Credentials
Once you have selected a credential, reviewed any requirements, and obtained any additional training or experience needed, you are ready to apply for and take the credentialing exam. Follow the credentialing boards' application procedures which often include:
- Submitting an application
- Submitting documentation of military training and experience
- Taking an exam
- Possibly paying application and exam fees
After you've earned the credential, make sure you are aware of any requirements to keep your credential active. Check with the credentialing agency regarding the following items:
- Is there a renewal period for the certification and if so, how long is it? Many certifying agencies require you to renew your certification after a period of time, for example every three years.
- Are there renewal requirements? Credentialing agencies may require additional training or education, commonly called continuing education, after you earn a credential to demonstrate up-to-date knowledge. Others may require that you take the certification exam again at the end of the renewal period. Renewal requirements, and costs, will vary by credentialing agency.
Most certifications and licenses have fees associated with them that are charged by the credentialing board or agency such as application fees and exam fees. In addition, you may need to pay for additional training or education if you do not meet the requirements set by a credentialing board or certification agency. To prepare for a credential, consider the following questions:
- Do you need additional training and experience to qualify for licensure or certification?
- Do you need financial assistance to pay for additional training or for credentialing exam fees?
There are resources available to help Service members cover some of the costs associated with credentialing. For example, eligible service members and veterans can use the Montgomery GI Bill to pay for fees for approved civilian occupational licensing and certification exams. GI Bill benefits can also be used for costs associated with an undergraduate degree at a college or university, a certificate or diploma from a business, technical or vocational school, training programs, and apprenticeships.
See the Cost & Resources on COOL for more information on the resources available.
After using the Find and Select Related Credentials search to find the credentials related to your MOS, learn about credential requirements by following these steps:
- Look for the certifications marked as D (directly related) or S (skill related) in the Related Credentials table. These certifications have the most potential for you to take advantage of the training and education you've received in the Army by using the knowledge and skills you've learned to help you earn a civilian credential.
- Click on the certification name in the table to open up a Credential Snapshot page. The Snapshot pages contain a brief description of the certification, a summary of the credential requirements, and links to the certification agency's web page for additional information.
- Review the Summary and Eligibility tabs on the snapshot page to get an overview of what is required by the certification agency (on the Summary tab) and specific details (on the Eligibility tab), if applicable. Credentialing boards determine the requirements for licensure and certification. Typically they require a combination of the following:
- Education
- Training
- Work or professional experience
- Examinations
- Other unique job-related requirements
- Contact the credentialing agency to confirm applicable licensure or certification requirements and request application forms and exam preparation materials if available. If the COOL snapshot page is under development, find out if exam, experience, or education requirements are involved. Inquire about any fees associated with applying for a credential.
- Determine if the Army training or experience you already have is accepted by the credentialing agency.
- Determine what additional steps, if any, you need to take to become licensed or certified.
- If the credentialing agency does not explicitly recognize military training and experience in its written requirements, it may be necessary to contact the board directly to ask.
- If the credentialing agency indicates that military training and experience are not automatically recognized, find out if they can conduct an individual assessment of your military training and experience, and what you need to do to initiate the assessment.
Most certifications and licenses have fees associated with them that are charged by the credentialing board or agency. The most common fees are application fees, exam fees and renewal fees. In addition, you may need to pay for additional training or education if you do not meet the requirements set by a credentialing board or certification agency.
There are resources available, however, to help service members cover some of the costs associated with credentialing. The topics below offer an overview of those costs and resources and help direct you to the right resources. For detailed information on costs associated with a specific credential, go to the credentialing agency web site.
To learn more about the topics below, click on a box. Information for that topic will display below the boxes.
Credentialing Costs
Learn more about the costs associated with credentials
Credentialing Resources
Learn about the financial help available for credentialing costs
Training and Education Resources
Learn about the financial help available for education and training needed for credentials
Generally, there are two types of costs associated with obtaining a license or credential: 1) Credentialing board or agency fees and 2) Fees for additional education or training. Read the topics below for details.
Credentialing Board or Agency Fees
Although it varies by credential and by organization, credentialing agencies typically charge the followings fees:
- Application fee – from $20 to $200
- Exam fee – from $20 to $200
- Renewal fee – from $10 to $150 (typically due every 1-3 years depending on the agency's renewal policy)
Note that the examples above show the typical range of certification fees. Actual fees may be higher or lower depending on the credentialing agency or the type of credential. Credential fees for civilian occupations typically linked to officers (for example, physicians and lawyers) may be higher. The best source for finding the fees associated with a specific credential is the credentialing agency's website. Links to agency web sites can be found on the credential search page results and the credential snapshot pages.
Costs of Additional Education or Training
There are two types of additional education or training costs that may apply to Service members pursuing a credential: 1)Training or education needed to earn a credential, and 2) Training or education needed to keep a credential that you've already earned active.
- Earning a credential. Some credentials and licenses have training and experience requirements that must be met prior to earning a credential. Service members whose military training and experience do not meet a credentialing agency’s requirements may need additional training or education. The costs associated with training and education will vary depending on the type of education or training needed. For example, some credentials may require completion of a specific computer based training course while others may require an Associates or Bachelor’s degree in a specific subject area.
- Keeping a credential active. Many professions require additional training or education, commonly called continuing education, to demonstrate up-to-date knowledge. Credentialing agencies also may require continuing education over a period of time (for example 1-3 years) to maintain a credential already earned. Continuing education requirements, and costs, will vary by credentialing agency.
There are a number of financial resources available to help Service members with credentialing costs including the Army Tuition Assistance Program, and the Montgomery GI Bill. Each is briefly described below with links for further information.
Army Tuition Assistance Program (TA)
The Tuition Assistance Program provides financial assistance for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of a Soldier's professional and personal development goals. Soldiers interested in using TA for credentialing fees or supplemental training can contact an Army Education Center and meet with an education counselor, develop an education plan and complete the process for submitting a DA Form 2171.
Soldiers can receive a maximum of $4,500 per fiscal year for 100 percent of tuition costs, or up to $250 per semester hour, whichever is less. This rate is based on the uniform tuition assistance policy the Department of Defense implemented across the military services in October 1998.
With regard to use of tuition assistance for certification purposes, tuition assistance is authorized for courses that lead to certification. The courses must be offered by accredited academic institutions, although the institution may contract with a learning network or courseware vendor to provide courses or training. The following conditions must be met:
- TA forms must be made payable to the academic institution.
- Courses and grades must include transcripts as part of the institution’s curriculum.
- Courses must be parts of a program that appears in the academic catalog.
For additional information, use the following links:
Montgomery GI Bill
Through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), the Montgomery GI Bill offers financial assistance with licensing and certification as well as supplemental education and training. Eligible service members and veterans can use the Montgomery GI Bill to pay for up to $2,000 in fees for civilian occupational licensing and certification exams. Fees for re-testing and renewing licenses or certifications are also covered. Registration fees, preparation guides and processing fees will not be reimbursed. Visit the VA’s GI Bill web site or see the Licensing and Certification Exams brochure for additional information. Information on approved programs may also be found through the National Association of State Approving Agencies (NASAA) web site.
If you are a member of the National Guard or Reserves, you may also be able to receive GI Bill reimbursement for licensing and certifications test fees. Qualifying members of the Guard and Reserve can now receive reimbursement of up to $2,000 per test. For more information and to find out whether you qualify for this benefit, please see the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Licensing and Certification Brochure or contact a VA representative.
The GI Bill also provides benefits for costs associated with an undergraduate degree at a college or university, a certificate or diploma from a business, technical or vocational school, training programs, apprenticeships, and others. Visit the VA’s Education Benefits web site or read about tuition benefits on COOL in the Training and Education Resources topic for more information.
There are a number of educational resources available for Service members that provide tuition assistance, educational access, and/or guidance. These resources are listed below, some in more than one category. Expand the subtopics and text areas below that interest you to learn more about these topics.
Army Tuition Assistance Program (TA)
The Tuition Assistance Program provides financial assistance for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of a Soldier's professional and personal development goals. Soldiers interested in using TA for credentialing fees or supplemental training can contact an Army Education Center and meet with an education counselor, develop an education plan and complete the process for submitting a DA Form 2171.
Soldiers can receive a maximum of $4,500 per fiscal year for 100 percent of tuition costs, or up to $250 per semester hour, whichever is less. This rate is based on the uniform tuition assistance policy the Department of Defense implemented across the military services in October 1998.
With regard to use of tuition assistance for certification purposes, tuition assistance is authorized for courses that lead to certification. The courses must be offered by accredited academic institutions, although the institution may contract with a learning network or courseware vendor to provide courses or training. The following conditions must be met:
- TA forms must be made payable to the academic institution.
- Courses and grades must include transcripts as part of the institution’s curriculum.
- Courses must be parts of a program that appears in the academic catalog.
For additional information, use the following links:
Montgomery GI Bill
The Department of Veterans Affairs administers a variety of education benefit programs. One example is the GI Bill. The GI Bill provides benefits for costs associated with the following education and training paths:
- An undergraduate or graduate degree at a college or university
- Courses leading to a certificate or diploma from business, technical, or vocational schools
- Cooperative training programs
- Accredited independent study programs leading to a standard college degree
- Apprenticeship or job training programs offered by a company or union
- Correspondence courses
For details on funding levels, eligibility, and procedures, visit the VA’s Education Benefits web site. For additional information, use the following links:
Army Correspondence Course Program
The Army Correspondence Course Program provides options for Soldiers who need to take courses for certification, such as an associate of science degree in general studies with an emphasis on management.
See the Army Institute for Professional Development web site for assistance.
The Army Distributed Learning Program (TADLP)
In some cases, Soldiers cannot meet civilian credential requirements without first obtaining additional military training, experience, or education. The Army’s Distributed Learning Program (TADLP) allows Soldiers to access and complete these military courses. TADLP offers Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) qualification, Additional Skill Identifier (ASI), and functional training and education courses, as well as other courses in the Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES).
For information, see the TADLP web site.
Army E-Learning
Soldiers pursuing certification in the information technology and telecommunications fields can use the Army e-Learning (SkillPort) Program to complete training to prepare for certification examinations. The Army is working with SkillSoft (formerly SmartForce) to provide computer-based training in information technology and telecommunications-related subjects to active duty Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and Dept. of Army Civilians.
- Army e-Learning offers courses to prepare users for over 70 certification exams. Offerings include Microsoft Office, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows 95, Oracle, Lotus, Cisco, several programming languages, and telecommunications.
- After registering on the Army e-Learning web site, users may access and use the courseware from any Windows PC with Internet access. Licensed individuals may use the CBT courseware at no charge. Army CBT does not cover certification exam costs.
For additional information, visit the Army e-Learning Program web site, or E-mail army.elearning@us.army.mil.
DANTES National Certification Program
DANTES (Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support) mission is to support the off-duty, voluntary education programs of the Department of Defense and to conduct special projects and development activities in support of education-related functions of the Department.
For more information, visit the DANTES web site.
Department of Defense Voluntary Education Program
The DoD Voluntary Education Program (VolEd) supports numerous educational opportunities and resources coordinated by the Department of Defense. The VolEd website provides information and links to many of the programs listed in this section (SOCAD, DANTES, GI Bill) as well as additional programs such as the Troops to Teachers program.
GoArmyEd
GoArmyEd is an Army education initiative designed to offer eligible enlisted Soldiers the opportunity to work toward a college degree or certificate anytime, anywhere. GoArmyEd revolutionizes Army education through state-of-the-art virtual learning. GoArmyEd is:
- State-of-the-art distance learning through GoArmyEd.com
- Unparalleled selection of transferable certificate and degree programs
- 100% Tuition Assistance for tuition, fees, and books up to the established semester hour cap and tuition ceiling
- Global 24/7 accessibility through www.GoArmyEd.com
- Academic mentoring and credit for prior training and education
- Virtual doorway to support services and interactive learning resources
The Army Continuing Education System’s cutting-edge GoArmyEd program is available to all eligible active duty enlisted Soldiers Army-wide– wherever Army Education Centers are located. A key element of the current GoArmyEd program—the technology package or laptop– will now be offered only as an incentive for enlisted Soldiers who are willing to reenlist for duty. ACES Counselors and Commanders will determine eligibility to enroll in GoArmyEd. eCourses or course-by-course enrollment, will be offered Army-wide to all eligible enlisted Soldiers who have their own computer or computer access.
For additional information visit the GoArmyEd web site.
Program Management Office Distributed Learning System (PMO DLS)
The Program Management Office Distributed Learning System (DLS) mission is to acquire and sustain hardware, software and services enabling student access to distributed training products at the right time and place.
The DLS modernized system delivers individual and collective training, Army Modernization Training (AMT), and self-development courses to soldiers and units, anytime, anywhere using multiple means and technologies. DLS provides training for the Active Army, the U.S. Army Reserves, the Army National Guard, and Department of Army Civilians.
Servicemembers Opportunity College – Army Degrees (SOCAD)
The Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC) system helps Soldiers obtain associate or baccalaureate degrees. Their Army Degree Program (SOCAD) includes a consortium of more than 100 higher education institutions that agree to accept credit transfer in over 300 subject matter areas and set limited academic residency requirements for Soldiers. If the credentials you are seeking require a college degree, these programs may be of help.
In the Army Career Degrees Program, the newest enhancement to SOCAD, Soldiers can receive college credit for military experience and training, as well as a “Degree Builder” that specifies the college courses they need to complete a degree and the options they have to fulfill each requirement.
For detailed information, visit the SOCAD web site, GoArmyEd, or Army Education center.
