Tag: Dantes Credit by Examination 101

DANTES Credit by Examination

Many students who are interested in credit by examination can take the DSST, or the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests. The DANTES (Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support) program by the U.S. Department of Defense is the program that provides the resources for DSST. One of DANTES main objective is to make college more affordable and less time consuming for active duty and veteran military members. Through DANTES, the DSST is started to offer support for service members who were working towards earning their degrees. That is why there is a DANTES credit by examination.

The DANTES credit by examination is a program that gives you the opportunity to demonstrate college-level achievement through a program of exams in undergraduate college courses. The examinations for DSST include 38 subjects which are similar to end-of-course test offered by colleges and universities. This will allow you to earn credits required for a college degree if passed.

There are a lot of positive reasons why you should take credit-by-examinations. One, it saves you money because an average college course can cost over $100 per credit, whereas the DANTES credit by examination is free for service members and only over $40 for civilian student per exam. You also don’t have to be enrolled in college to take the exams which is also one way for you to save up.

Taking the examination also saves you time and helps you skip ahead. An average college course takes three or more months to complete while you could spend less than a month preparing for each test depending on your stored knowledge. And by passing the examinations, you will not have to sit through a boring college course.

Moreover, taking the exams offers you flexibility. Since you are not required to take a college course, you can set your own pace and choose your own study materials.

Dantes Credit by Examination 101

Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support or DANTES is an off-duty support program for the voluntary educational programs. DANTES credit by examination primary tasks includes providing the military employees all the necessary tools to help them achieve their personal education goals.

Programs and Services

Facilitate distribution of various exams, such as secondary university equivalency, college acceptance, and college credit to military employees.

Troops to instructors is a referral program to assist military employees interested in becoming public school instructors.

Computer Assisted Guidance Information System or DISCOVER provided to education center therapists who assist Service members with degree planning/career guidance.

Department of Defense contact to state Advisory Councils on Military Education and learning.

Conduct CONUS coaching classes.

Acquire and spread reference guides, coaching materials and other resources.

Manage the DoD Voluntary Education Management System, producing data for policy and budget reviews and knowledge for an annual voluntary education fact sheet

Handle higher education agreements with the American Council on Education and Service members Opportunity Colleges

Maintain contact between the active responsibility and Reserve elements through the Special Special Enlisted Advisor and Reserve Component Advisor

Organize preparing and performance of the DoD Worldwide Education Symposium

Provide distance learning catalogs listing programs and courses offered by educational institutions properly approved to receive military tuition assistance

In general, although subject to specific Assistance guidelines, specified boundaries, yearly caps, and accessibility to financing, learners will be provided either up-front or reimbursable educational costs support which may cover 100% of their educational costs and charges. Contact your Service education counselors for current educational costs support guidelines and specifications, as these frequently change. And the liability to know and understand the policy falls on you. You should be aware that you may be required to make an individual payment to the university book store for guides and materials, this is not standard, but some educational institutions make a requisite of it. Although educational institutions accept to inform DANTES credit by examination before changing educational costs and generally attempt to avoid modifying charges during a college year, prices can change before they are joined into the distance learning catalogs. Remember to always check with the university to figure out the correct price before applying.