VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) — Effective immediately, commanding officers and officers-in-charge may approve waivers to the one-year requirement that Sailors must be on board their first permanent duty station (PDS) to be eligible for Tuition Assistance (TA) according to NAVADMIN 190/14 released Aug. 21.
In addition to command triad waiver approval, Sailors must meet all existing requirements for participation eligibility.
The NAVADMIN also detailed changes to the grade and fee policy for TA for courses stating after 1 Oct. to align with recent Department of Defense TA policy.
Successful course completion will be defined as a grade of "C" or higher for undergraduate courses, a "B" or higher for graduate courses, and a "Pass" for "Pass/Fail" grades and must be attained to avoid reimbursement of TA funding. Reimbursement will also be required from Sailors who don't make up a grade of "I" (incomplete) by the educational institutions' deadline or six months after the completion of the class, whichever comes first.
Also changing Oct. 1, only tuition directly related to the course of instruction - and not including fees - will be paid with TA funds. Fees no longer covered by TA include equipment, supplies, books/materials, exams, admissions, registration, fines and costs associated with distance learning.
These changes align the Navy's policy with Department of Defense Instruction 1322.25 for Voluntary Education (VOLED) programs covering policies for service members' use of TA.
"Historically, more than 85 percent of Sailors satisfactorily complete and pass their undergraduate and/or graduate level classes; this is a tribute to the focus and dedication of the Sailors using VOLED programs," said Ernest D'Antonio, the Center for Personal and Professional Development's (CPPD) Navy VOLED program director.
In fiscal year 2013, approximately 89 percent of courses paid for by TA were successfully passed, with 72 percent of those courses resulting in an "A" or "B" grade, according to D'Antonio.
Sailors not successfully completing courses using TA must reimburse the Navy for TA funds.
For more information Sailors can contact their local Navy College Office, Virtual Education Center (VEC) or the Navy College Program website at https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/.
For more information about the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), visit: https://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/cppd/.
For more news from the Center for Personal and Professional Development, visit: www.navy.mil/local/voledpao/.
For more news from Naval Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnet/.