To be eligible to receive credit for military service, veterans must have:

• Graduated from a public or private high school accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the U.S. Department of Defense.
• Completed a minimum of two years of service in the armed services (unless discharged because of a disability).
• Been honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces.

Credit for military service is available to all entering undergraduates – those applying for transfer admission, freshman admission, or for readmission. The credit is awarded for having served – not for any college-level courses that might have been taken while in the military.

The University of Texas at Austin does not have any degree programs that require physical education courses and so will not award any credit for physical education credit under HB 269. Incoming students who meet the requirements will, however, be eligible to receive up to 12 semester hours of credit for elective coursework that will be applied toward their degree.

Shouldn’t all veterans accept all credit for which they are eligible under HB 269? Not necessarily. In some cases having too much college credit can cause negative consequences.

Some students with excess credit may be charged additional tuition. Students who have more than 3 hours beyond that needed for their degrees are not eligible for the university’s tuition rebate upon graduation. And students with too much credit may be ineligible for the Texas B-On-Time loan forgiveness program.

As a result, some veterans may want to accept all 12 semester hours of available credit for their military service while it may be better for others to accept only 3 semester hours – or 6 or 9.

If you are a veteran who is entering the university as an undergraduate, you should meet with an admissions representative to discuss HB 269. During your meeting, the representative will discuss your options with you so that you can make a decision about how much credit to accept and when (you don’t have to decide right away); you’ll also receive a form that you’ll be able to complete to indicate the amount of elective credit you wish to receive.

Admissions representatives are available to meet with prospective and incoming students each day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Undergraduate Admissions Center in John Hargis Hall. Representatives are available on a drop-in basis; there is no need to make an appointment although you may have to wait a few minutes if all the representatives are busy when you arrive.

The university reviews the military separation papers (DD 214) or military transcripts of transfer applicants to award appropriate transfer credit. UT Austin uses the American Council of Education (ACE) guides to research course credit.

Visit the Transfer Credit for Military Training & Experience page for details about how UT Austin considers most military training and experience.

UT Austin is a participating institution in the Concurrent Admissions Program for Army Enlistees (ConAP). As a participant, we agree to counsel enlistees who indicate an interest in UT Austin by sending us a participant form.