Powerful Military Education Benefits You May Be Leaving on the Table

College was not guaranteed for Jai Salters. Growing up in New York, he spent part of his childhood in foster care and knew his family could not simply write a check for tuition, so the Navy offered him a path forward.

More than two decades later, Salters is a Navy lieutenant commander and cryptologic warfare officer. The former enlisted cryptologic technician has earned multiple degrees, including a master’s degree, along with numerous professional credentials.

His experience taught him that earning an education benefit and knowing how to use it are very different things. Salters used Tuition Assistance, examinations and an apprenticeship program while serving, preserving his Post-9/11 GI Bill for his daughters.

Tuition Assistance helped Salters complete his associate degree and eventually his master’s degree. He also relied heavily on College-Level Examination Program exams and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests after a mentor showed him how examinations could satisfy some college requirements.

Gold. Upgraded. Buy real gold from $1. Store it in America. Sell it with one click.

That guidance changed how Salters approached each requirement. Instead of automatically enrolling in another traditional class, he began checking whether an examination offered another route to the necessary credit.

DANTES funds the first attempt at eligible CLEP and DSST exams for service members. Salters cautioned that students must first review their school’s policies and degree plan because each college decides which examinations it accepts and how the resulting credits apply.

Salters also helped junior sailors use those opportunities. With support from his chain of command, he took sailors to the college office to sit for examinations rather than merely telling them that education mattered.

After one snowstorm, some sailors could join a cleaning party breaking up ice or accompany Petty Officer Salters to take a CLEP exam. Many selected the exam, illustrating how leaders can create practical opportunities for sailors pursuing an education.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

Another resource was the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program, known as USMAP. The program allows eligible members to document work they are already performing toward a registered apprenticeship, turning regular duties into progress toward another credential.

Around the 10 year point in his Navy career, Salters considered what he would possess if he left the service the next day. He had experience, leadership skills and a security clearance, but he had not completed his degree or earned certifications that could help translate his experience into a civilian career.

Salters wanted options for another career, not simply a job. In roughly a year and a half, he went from essentially no professional certifications to around 14 or 15 while researching programs, completing degrees and sharing information with others.

The number of available resources can quickly become difficult to navigate without a strategy. Tuition Assistance, CLEP, DSST, the Joint Services Transcript, USMAP, Navy COOL, the U.S. Naval Community College and the GI Bill each offer possibilities, but a thick menu of programs is not itself a plan.

Salters recommends starting with the destination by identifying the desired career and the credentials employers require. Service members should then examine their existing experience, determine what the military can fund and build backward from the goal instead of collecting credentials that do not advance it.

Mentorship was central to Salters’ progress. Master Chief Simpson recognized the value of the education information Salters was sharing, encouraged him after his first presentation went poorly and helped those early briefs grow into presentations delivered to thousands of service members and families.

Salters deliberately reserved his Post-9/11 GI Bill for his daughters because Tuition Assistance and other programs could cover his own degrees. Anyone considering a transfer should investigate early because the Department of War approves the transfer while the service member is still serving.

Generally, a member needs at least six years of service, must agree to serve four more and must have the dependent enrolled in DEERS. Salters urged members to check current requirements and their individual eligibility rather than waiting until retirement to learn the rules.

His advice is to pull the Joint Services Transcript, investigate CLEP and DSST, understand Tuition Assistance and determine whether USMAP or a service credentialing program applies. Enlisted sailors should also examine the U.S. Naval Community College, scholarships and the qualifications employers value.

Before paying out of pocket, service members should ask whether an existing program can cover the course or credential and whether that credential is actually necessary. Salters’ objective is simple: use the right benefit at the right time, then share the knowledge so others can finish degrees or change careers.

Gold is the oldest answer. SoundMoney makes owning it as easy as the apps you already use.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.