Calls to correct the penalization of veterans and service members in using federal financial aid based on credit hours that were never eligible for federal aid in the first place.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) monitors grades/credit hours and ties them to financial aid eligibility. However, within SAP, there is something known as “The Maximum Timeframe Rule,” commonly referred to as the “150% completion rule.” This rule states that federal financial aid is cut off once a student has exceeded 150% of the credit hours required for a degree (e.g., 180+ hours of a 120-hour bachelor’s degree).

When military credit is posted to a student’s transcript, it becomes part of the hours for the 150% completion rule. Someone who was, say, an NCO medic in the Air Force likely could have 60-80 semester hours of military credit posted. As they start working on their bachelor’s sometime in their sophomore or junior year, they will exceed the 180 hours and potentially be penalized with a cut in federal aid.

There is a massive push in the Midwest to award academic credit for military training experience and coursework backed by groups like the Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit that is tackling this task. All steps should be taken to support the collaborative efforts and expedite the degree process for veterans and service members to avoid a repeat of courses they already have knowledge in or that the taxpayers have already paid for via military training.

The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States urges the Congress of the United States to enact legislation exempting military training and coursework from the 150% completion rule, potentially saving millions of dollars in unnecessary duplication of course credits and cementing the value higher education places on military courses and skills.