Ged/diploma/college Credit Question...start Here

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I grow weary of wannabees and others asking the same questions about GED's, no High School Diplomas, college credits, and the like. Here, condensed into something readable and usable..is the most up to date 'scoop' there is:



DIRECT FROM A RECRUITER WHO POSTED THIS ON SITE FEB OF 10.

"An individual with 15 college credits, earned towards a degree, is considered a Tier I regardless of high school/grammar school education completed.. No GED required.."


Here's the rest of it, condensed into a simple format:

1: If you have a High School Diploma, you are good. Period. You don't NEED college credits. You are considered a "Tier I" candidate. (Desirable for enlistment).

2: IF you have a GED/Homeschool/Nightschool/Non accredited Highschool/Crackerjack box/Bought it from Joe on the street/"Certificate/Diploma/Piece of paper", you are considered a "Tier II" candidate. That means...well, you are NOT Desirable for enlistment. Not really. The Marines will only allow about 5 percent (of potential recruits) each year to be Tier II. That's TOTAL, throughout the United States. Furthermore, you'll need a minimum of a "50" on the AFQT to even qualify to APPLY for a waiver.


3: IF you have no High School diploma and NO GED, UNLESS you have the above mentioned 15 college credits, you WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR ENLISTMENT. Period. End of discussion. Recruiters will not even consider a waiver or even giving you a bumper sticker. Go to college, get the 15 credits, then they'll talk to you. Until then you are wasting their time and yours. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.


4: Generally speaking, if you've been out of school for awhile, or basically sucked in High School or just coasted through, GET A STUDY GUIDE BEFORE YOU TAKE THE ASVAB!!! Score low on it (under 50) and even WITH the HS Diploma, you are pretty much done. As in, "Thanks for stopping by, come back when you can get a better score, sport". The higher your score, the better chance you have of getting the job you WANT as well as enlisting. So it behooves you to get a study guide and STUDY.

*****

Some additional information helpfully provided by USN Commander as of April 2011:

Tier Regs, this might help. As far as I can tell you're good to go

For enlistment purposes, the military breaks education into three overall categories: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. The vast majority (over 90 percent) of all enlistments are from the Tier 1 category.

Tier I
Applicants in Tier I have a high school diploma, or at least 15 college credits. This means a high school diploma, not a GED. Depending on state law, completion of high school by home study may or may not be considered equivalent to a high school diploma.

Tier II
Tier II includes GEDs, home study (in some states), Certificate of Attendance, Alternative/Continuation High School, Correspondence School Diplomas, and Occupational Program Certificate (Vo/Tech). The services limit the number of Tier II candidates it will allow to enlist each year.
In the Air Force, the limit is less than one percent each year. In such cases, the applicant must score a minimum of 50 on the AFQT to qualify (Note: The "AFQT" is the overall ASVAB score).
The Army will allow up to 10 percent each year to be Tier II candidates, but they must score a minimum of 50 on the AFQT.
The Marines will only allow about 5 percent each year to be Tier II, and the Navy about 10 percent. Like the Army and Air Force, Tier II recruits must score a minimum of 50 on the AFQT to qualify.
The Coast Guard only accepts Tier 2 candidates if they have prior military service, and even then requires them to score higher on the AFQT (50 for prior Coast Guard Service, 65 for prior service in other branches).

Tier III
Individuals who are not attending high school and are neither high school graduates nor alternative credential holders. The services almost never accept a Tier 3 candidate for enlistment. If you fall into this category, your best bet is to get at least 15 college credits, so that you will be qualified as Tier I.


This response was posted by a Marine on recruiting duty, 18 April 2011. Consider it the 'final word' on the subject:


"I'm currently on recruiting duty... if you don't have the 15 credits, it isn't going to happen..."


Thus endeth the lesson.

Addendum:

Per SSgt A, currently (21 June '11) on Recruiting duty, regarding 15 credits:

"Tier I applicants do not need an education waiver. After 15 college credits, you become tier I. If an applicant who is already a tier I (regular high school graduate or higher) has 15 or more college credits with a GPA of 2.2 or higher, then that applicant will rate a promotion.

It doesn't matter if you never went to school a day in your life prior to college. Once you get 15 credits, you are golden."