The Navy has taken the lead in modernizing its Voluntary Education program, ensuring Sailors have the same opportunities as their civilian counterparts. The goal is to provide online access and support to Sailors pursuing voluntary education at the time and place most convenient for them, using the virtual tools with which they are already familiar.

The redesigned Navy College Program (NCP) website optimizes the ability for Sailors, commands and academic institutions to access information. Sailors are able to find specific educational information tailored to their individual needs – from getting started on their degree path, to applying for Tuition Assistance, to taking those final classes for a Master’s degree – it’s all here.

In addition, enhanced customer service technology provides the capability to live-chat with the Virtual Education Center, submit a call-back request or search the new Knowledge Management database, all from a smartphone, tablet or NMCI computer.

The redesigned United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) and Non-Resident Training Courses (NRTC) websites provide Sailors with a streamlined ability to identify and register for the certification or preparation programs they need to excel. Like the NCP website, new features and functionality assist Sailors every step of the way.

Whether pursuing a degree, completing a Department of Labor certified apprenticeship, or preparing for the next advancement exam, Sailors today require the ability to quickly access information using any device in order to make informed decisions about their future. On all fronts, Navy Voluntary Education is leading the way.

Captain Lee Newton
Commanding Officer
Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center

Now that the local Navy College Office has closed, how will Sailors pursue their educational goals?

With the announcement of the closings of 16 stateside local Navy College Offices on 1 October 2016 and the remaining four, Naval Station Norfolk (VA), Naval Base San Diego (CA), NAS Jacksonville (FL) and Naval Base Kitsap (WA) closing by 1 October 2017, many Sailors are asking how they will start or continue their education.

Beginning 1 October 2016, most Voluntary Education services in the continental United States will be provided by education counselors at the Navy College Program’s (NCP) Virtual Education Center (VEC). The goal of restructuring service delivery is to provide Sailors with the educational tools and information they need, when and where they need it. VEC hours are from 0600-2100 EST, Monday – Friday, and may be reached by calling: (877) 838-1659 or DSN 492-4684, or by submitting a VOLED Assistance Center help request .

Most of the current steps in the voluntary education (VOLED) process, including Tuition Assistance (TA), will not change under the new service delivery model. Sailors are expected, both now and in the future, to:

• talk with their chain of command about pursing an education program
• research education programs via the NCP website and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) website, including completing information modules, such as the DANTES Higher Education Preparatory Course and/or TA Decide
• receive counseling from a Navy College Education Counselor
• work with an approved academic institution to develop an education and degree plan
• meet all Navy eligibility requirements to use TA, including completion of Navy WebTA training and TA applications that will be approved by the Sailor’s command
• successfully complete their academic courses

Although most stateside Navy College Offices are closed, academic institutions with partnership agreements on bases will continue to provide services (as they have in the past).

The My Education portal on the NCP website is available 24/7 for Sailors to establish and monitor their accounts, ensure their degree plans are current, and verify they have received education counseling.

Academic institutions requesting access to all Navy installations are required to use the U.S. Air Force Automated Education Management System (AFAEMS) Portal to request visitation for student interaction, education fairs, Morale, Welfare and Recreation events, sponsorship, command visits, etc. You can find additional information on this site's Serving Sailors on Base page. Be sure to review the entire Academic Institution Section.

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Sailors planning to take college courses this fall using tuition assistance (TA) should submit their requests as soon as possible, so they may be reviewed and approved before classes start.

According to counselors at the Virtual Education Center (VEC), Sailors who get a head start on their applications have the best chance of addressing any issues before the term start date. Since TA approval is a multi-step process, Sailors who submit their applications a minimum of 30 days prior to the term start date affords the VEC an opportunity to troubleshoot and fix issues before the term start date. This is critical since Service members are required to obtain command approval and TA authorization before the term start date. Commands can help ensure their Sailors know to start the process early, so TA applications can be completed by the VEC in advance of the deadline.

There’s no risk in applying early; the VEC can modify or cancel the TA voucher after the fact, if necessary, with no harm to the Sailor. In accordance with policy, TA applications cannot be funded after the term start date. To avoid being financially responsible for a course, Sailors are encouraged to obtain a TA voucher before course registration.

These are the required steps for a TA request to be approved – Sailors must:

1. Be counseled by a Navy College Education Counselor
2. Complete WebTA training
3. File an education/degree plan in My Education portal (with the course that the Sailor is requesting TA for included in the plan)
4. Receive command approval on their TA request

Sailors also must have completed at least 12 months onboard their first permanent duty station, have no missing grades, not owe the Navy any funds for incomplete or failed courses, and have an end-of-active-obligated-service (EAOS) date after the course ends.

Sailors should monitor their information and status through the MyEducation portal on the Navy College website to ensure their accounts are posted and accurate and that their degree plans are current. The My Education portal is available 24/7. For more detailed information about tuition assistance, see the Tuition Assistance section on this site.

If a Sailor or the command have questions or experience problems, they should contact the VEC for assistance. The VEC is open from 0600-2100 EST, Monday – Friday, and may be reached by calling 1-(877) 838-1659, or by submitting a VOLED Assistance Center help request .

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Service members planning to start their college education have a new option for taking admissions tests, including the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) Assessment Program.

New to the testing programs is a reimbursement option for members taking the ACT/SAT at off-base locations, including local high schools or colleges. Service members will pay for the off-base tests up-front when they register, and will be reimbursed by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) after-the-fact.

ACT and SAT testing through the new DANTES reimbursement program is now the Navy’s primary means for Sailors stationed in CONUS to take these exams. The reimbursement option gives Sailors the ability to arrange SAT and ACT testing at off-base locations that fit their personal and professional schedules.

On-base testing at DANTES-authorized testing sites (such as Navy College Offices outside the continental United States) is funded directly by the Department of Defense and does not require student payment.

Other tests eligible for reimbursement through DANTES include a single GED, GMAT, GRE General, GRE Subject, Praxis Core (formerly Praxis I) and Praxis Subject Assessment (including the Principles of Learning and Teaching), and two ACTs and SATs during a Service member’s career.

For reimbursement of testing fees, the “Electronic Reimbursement Form” is located on the DANTES website . Service members should select Examinations, Reimbursement Eligibility, and then read the instructions and click on the “Electronic Reimbursement Form.” A valid Uniformed Services CAC is required to access the Online Reimbursement Center. Service members are required to upload both their official score report and payment receipt with all reimbursement requests in order to receive approval.

For additional information on college admissions and academic testing programs, including the new reimbursement policy, visit the DANTES website. Questions related to DANTES testing may also be directed to DANTES Exams at: exams@navy.mil. Learn more about pre-college testing on the Pre-College Testing and College Credit page on this site.

Sailors can talk to a Navy College Education Counselor at the Navy’s Virtual Education Center (VEC): The VEC is open 0600-2100 EST, Monday through Friday, and may be reached by calling (877) 838-1659 or DSN 492-4684, or by submitting a VOLED Assistance Center help request .

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Naval officers unable to pursue full-time graduate studies now have an additional education option with the Graduate Education Voucher (GEV) program.

As detailed in an annual Naval Administrative Message (NAVADMIN), the GEV program offers eligible officers the opportunity to receive funded graduate education during off-duty hours. Through GEV, unrestricted line (URL) officers can apply to receive funding for Navy-relevant graduate education meeting the requirements of at least one subspecialty code as specified by the Navy Subspecialty System.

All required fees normally charged by the university relating directly to student application and enrollment, including mandatory health fees and health insurance, laboratory fees, vehicle registration and identification cards, and computer fees are reimbursable. Other reimbursable expenses include the cost of textbooks and course materials, and limited expenditures for transcript and entry fees and final thesis production.

GEV applicants select a regionally-accredited school and choose a specific course of study meeting their community’s subspecialty requirements. Education plans are reviewed and approved for the Navy subspecialty code by the Naval Postgraduate School.

The GEV program is targeted at officers with demonstrated superior performance and upward career mobility who are transferring or have recently reported to shore duty, in order to allow sufficient time for completion of a graduate program. The GEV program is open to URL active-duty officers in pay grades O-3 through O-5, in designators 111X (Surface Warfare), 112X (Submarine Warfare), 113X (Special Warfare/SEAL), 114X (Special Operations), and 13XX (Naval Aviator/Naval Flight Officer).

Quotas by degree program and warfare areas are listed in the latest GEV NAVADMIN, and additional information can be obtained by submitting a VOLED Assistance Center help request . Be sure to select the AEV/GEV/OSEP category.

For Fiscal Year 2017, there are 80 quotas: Surface Warfare officers - 26; Submarine officers - 21; Aviation officers - 30; Special Warfare/Special Operations/Explosive Ordnance Disposal - 3. Quotas by degree program and warfare areas are listed in the in NAVADMIN 152/16, and additional information can be by submitting a VOLED Assistance Center help request . Be sure to select the AEV/GEV/OSEP category.

Some restrictions apply and enrollment in the program carries a service obligation of three times the number of months of education completed, with a minimum of 24, and a maximum of 36 months obligation. Officers completing a degree using GEV should expect to serve one tour in a subspecialty billet not later than the second tour following graduation. OPNAVINST 1520.37B contains additional information on specific program requirements. Interested officers should submit written requests to their detailer, per the current NAVADMIN and OPNAV instructions.

Program-specific GEV questions can be made by submitting a VOLED Assistance Center help request . Be sure to select the AEV/GEV/OSEP category.

For those not qualifying for the GEV program, educational assistance may be available through the Tuition Assistance program, G.I. Bill or other graduate education programs, as listed on the Paying for School page on this site.

Navy senior enlisted personnel interested in advanced education opportunities can take advantage of the Advanced Education Voucher (AEV) program, a funded path to a degree, traditionally announced each spring via Naval Administrative Message (NAVADMIN).

The AEV program offers post-secondary, Navy-relevant education at the baccalaureate and master’s degree level and provides financial assistance to chief, senior chief, and master chief petty officers.

Examples of Navy-relevant degrees that have been approved for the AEV program include: strategic foreign languages, construction management, security management, emergency and disaster management, human resources, engineering, information technology, nursing, and business administration, among others. Degree programs other than those specifically listed in the current AEV NAVADMIN must be validated by the NETC program coordinator.

Financial assistance for baccalaureate degrees covers tuition, books, and related fees for a maximum of three years. For master’s degrees, it provides tuition, books, and related fees for a maximum of two years (see the current NAVADMIN for specific funding details and amounts).

Each Fiscal Year’s (FY) requirements vary, but the FY-16 AEV announcement included E-7s with no more than 17 years time-in-service (TIS), E-8s with no more than 19 years TIS, and E-9s with no more than 23 years TIS. Time in service is computed to 1 October of each year.

At a minimum, baccalaureate program applicants must have an associates degree from an accredited institution of higher learning or the equivalent amount of college credits already earned. Master’s program applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.

AEV is available to personnel transferring to, or currently on, shore duty with sufficient time ashore to complete the degree program. Prospective applicants on sea duty may still apply if they provide an education plan that shows their ability to complete the program as specified in the NAVADMIN. Selectees are expected to enroll in the fall term for the applicable FY for which they are accepted.

If an applicant is already invested in furthering their education through TA or other financial assistance programs, they may still apply for AEV. However, AEV and TA benefits may not be combined, nor may AEV be used to earn more than one degree at a time. Lower division or prerequisite courses may be authorized if they are part of the approved education plan.

A service obligation is incurred upon completion of, or withdrawal from, the AEV program. This obligation is discharged concurrently with any other service obligation the participant may have already incurred. Use of AEV does not obligate the Navy to retain a member on active duty.

Applications for AEV are administratively processed by NETC (N523). The deadline for submission for each FY’s program varies, as do the convening of their selection board. An endorsement by both the applicant’s commanding officer and command master chief must be included in the application.

For more information submit a VOLED Assistance Center help request . Be sure to select the AEV/GEV/OSEP category.

For information on other programs available to enlisted personnel, see the Programs for Enlisted Sailors page on this site.

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