CLEP® for veterans: use the GI Bill to pay for your exams

DANTES doesn't pay for veterans, but VA can pay you back for CLEP® exam and test center fees from your GI Bill. Here's who qualifies, how to claim the money, where to test and how the credit works. Your college decides what counts.

See our CLEP® prepQuick answers
  • $97The CLEP exam fee, plus the test center's or remote proctoring fee
  • Pass or failVA pays back even if you don't pass, and for the same test taken again
  • 22-0810The VA form to ask for the money back, online, uploaded or by mail

Who pays: the GI Bill, not DANTES

Veterans can use GI Bill funds for CLEP exam and administration fees. VA pays back the cost of the test, including registration and administrative fees.

  • DANTES stops at separation

    DANTES doesn't cover the exam fee for veterans. If you took DANTES-funded exams while serving, see CLEP® for service members.

  • Which benefits count

    You must already be covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30) or Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606), or DEA (Chapter 35).

  • What it uses

    VA charges your entitlement by the amount it pays back. You can use part of it for tests even while you get other education benefits.

  • What VA won't pay

    Pretest costs, fees to get scores quickly, and optional items you don't need to take the test.

  • Family members

    Spouses and children of a Veteran who died, is missing or has a permanent and total service-connected disability may get help through DEA (Chapter 35).

How to get your CLEP® fees back

  1. Check your college first. Each college has its own CLEP policy that says exactly what credit it gives.
  2. Register and pay. The exam is $97, plus the test center's or remote proctoring fee.
  3. Keep the receipt and your score. VA asks for a copy of the receipt for the testing fee and a copy of the test results.
  4. Send VA Form 22-0810. Online, uploaded or by mail.

Where to take a CLEP® exam

  • At home

    All 34 CLEP exams can be taken at home. Remote proctoring costs $30 on top of the exam fee. You must live in the U.S. (not a U.S. territory).

  • At a test center

    More than 2,000 test centers in the U.S. give CLEP exams. Each charges its own fee; VA's payback includes administrative fees.

  • Any time of year

    CLEP has no fixed test dates. Each test center decides when it offers exams.

How CLEP® credit works

  • Your college decides

    Each college sets its own CLEP credit policy. College Board's CLEP College Credit Policy Search shows the exams a college takes, the score it needs and the credit hours.

  • Your score right away

    Your score is on the screen as soon as the exam ends (College Composition and Spanish with Writing take 2–3 weeks).

  • Sending scores

    Two score sends are free when you register. After that, a non-military CLEP transcript costs $20.

  • Scores from your service years

    Your military transcript lists every DANTES-funded CLEP score from exams taken after July 1, 1974.

Tips before you book

  • Keep every receipt: VA needs a copy.
  • Don't pay to get scores faster: VA won't pay that back.
  • A retake has to wait three months; VA pays retakes too.
  • If you pay yourself, your registration ticket expires six months after you buy it.

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CLEP for veterans: quick answers

Does DANTES pay for CLEP exams for veterans?

No. DANTES doesn't cover the exam fee for veterans, but veterans can claim the CLEP exam and administration fees back under the GI Bill.

Does the GI Bill pay for CLEP exams?

VA pays back the cost of the test, including registration and administrative fees, if you're already covered by Chapter 33, 30, 1606 or 35.

Will VA pay me back if I fail a CLEP exam?

Yes. VA pays back even if you don't pass, and if you take the same test more than once.

How much GI Bill entitlement does a CLEP exam use?

VA charges your entitlement based on the amount it paid back to you.

Will my college give me credit for CLEP?

Your college decides. Each college has its own CLEP policy that says exactly what credit it gives.

CLEP® guides for other students

Study once, test with confidence

VA pays back retakes, but each one waits three months. Our CLEP® prep helps you pass the first time.

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We source all of this information from College Board and the VA.