Evening star., 1946-03-03

by the Veterans Administration
for all ex-service people who are
set for a tour Of duty with the
books.
It's called educational and voca.
tional guidance. Don't be alarmed
at the sound Of it. It just means 9
service to help veterans decide what
kid of education or training they
should consider.
The CT bill says the administra
tor of veterans affairs may make
arrangements for this service, ano
1t seems that he's done Just that
The VA expects, before long, that
400 schools and colleges will be
equipped with experts who can dc
a pretty good job of pointing out
the paths of training you should
follow, and even show you the best
one to take.
They're ready to give you guild
ance, if you want it. Already more
than 2l8 schools and colleges have
these counselors who can help you
decide how your previous expert
ence, training and ambitions can
best serve you.
But take a look at Henry Carter,
civilian. I knew him when he had
a travelogue Of ribbons across his
chest. New, an ex-servicer, he
wanted some CT schooling, al
though he didn't know what course
to take, couldn't make up his mind
what he wanted out of life, or even
what he was best equipped to get.
Vocational Guidance.
When I talked to him a couple
Of weeks ago, all 1 could do was
suggest he find a school giving vo-
cational guidance under the Vet
Grams Administration arrangement.
He didn't know where such a
school was located, so he wrote the
educational division of the VA in
Washington. The VA gave him the
name of the school nearest his
home which could provide voca-
tional counseling.
A letter from him a few days
ago thanked me for the tip. He
said he's all set to start engineer
ing school-that the tests he took
and the interviews he had all point
ed toward engineering as his best
prospect for profession.
Carters case is more the rule
than the exception. Vocational
counseling was designed for just
such veterans as Carter ex-
servlcemen who don't know exactly
what they want to take up.
After World War I, veterans who
wanted to expand their knowledge
by returning to school automatical-
ly we're given a certain amount of
blanket credit by most schools and
colleges for time spent in the serv-
Ice.
The unhappy result was that
about AZ per cent of them dropped
out of ranks. They just couldn't
keep up with their course of study.
Blanket credit for war service had
allowed them to enter courses too
advanced for them to master.
Il don't think it's going to hap
pen that way for us World War II
veterans. Schools and colleges have
realized the danger in the blanket
credit" system. They're going all
out in their collaboration with the
armed forces. School, bound ex-
Joes are likely to get more exact
credit valuations for time and work
In the service.
Most of the difficult paper work
necessary to this system is handled
by the United States Armed Forces
Institute. USAFI has a form Al
that's called an application for
credit for educational achievement
during military service" It's a six
page form to be used by any one
still in the service. After it's filled
out there are no secrets left. It's as
Inquiring as dogs nose.
You can get UsAFI form Al from
your educational service officer or
Four information and education
off1cer. Might be good idea to get
1t completed now. That would save
TING after you get laid off Uncle
SANS payroll.
Ex-Joes who never got this form
were supposed to have been given a
separation qualification record. The
SQR is used for obtaining school
credit for stuff learned in the serv-
Ice.
If you attended any service school
courses, you get certificate of sue
cessful completion, providing you
didn't funk out. Keep those certi-
ficates. They're probably worth
some credit to you If you want to 90
back to school.
If you never got a separation
qualification record, you can write
the Adjutant Generals Office. War
Washington, and ask
for AGO form 100 Gf ex-Army):
to the Commandant, Marine Corps
headquarters, Washington, and ask
for form NAV. NC, 7S-PD (if ex-
Marine), and to the Commandant.
Coast Guard Headquarters, Wash
tngton, and ask for form NAV, CO
553 df ex-Coast Guard.
The Navy tells me that its form
SS3 is issued to all Navy personnel
with the discharge certificate. In.
the old days, before form $50 was
cooked up, all discharges carried a |
complete record of educa tional
qualifications. So if your discharge
has that record. form $50 is un-
I've been told that the average
eX-Joe gets school or college credit
OF one semester for work done in
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