Security Levels
Education and Learning Center
Mrs. Peggie Shore
Education Services
Office: (503) 861-6231
The Education and Learning Center is located at the Administration Building on Group Astoria. A professional counselor, Mrs. Peggie Shore, serves as full time unit Education Services Officer (ESO). She also assists spouses, military families, Reserves, Retirees, and Auxiliarists in finding solutions for their education questions. All of these are eligible to have the Coast Guard Institute evaluate their various classes and training experiences for an Education Evaluation. You may have more potential college credits than you ever imagined.
Learning Center Highlights
Office hours for the Learning Center are normally week days 0800-1130 / 1300-1600. The office is closed 1130-1300 during lunch. The office is also closed holidays.
At the Learning Center you can:
- Take CLEP/DSST/Excelsior College FREE exams. These are good for college credits. (Your spouse can take them as well)
- Check out various study materials for the CLEP/DSST/Excelsior College Exams as well as for the ASVAB, SAT, and ACT exams.
- Take your EOC (end of course) exams.
- Take your EPME exams.
- Get study materials for the EOC’s and EPME’s.
- Get information, instructions, and help with applying for any field in the OCS program (officer candidate school). There are strict age requirements and time deadlines. Be sure you see Mrs. Shore as early as possible to begin the OCS process.
- Take Interest Inventories which will help you decide what career path to follow in the service and as a civilian. These are free.
- Get professional counseling concerning your college and education endeavors, including help with what schools offer the degree you want to pursue and what classes you actually need to complete to get your particular degree.
- Sign up for Tuition Assistance (TA). You can receive $4,500 for college classes per Fiscal Year (1OCT-30SEPT). There is a cap of $250 per semester hour. If your class goes over that, there is help with getting your GI Bill to Top Up the rest of the amount owed for your college class.
- Help and information on getting $160 per calendar year for books from Mutual Assistance and $350 per year from the Coast Guard Foundation Grants. Your spouse can use the $160 as well.
- Proctoring for your exams at the college level and for professional exams. See Mrs. Shore if you need an exam proctored.
- Information on classes and colleges in the area and on line.
- LIVE CLASSES on board the Group/Air Station Astoria facility every eight weeks right here. And yes, they know we will be out from time to time because we have a full-time job keeping America safe.
- Two free-standing computers to do your homework for college classes, explore various programs, and take an on line exam if you need to.
- Three computers connected to the LAN so you can read your email and peruse the Coast Guard Messages if you don't have another computer readily available.
- Books on the Coast Guard Reading list. Check them out.
- College catalogs. Brochures on numerous college programs all across the country on line.
- A professional educator to come to your group/unit/area and give an education briefing showcasing what our Learning Center and Mrs. Shore have to offer your Coast Guardsmen.
- Professional Education Counseling from Mrs. Peggie Shore, M.ED. who has years of professional expertise working with the Navy, Marines, Army, and now the Coast Guard, covering every aspect of education from helping spouses get their GED to helping a General get his law degree and pass his LSAT to gain admission to the college of his choice.
Some great websites for you:
- Need money for the spouse to attend college? Coastline Community College has reduced tuition fees for spouses and cheap books. ($59.00 per credit hour). Did I mention it's all online?
Go to: http://military.coastline.edu/spouse2_tempa.cfm
- Excelsior College has a spouse program as well.
Go to: http://www.excelsior.edu/coastguardspouse
- Want free SAT/ACT study guide materials for yourself, your spouse, or your kiddies?
Go to: http://sat.eknowledge.com/?
(The ? is part of the website address). Or call 951-256-4076. This is a free package sponsored by the NFL. If you got the material last year and you/family is still studying, go to the website and get a new upgrade for your materials.
- Want that $350 per year for books that the Coast Guard Foundation offers? You can fill the forms out yourself. Get the forms from the Learning Center).
- Want some great free education information, study guides, and all sorts of information?
Go to: www.nko.navy.mil Register as a NEW USER, NOT a guest.