty in order to access the JST website and your transcript.

Q. How do I have my official JST sent to a school? How much does it cost?

A. First, you will need to register for a JST account. After you log on to the JST website, you will click the "Transcript" link at the top of the page. Next, on the "Transcripts Menu", you will click the "Official Transcript Request." On the following page, search for your school and select the institution from the list provided. Verify the spelling and location are correct to ensure that you are selecting the correct institution. On the next page, acknowledge the consent statement and click "Yes".

If your school is not listed, please ask your school representative to contact jst@doded.mil and request the school be added. There is no cost for your JST transcript.

Q. How do I make corrections and update my transcript?

A. Correction/update procedures vary for each service (Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard), please refer to the service documents available at https://jst.doded.mil/correction.html. Members should Include full name, the last 4 digits of their SSN, and an email address on all documents submitted. When documentation is submitted, members should wait two weeks before logging into JST to check their transcript for the change(s). After logging in, the 'Transcript Update Status' link will let a member know when the documents were received and the current status of the request.

Learn more about your Joint Services Transcript (JST) at www.MyVolEd.com/jst

Other DANTES Program Resources

Other tools and resources to help you in your education journey include:

• Website: dantes.doded.mil
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/DANTES.DoD/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DANTES_DOD
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dantes-dod/
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCAD8yGhGBeDAtIPMW7Eu-sA/