Military Information
Students considering a future in the military—and the families supporting them—can use this resource to explore options, from enlisting after graduation to pursuing officer training through college.
Military-affiliated Programs and Schools
Military-affiliated Programs and Schools
Military Schools
The Military offers unique educational opportunities for students who plan to pursue a college degree. These options — service academies, senior military colleges and maritime academies — offer world-class education and a deeper understanding of military culture. In addition, these schools grant full tuition in exchange for a period of service commitment.
Click here to learn more.
College Credit
There are a number of ways the Military can help service members afford an education, either during or after service. In fact, a number of programs exist that can translate military training, experience and expertise into college credit, providing service members with more time, money and peace of mind.
College Degrees and Credentialing
Through a partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE), many service members have the opportunity to convert their training into a degree. Depending on service and school, service members can receive equivalent college credit for military experience, training and awards that more than 2,300 colleges and universities recognize.
Military experience can also translate into civilian licensing and certification for careers such as an electrician or software engineer. Each branch of the Military has programs to ensure service members receive credentials for the training they completed in service.
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a leadership training and development program that prepares full-time, college-enrolled students for service opportunities in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force (the Coast Guard offers a similar program called the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative [CSPI]). Joining ROTC opens a door to professional skills development, scholarship opportunities and tuition assistance, and, upon completion, attaining the rank of officer. Today, ROTC is offered at more than 1,700 colleges and universities.
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Military Options for Financing College, Trade Schools, CTE Education
Click here to learn about options the U.S. Military provides for service members who choose to pursue a college, trade school, and/or Career Technical Education (CTE) educational opportunity.
Advanced Training
Sometimes referred to as Advanced Individual Training (AIT), or simply advanced training, skill training takes place after a service member completes Basic Training. Skill training refers to the instruction a service member receives in his or her assigned military career field.
Depending on career specialty, a service member attends one of many diverse skill training schools. While there, he or she learns the skills necessary to succeed at his or her specific career through hands-on training, classroom sessions and field instruction.
While the purpose and fundamentals of AIT remain consistent across all Service branches, each offers its own unique experience.
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Test
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Test
General Information
Thinking About a Military Career? Take the ASVAB Seriously.
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a timed, multiple-aptitude test developed and maintained by the U.S. Department of Defense. It’s designed to measure your strengths and predict future academic and occupational success in the military.
Each year, the ASVAB is administered to over one million high school and post-secondary students, as well as military applicants. It’s offered at more than 14,000 schools and Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) across the country.
Why Does the ASVAB Matter?
Your performance on the ASVAB directly impacts your eligibility to enlist and qualify for specific military careers. Scores from four key areas—Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, and Mathematics Knowledge—make up your Armed Forces Qualifying Test (AFQT) score, which determines if you’re eligible to join the U.S. military.
Additional scores from the ASVAB help determine your qualifications for various Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) and may affect your eligibility for enlistment bonuses. The better you score, the more options you’ll have.
The ASVAB will be offered during the fall and spring semesters.
Start preparing now to make the most of this opportunity. Click here for more information, practice tests, and study guides.
Start preparing now to make the most of this opportunity. Click here for more information, practice tests, and study guides.
Test Interpretation
You Took the ASVAB—Now Make It Count!
The purpose of taking the ASVAB wasn’t just to get a score—it was to gain insight into your strengths, interests, and values. Don’t skip the most important part of the process: attending the ASVAB Results Interpretation session.
During this session, a trained expert will walk you through your individual ASVAB Career Exploration Program (CEP) results. You’ll engage in activities that help you understand what your scores mean and how they relate to potential career paths—both in and out of the military.
From your results page, you’ll receive a unique access code that opens the door to additional assessments designed to deepen your self-understanding. This is where the fun begins—discovering how your strengths and values align with specific careers and learning about the many different pathways to reach them.
We hope this process helps clarify who you are and what types of careers may be a great fit as you plan for your future. Whether you’re making decisions about high school courses, extracurriculars, or post-graduation plans, the more you understand yourself, the more confident and empowered you’ll be to advocate for your goals.