EDUCATION AND TRAINING

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING

 

Air Force Tuition Assistance

Program

The Air Force Tuition Assistance (TA) program

is an important quality of life program that provides up to 75% tuition and

fees for college courses taken by active duty personnel during off-duty

hours.  TA is capped at $187.50 per semester hour (or  $125 per quarter hour)

and is restricted to a maximum of $3500 per fiscal year. The program is one of the

most frequent reasons given for enlisting and re-enlisting in the Air

Force. For an Alphabetical Listing

of Air Force Education Centers contact your local Education

Center.

The Montgomery GI

Bill
The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) was enacted by Congress to

attract high quality men and women into the Armed Forces. The MGIB program

provides up to 36 months or $28,000 in education benefits to eligible persons

enrolled in degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship,

on-the-job training and correspondence courses approved for veteran’s

training. The program is

administered the Department of Veterans

Affairs. An on-line MGIB pamphlet

 provides more detailed

information.

Tuition Assistance Top-Up

On October 30, 2000, the President

signed into law an amendment to the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty education

program that permits VA to pay a Tuition Assistance Top-up benefit. The amount

of the benefit can be equal to the difference between the total cost of a

college course and the amount of Tuition Assistance that is paid by the military

for the course.

To be eligible for the Top-up benefit, the person

must be approved for federal Tuition Assistance by a military department and

be eligible for MGIB-Active Duty benefits. To be eligible for MGIB benefits, the

person must be an MGIB – Active Duty participant and must have served at least 2

full years on Active Duty.

The amount of the benefit is limited to the amount

that the person would receive for the same course if regular MGIB benefits were

being paid. In no case can the amount paid by the military combined with the

amount paid by VA be more than the total cost of the

course.

If a person

receives the Top-up benefit, his or her regular MGIB benefits will be reduced. The amount

of entitlement charged for Top-up payments is determined by dividing the amount

of the payment by the claimant’s full-time monthly

rate.

The benefit is available for all courses that began on

or after October 30, 2000. A copy of the Tuition Assistance Authorization form

for the course that has been signed by an authorized military official will be

required. People who have not requested MGIB benefits before should submit a VA

Form 22-1990 to establish eligibility.

The application and other evidence should be sent to one of

the VA’s four education processing offices in Atlanta, Buffalo, Muskogee (OK),

or St. Louis. The application form and the addresses of the offices are

available on the Internet at www.gibill.va.gov

National Guard State College Tuition

Assistance Programs

Contact your Education Officer for further information

about your State’s College Tuition Assistance

Program.

The VEAP Program (Post-Vietnam Veteran’s

Educational Assistance Program)

The Post-Vietnam Veterans’ Educational

Assistance Program, also known as VEAP, was enacted by Congress to attract high

quality men and women into the all-voluntary Armed Forces. These benefits may be

used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship and on-the-job training

and correspondence courses approved for veteran’s training. The program is

administered by the Department of Veterans

Affairs. An on-line VEAP pamphlet provides more detailed information.

The Air National Guard provides access to all DANTES

credit-by-examination programs, Community College of the Air Force Associate

Degree programs, federal tuition assistance for AGR members, state education

benefits for all members, and the Student Loan Repayment Program, which will

repay up to $10,000 in student loans for enlisted members and up to $20,000 for

medical officers.

The Community College of the Air Force

(CCAF)

The

Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) serve the US Air Force and Department

of Defense by helping enlisted personnel obtain an accredited Associate in

Applied Science degree. More

information can be obtained at https://www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/index.htm.

EDUCATION TESTS FOR SERVICE MEMBERS OR

SPOUSES

Spouse and Civilian Testing

Program

Spouses of Air National Guard members and federal civilian employees are

eligible to take CLEP general and subject examinations and DANTES Subject

Standardized Tests free of charge at Reserve Component DANTES Test Centers

(there is a minimal registration fee).

For additional information on Air National Guard Voluntary Education

Programs contact CMSgt Art Hafner, 3500 Fetchet Avenue, Andrews AFB, Maryland

20762-5157; DSN 278-8677, commercial 301-836-8677; e-mail: . Alternate POC is MSgt Karen Peters, XXX-8672, e-mail: .

Further information about Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education

Programs for U.S. Reserve Forces can be found at:


https://www.voled.doded.mil/voled_web/services/rcvoled/rcvoledindex.htm?Flag=True

College Level Examination

Program

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is designed to help Service

members earn college-level credit in such courses as English, Math, Science and

many other subject areas. Most major colleges and universities accept these

tests for credit based on minimum scores required (varies by university). For

further information contact your Education

Center.

High School Equivalency

Examinations

Service members can earn a high school equivalency credential by passing

an examination designed for adults who have not completed a formal high school

education.

Admission

Examinations

Admission examinations are sometimes required for

undergraduate, graduate, and officer accession programs. The examinations most

often required are available through the Defense

Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). For further information contact your Education

Center.

Certification

Examinations

Professional certification examinations are a valuable way

to demonstrate a high level of professional training and experience. Many

certification examinations are available through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support

(DANTES).

INFORMATION ON COLLEGE CREDIT FOR MILITARY JOB

SKILLS

Educational Reference

Publications
The

Defense

Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) distributes educational reference publications for

use by Education Services personnel in counseling Military Service members. Many

of these publications are acquired from the civilian education publishing

community. DANTES also develops and prints publications to support other DANTES

and service education programs.

American Council on

Education

The American Council on Education (ACE), founded in 1918, is dedicated to

the belief that equal educational opportunity and a strong higher education

system are essential cornerstones of a democratic society. The Military

Evaluations Program of ACE makes it possible for service members to receive

college credit for service school courses and most enlisted occupations. The

credit recommendations for evaluation of service school courses and occupations

are published in the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the

Armed Services commonly referred to as the ACE Guide.

CAREER IN EDUCATION FOR SERVICE MEMBERS NEARING RETIREMENT OR

ETS

Troops to

Teachers
The

primary function of Troops to Teachers https://www.guardfamily.org/?line=8794 and http://www.jobs2teach.doded.mil is to provide referral service-to-service personnel to assist them in

their pursuit of teaching as a second career. This successful program also helps in

the placement of these individuals in areas of the greatest need. Troops to Teachers is a U.S. Department of

Education and Department of Defense program that helps eligible military

personnel begin a new career as teachers in public schools where their skills,

knowledge and experience are most needed. Click here for the

Troops To Teachers Home Page Click here to enter the Troops To

Teachers Job Referral Site.

Civilian Employee

Training
Information about civilian employee training and career

opportunities can be found at https://www.afcrossroads.com/employment/sitemap_refresh.cfm?page=gov_af.