CLEP Opportunities for Veterans

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) offers students increased flexibility in managing the complex demands of jobs, families, and college-level course work. The program allows veteran students to demonstrate their mastery of college-level material in introductory subjects and to receive college credit by earning qualifying scores on any one or more of 34 exams.

Quick facts about using CLEP tests:

• Save You Money - An average college course can cost you over $100 per credit. Through VA veterans can be reimbursed for most testing fees. (Note: Civilian students pay more than $40 per exam).
• Save You Time - The average college course takes from three to six hours a week spread out over three or more months. Depending on your depth of knowledge, you could spend less than a month preparing for each test.
• Help You Skip Ahead - Why spend time and money on boring freshman level courses when you can jump up to the more interesting advanced courses.
• Offer You Flexibility - You can set your own deadlines and choose your own study materials: videos, college textbooks, or study guides.
• Don't Require College Enrollment - Unlike college courses, you don't have to be enrolled in college to take these exams.
• Are Widely Accepted - CLEP is accepted by most colleges and universities. In addition, by passing these examinations you can earn one-third or more of the credits you need for a college degree.

Nearly 3,000 colleges grant credit based on CLEP scores. CLEP exams range in subject from English composition to U.S. history, biology, and Spanish, among others. When students complete a 90-minute computer-based exam, they receive an instant score report, allowing them to make quicker course-enrollment decisions.

Veterans can claim reimbursement for CLEP exams and exam administration fees under provisions of the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2004, which enhances the education benefits of the Montgomery GI Bill.

VA will reimburse you for required test fees including registration fees, fees for specialized tests and administrative fees. However, VA will not reimburse veterans for fees to take pre-tests (such as Kaplan tests), fees to receive scores quickly, other costs or fees for optional items that are not required to take an approved test.

To be eligible to apply for reimbursement for national test veterans must have filed an original Application for VA Education Benefits, VA form 22-1990.

The best way to claim the benefit to submit a copy of your test results and a signed note or a signed Statement in Support of Claim, VA Form 21-4138, stating that you are requesting reimbursement for the cost of a national test.

Be sure to include the Test title, name of the organization offering the test, the date you took the test and the cost of taking the test. In addition you should include receipts for DSST Tests (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests), and CLEP tests.

NOTE: if you cannot provide a copy of the test results, request duplicate test results from the testing organization.