Credit for Education and Training

Your prior education and military training may be eligible for credit at CSU. In order to have your educational experiences evaluated for credit, you must submit transcript(s) according to the guidelines listed below for the branch of the military you serve or have served.

Air Force

The Air Force uses the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript for documenting ACE-certified military training and experience, coursework, and CLEP or DSST exams worthy of academic credit. CSU uses the CCAF transcript to determine whether specific training or previous coursework qualifies for credit toward a CSU degree program. For information on how to request your official transcript, visit the CCAF website.

Designate that your official CCAF transcript be mailed to:

Columbia Southern University

Attn: Office of the Registrar

P. O. Box 3110

Orange Beach, AL 36561

Army, Army National Guard, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy

These branches use the Joint Services Transcript (JST) for documenting American Council on Education (ACE)-certified military training for academic credit purposes. JST is an academically accepted document to validate a service member's military occupational experience and training along with the corresponding ACE college credit recommendations. CSU uses the JST form to determine whether military training and experience, course work and CLEP or DSST exams qualifies for credit toward a CSU degree program.

JST receives information directly from official military personnel records and contains the following: current rank, military status, time in service, current academic level completed, additional skill identifiers and skill qualification identifiers, formal military courses, military occupational specialties held, standardized test scores, and descriptions and credit recommendations developed by ACE.

To receive  transfer credits for your training and experiences, submit a current Joint Services Transcript.

  • Visit the JST website.
  • Fill in your SSN, birth date, and basic active service date (BASD) or pay entry basic date (PEBD) and click "continue." Note that BASD is for active duty soldiers and PEBD is primarily used by guards and reservists. When in doubt, use your BASD.
  • Select “Columbia Southern University” from the drop-down list of universities you would like to receive your official transcripts. Transcript requests using the online delivery method will usually be sent to the university within 24 hours.

Students who wish to speak to a military support representative may contact 800-977-8449 ext. 6533 or email militarysupportgroup@columbiasouthern.edu.