From Service to Credit: The Promise and Pitfalls of JSTs

What happens when learning is recognized—but doesn’t fully move?In this episode of Transfer Tea, we explore the complexity of Joint Services Transcript (JST) credit through the lens of learning mobility. While JSTs document rigorous military training and occupational expertise, many service members discover that awarded credit doesn’t always translate into meaningful degree progress. Why does this gap exist—and what does it reveal about our systems?Joined by military and veteran services experts, we examine the difference between credit recognition and credit applicability, the institutional barriers that slow mobility, and the knowledge gaps that impact military-connected learners. Together, we challenge higher education to move beyond awarding credit toward designing systems where learning truly travels with the learner. Host:Dra. Loida González UtleyDirector of Recruitment and Enrollment ServicesTexas A&M University- Central Texas Guests:Abby Kinch, Ph.D.Chief of Staff & Vice President of ResearchStudent Veterans of America Coby Dillard, MA-HSC, CCMDirector of Military and Veterans AffairsUniversity of Texas at Tyler James DaltonDirector of Military and Veteran ServicesTexas A&M University- Central Texas