1 Student Veterans: Understanding the New Challenges

Why are Vets different?

What to be thinking about Military Educational Benefits Prior Learning and Service Credit Transitioning to College Life Military and College Support Services Career Preparation

Educational Benefits Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31) Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Dependents Education Assistance Program (Chapter 35) Montgomery GI Bill-Selective Reserve (Chapter 1606) Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) Chapter 1607 RI National Guard (STAP/STEP)

Military Educational Benefits The Bursar’s Office Certifying officials Web page Policies that affect you! Military Educational Benefits

Prior Learning Credit Options available: CLEP Examinations Department Challenge Exams Military Service and other “sponsored” learning activities the PLA Portfolio. The PLA Portfolio CCRI evaluates learning and, if appropriate, awards credit for it, if it can be documented, verified and determined to meet specific courses offered at CCRI. Prior to petitioning the assessment of your learning, you are encouraged to determine that your learning is college- level, you can prove your expertise in it, and it fulfills a requirement in your degree plan. The PLA Portfolio is evaluated by a faculty member with expertise in the subject matter. The Portfolio must make its case by identifying learning clearly and succinctly, and it must provide sufficient supporting information and documentation so that faculty can use it, alone or in combination with other evidence, as the basis for their evaluation Preparing a portfolio for faculty review involves the following five-step process: 1. Take inventory of your knowledge. 2. Choose the areas for which you want to seek college credit. 3. Find course descriptions to match your learning.course descriptions 4. Provide evidence of your knowledge. 5. Describe what you know and how you learned it. To Apply: Visit the Prior Learning Assessment Website: Complete the application process The Process: Upon receipt of application and resume, the PLA coordinator will contact you to recommend options for documenting your learning. Should the portfolio process be recommended, a faculty member with the subject matter expertise will work with you to develop the necessary “evidence” of your learning.

Prior Learning and Service Credit MILITARY SERVICE CREDIT FIRST Student must be enrolled in a degree program Must be registered for courses New students must have taken ACCU Placer tests then successfully complete 12 credit hours with a GPA of 2.5 or higher If student has prior college credits, he/she should make arrangements to have an official college transcript forwarded to OES. THEN Student should make arrangements to have official* military transcript sent to CCRI. All military transcripts are forwarded to Dean Woodberry’s office. Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve AARTS transcript Navy and Marine Corps SMART transcript Community College of the Air Force CCAF transcript U.S. Coast GuardCoast Guard transcript * NOTE: contact information is on web site listed below. Military credit awards are based upon the official transcript recommendations from the American College of Education. Each student’s experience is different so there is no ‘across-the-board’ guaranteed credit award. It is imperative that the student select a degree program in order to determine the relevance of his/her military experience as it relates to the specific program. Student should enroll in courses for which he/she has no knowledge. Student should not wait until military credit is received; this can take several weeks depending upon volume of military transcripts. Contract information is the web site:

Transitioning to College Life What to expect in the classroom What to expect from faculty What to expect from students Time Management Finances

Military Support Services Veterans Affairs Medical Center  Vet Center  2038 Warwick Avenue Point of Contact: Berne Greene, MSW Telephone: (401) Veterans Service Organizations

College Support Services Disabled Student Services: Academic Support  Student Success Centers  Writing Lab Personal Support  Advising and Counseling  Third party counseling Student Veterans’ Clubs  Fey Chen: Providence  Rob Sanchez: Warwick  Paul Martinez: Lincoln

Career Preparation Career Services Career exploration Career interest and preference tools  Contact Career Placement & Cooperative Education& Internships Internships Networking Your Resume  Contact External Resources VetJobs- RecruitMilitary-

Strategies for Success  Register with the VA  File your FAFSA every year  Submit certification worksheet every semester  Get your academic plan set  Communicate  Join the Student Veterans Organizations  Use Campus Resources  Start building your resume of experience

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