VALOR Act

Valor Act Academic Credit Evaluation Policy

Mount Wachusett Community College demonstrates its commitment to veterans seeking to pursue postsecondary through its policies, practices and services. Consistent with the Massachusetts Valor Act signed into law on May 31, 2012, the College has established the following policies to support veteran students in their educational and professional endeavors:

  • MWCC will award academic credit for matriculated students’ for prior learning based on students’ previous military occupation, military training, coursework and experiences as these credits apply to their declared program of study.
  • MWCC will determine the award of academic credit during the admissions process through a preliminary review and a final conclusive and comprehensive credit evaluation upon the submission of official transcripts, official standardized test score reports and other relevant documentation prior to a student’s enrollment. The required procedures for determining awarding credit for military occupation, experience, training and coursework shall be clearly described and published to provide transparency to prospective students.

Procedures:

Prospective or currently enrolled students seeking to receive college credit for prior learning based on past military occupation, training, experience or coursework should begin the process by the timely submission of official transcripts and documentation to the Records Office in advance of the start of classes.

Once official documentation is received, the College will use the following methodologies to assess, evaluate and award academic credit for prior military-related experiences:

  • ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services
  • CLEP Examinations
  • DANTES Subject Standardized Tests
  • Credit for prior learning evaluation as described in the MWCC Prior Learning Policy

Credits awarded by the College for prior learning based on military experiences will be recorded on the native MWCC academic transcript and applied towards degree or certificate requirements consistent with all other MWCC academic policies. Credits transferred as part of the MassTransfer block will be honored consistent with the terms of this agreement.

When certifying a transferring or graduating student for purposes of MassTransfer, these credits shall be included in this review and submitted to the receiving institution for their use in facilitating the transfer process.

Campus Contact:

The Director of Veterans Services (978-630-9408) shall serve as the initial point of contact for purposes of the Valor Act Credit Evaluation Policy. The Veteran’s Services department can provide academic advising and counseling in advance to or during the student’s admission to the College. The Records department will complete the credit evaluation process once official documents are received and consistent with the process described herein.

The Valor Act Academic Credit Evaluation Policy is published on the College’s website as well as the College’s print publications including the College Catalog and Student Handbook and other Veteran Services publications.

Adopted: February 20, 2018