SAN ANTONIO --Airman Amber Davis is a medic, her skills honed from weeks of intense, combat-style training.
“The training was very tough, very fast-paced and a lot of work,” she said.
Davis is from Georgia, but she may make Texas her permanent home after her tour of duty.
The Lone Star State is luring her back to school in San Antonio with a pledge that her war-time tools can translate into college credits: Credits that could make her a “sophomore” her first year in school.
“So, I guess about 60-credits hours? That would usually cost about 30-thousand dollars a year, or something to that effect. It’s a huge savings.”
With a stroke of a ceremonial pen in front of hundreds gathered at St. Philips College, Governor Perry signed into law a first-of-its-kind program.
The "College Credit for Heroes" law allows veterans and active-duty military to show their proficiency and “test-out” of basic classes and put them on the fast-track for graduation.
San Antonio Senator Leticia Van de Putte helped craft the law.
“The military has spent millions and millions in training in skills, everything from health, to logistics, to computer, to cyber-security. We know those translate into skills and mastering of college credits,” said Van de Putte.
The “college credit to heroes” law allows the students to move on to higher-level courses.
Van de Putte says that will help speed up graduation dates for returning service members and get them integrated into civilian life more quickly.
And there’s savings for veterans, too, since they aren’t stuck paying for courses they’ve shown they can already handle… even under enemy fire.
“It wastes their time and money if they’re having to take courses they’ve already mastered with the military.”
The Alamo College District is offering the pilot program, but there is strong interest from other universities statewide.
