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Military Learning for Credit Act of 2025
To authorize the use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning, and for other purposes.
Summary
The Military Learning for Credit Act allows veterans to use their educational assistance benefits to pay for standardized exams and assessments that can earn them college credit. The covered exams include the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), the National Career Readiness Certificate, and portfolio assessments of prior military training. Veterans can use up to $500 per exam, or the actual exam cost if less, and the cost counts as time used against their overall educational benefits. The bill also permits institutions of higher learning to award college credit based on assessments of a veteran's portfolio or written narrative demonstrating prior military learning. This allows veterans to reduce the time and cost needed to complete college degrees by earning credit for knowledge and skills gained through military service.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
- Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA] (R-IA)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Christopher A. Coons’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT $24,000
- THE CHEMOURS COMPANY $20,000
- INVARIANT $17,500
- BARCLAYS $16,500
- AXXESS $15,000
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Christopher A. Coons → · Outside spending →
Actions (4)
- Mar 18, 2026 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. · senate
- Dec 10, 2025 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-247. · senate
- Jul 17, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. · senate
- Jul 17, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Committee action
What happened to this bill in committee — the meetings where it was considered and every recorded vote taken on it.
Meetings where this bill was on the agenda
- Business meeting to consider S.342, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize an individual who is awarded the Purple Heart for service in the Armed Forces to transfer unused Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to a family member, S.410, to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve benefits and services for surviving spouses, S.649, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to members of the National Guard who perform certain full-time duty, S.1116, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the provision of certain additional burial benefits for individuals for whom an urn or plaque is furnished, S.1657, to amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny the claim of a veteran for benefits under the laws administered by such Secretary on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for a medical examination associated with such claim, S.1665, to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure veterans of secrecy oath programs receive the full benefits they have earned, S.1726, to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify that the Department of Veterans Affairs definition of "medical services" includes medically necessary automobile adaptations, S.1868, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access by veterans to critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics under the Veterans Community Care Program, S.2061, to require the Interagency Working Group on Toxic Exposure to conduct research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of descendants of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces, S.2220, to expand presumptions of exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances, S.2264, to improve the emergency management capabilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.2309, to direct a physician or nurse practitioner employed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certify the death of a veteran not later than 48 hours after such physician or nurse practitioner learns of such death, S.2328, to authorize the use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning, S.2333, to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit supplementation of health records of deceased veterans, S.2397, to require implementation by the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs of certain recommendations relating to the provision of health care through community care providers, S.2683, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, S.2807, to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the applicability of the authority to reconsider decisions of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Secretary of the Army to inter remains or honor the memory of a person in a national cemetery, S.2981, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of prosthetic and rehabilitative items and services by the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.3033, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish partnerships between medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical facilities in rural areas, S.3119, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs available for members of the Armed Forces, other individuals on active duty, and family members of such individuals on a space-available basis, S.3138, to amend title 38, United States Code, to include adaptive prostheses and terminal devices for sports and other recreational activities in the medical services furnished to eligible veterans by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, S.3303, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to establish or enhance a community integration platform for services for veterans, to require the collection from veterans of information related to social determinants of health, S.3758, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make opioid overdose rescue medications available to veterans and their caregivers, and a committee resolution.
- Hearings to examine S.342, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize an individual who is awarded the Purple Heart for service in the Armed Forces to transfer unused Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to a family member, S.668, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of Falls Prevention of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.926, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to furnish to certain veterans items used for the secure storage of firearms, S.1116, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the provision of certain additional burial benefits for individuals for whom an urn or plaque is furnished, S.1657, to amend title 38, United States Code, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deny the claim of a veteran for benefits under the laws administered by such Secretary on the sole basis that such veteran failed to appear for a medical examination associated with such claim, S.1665, to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure veterans of secrecy oath programs receive the full benefits they have earned, S.1868, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand access by veterans to critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics under the Veterans Community Care Program, S.1992, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the efficiency of adjudications and appeals of claims for benefits under laws administered by Secretary of Veterans Affairs, S.2061, to require the Interagency Working Group on Toxic Exposure to conduct research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of descendants of individuals exposed to toxic substances while serving as members of the Armed Forces, S.2220, to expand presumptions of exposure by members of the Armed Forces to toxic substances, S.2264, to improve the emergency management capabilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.2309, to direct a physician or nurse practitioner employed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certify the death of a veteran not later than 48 hours after such physician or nurse practitioner learns of such death, S.2328, to authorize the use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning, S.2333, to require the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit supplementation of health records of deceased veterans, S.2397, to require implementation by the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs of certain recommendations relating to the provision of health care through community care providers, S.2683, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, S.2737, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to implement a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to certain veterans through community care providers, S.2807, to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the applicability of the authority to reconsider decisions of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Secretary of the Army to inter remains or honor the memory of a person in a national cemetery, S.3033, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish partnerships between medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical facilities in rural areas, S.3119, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs available for members of the Armed Forces, other individuals on active duty, and family members of such individuals on a space-available basis, S.3303, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to establish or enhance a community integration platform for services for veterans, to require the collection from veterans of information related to social determinants of health, an original bill entitled, "Sharing Essential Resources for Veterans Everywhere (SERVE) Act', an original bill entitled, "Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act", and an original bill entitled, "Get Justice Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act".
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 17, 2025
Mr. Coons (for himself and Ms. Ernst) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To authorize the use of veterans educational assistance for examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Military Learning for Credit Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR USE OF VETERANS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS TO RECEIVE CREDIT TOWARD DEGREES AWARDED BY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.
(a) In General.—An individual who is entitled to veterans educational assistance may use such assistance to cover the costs of covered examinations and assessments to receive credit toward degrees awarded by institutions of higher learning for approved programs of education.
(b) Veterans Educational Assistance.—For purposes of this section, veterans educational assistance is educational assistance available to veterans and other eligible individuals under the provisions of law as follows:
(1) Chapters 30, 32, 33, 34, and 35 of title 38, United States Code.
(2) Any other provision of law providing educational assistance to a veteran, or to another individual in connection with the service of a veteran in the Armed Forces.
(c) Limitation on Amount Usable.—The total amount of veterans educational assistance that may be used for the costs of a covered examination or assessment under subsection (a) may not exceed the lesser of—
(1) the amount charged for the examination or assessment by the entity administering the examination or assessment; or
(2) $500.
(d) Charge Against Entitlement.—
(1) In general.—The number of months (or fraction thereof) of entitlement charged an individual under the applicable provision of law specified in subsection (b) for use of veterans educational assistance for costs of covered examinations and assessments under this section shall be equal to the quotient obtained by dividing—
(A) the cost of the examination or assessment (as determined pursuant to subsection (c)); by
(B) the monthly rate of veterans educational assistance to which the individual is entitled under such provision of law at the time of the examination or assessment.
(2) Rule of construction.—A charge against entitlement to educational assistance under a law administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in order to receive assistance under this section shall not be construed to affect entitlement to educational assistance under a law administered by the Secretary of Defense, including entitlement to educational assistance under the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program.
(e) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) The term “approved program of education” means a program of education approved for use of veterans educational assistance pursuant to chapter 35 or 36 of title 38, United States Code, or another applicable provision of law.
(2) The term “covered examinations and assessments” means the following:
(A) A DANTES Subject Standardized Test Program (DSST) examination.
(B) A College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examination.
(C) The National Career Readiness Certificate examination.
(D) Any other examination of a similar nature to an exam specified in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) specified by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for purposes of this section.
(E) An assessment by an institution of higher learning of a portfolio or written narrative by a student with supporting documentation that demonstrates prior military training or learning.
(3) The term “institution of higher learning” has the meaning given such term in section 3452(f) of title 38, United States Code. <all>
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