NAVY COLLEGE PROGRAM INFORMATION July 26, 2017

NAVY COLLEGE PROGRAM INFORMATION July 26, 2017

The Navy has taken positive steps over the last year to modernize its Voluntary Education (VOLED) program, ensuring Sailors have the same opportunities as their civilian counterparts. With the closing of the remaining Continental United States (CONUS) Navy College Offices (NCOs) 1 October 2017, Navy College Program (NCP) Voluntary Education services in CONUS will be provided by the education counselors at the Navy College Virtual Education Center (NCVEC). The goal of restructuring voluntary education service delivery is to provide educational services to Sailors whenever they need it, wherever they are, using the tools today's Sailors already leverage for many functions in their personal and professional lives.

The new VOLED structure will make educational programs, including counseling, Tuition Assistance and testing services accessible for all Sailors in the continental U.S. through a combination of self-service and virtual services. Sailors can research education programs via the NCP and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) websites, complete Tuition Assistance (TA) training, receive counseling from a NCP education counselor; work with an approved academic institution to develop an education plan; and successfully complete their academic courses. The My Education Module (. mil/eta/), on the NCP website is available 24/7 for Sailors to establish and monitor their accounts; ensure their education plans are current; verify they have received education counseling and submit Web Tuition Assistance (WebTA) applications.

NAVY COLLEGE PROGRAM (NCP) MOBILE APP The NCP Mobile App offers Sailors mobile access to NCP planning tools, a counseling scheduler

tool, and applications previously available only through the NCOs or the NCVEC. Sailors can complete required TA training, view video tutorials, schedule a counseling appointment, submit a WebTA application, view the status of existing WebTA applications and contact an education staff member for assistance. The NCP App is a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) tool designed to work on personal devices outside of the NMCI domain. Users can download the app from the App Store and Google Play Store at no cost. To find the free NCP app, search "Navy College" or "NCP" in app stores or in your Web browser.

ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS BASE ACCESS The Navy intends to continue supporting on base education programs and to continue to

permit visiting schools to access an installation IAW regulation. Region Advisor (RA) positions have been created in Navy Regions Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest. As VOLED Virtual Education Advisors, the RA's advise installation COs and other COs on the installations on DOD & DON VOLED programs, processes, procedures and policy requirements. VOLED will continue to perform its required functions in support of the Navy, Sailors, and commands. Schools will continue to support their students and continue to provide on base classes ? to include registering new students for upcoming terms.

Academic Institutions requesting access to Navy installations are required to use the U.S. Air Force Academic Institution Base Access Portal to request visitation for student interaction; education fairs; Morale, Welfare and Recreation events; sponsorship; command visits; etc. The portal can be found on the internet via: . Additional information may be found on the NCP website's "Base Access" page at: .

EXPEDITED WEBTA AUTHORIZATION The NCP launched an update to the Sailor My Education Module in June 2017 that expedites

the WebTA authorization process. This new process will increase accuracy, reduce the time it takes to complete the WebTA application funding process and deliver funded TA vouchers to the Sailor faster than before, thereby improving Sailor enrollments, accuracy of grade posting and invoice payments. To make this happen, schools need to upload their institution's course catalogs and enter tuition rates in the Academic Institution Module (AIM) on the NCP website: . For details, you can locate a User Guide from either (a) the AIM or (b) from the NCP website (), click on `Academic Institutions.' Under 'Tuition and Terminology' section, select 'TA Billing, Invoicing, and Grade Posting.' The Guide can be found under 'Resources.'

The expedited process automatically checks/validates the Academic Institution's (AI) course/tuition information, validates a Sailor's status, including degree plan, counseling, no missing grades, EAOS status, TA annual usage, etc. If all Navy requirements are met and the request is command approved, My Education sends the service member a link to their My Education Module. There, they click on `Tuition Assistance' and then `Review Applications.' The service member can print the voucher, sign and deliver to the voucher to the AI. There is also an option that allows the member to save the TA voucher and then digitally sign it.

TUITION ASSISTANCE FY17 FUNDING TA dollars are still available for service members interested in pursuing or continuing their

education while on active duty. TA can fund up to 16 semester hours, 24 quarter hours, or 240 clock hours per fiscal year; and pay up to $250.00 per semester hour, $166.67 per quarter hour or $16.67 per clock hour. TA can be used to pay for courses leading to a first certificate, associate, bachelor's, or master's degree. TA funded classes, combined with credits already earned from a service member's military training from their Joint Services Transcript (JST), may accelerate degree completion while on active duty. Also, the Navy awards advancement points for degree completion through E-6 exam.

TESTING ACT/ SAT testing is supported by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support

(DANTES), and on July 1, 2016 DANTES implemented an online process to reimburse Service Members taking an ACT or SAT test off-base. Service Members need to register to take an ACT or SAT exam at a local college or high school on one of the six national ACT/SAT exam dates, and then request reimbursement through DANTES. For more information, visit the DANTES website at . OCONUS NCOs will continue to administer the SAT/SAT on site.

CLEP/DSST Testing is available at National Testing Centers (NTCs) and is supported by DANTES. DANTES funds one attempt per exam title for eligible Service members, National Guard, and Reserve Component members. Credit by examination tests are delivered in an internet-based format and offered at NTCs which are located both on and off military installations.

Defense Language Testing - CONUS: Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) has assumed responsibility for defense language testing. CIWT will be publishing their testing schedule separately. OCONUS: NCOs in the Far East and the EUCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR) will continue to provide defense language testing.

NCPACE Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE) ? Distance Learning (DL) Courses.

Currently, NCPACE DL is a contract driven manual process. Beginning in FY 18, NCPACE DL will be restructured to remove the contract and will be designed similar to how Sailors apply for Tuition Assistance. This October, Sailors will not need to meet a contractor at their units to enroll in NCPACE DL courses. Sailors will be able to go into the My Education Module (same Module used for TA), use the on line process to view NCPACE DL courses and enroll in these courses - much the same way they enroll in a TA course for a shore based academic institution (AI). Sailors will still have to meet the required training and eligibility requirements, but those requirements will be able to be completed on line at a time and place of the Sailor's choosing.

Without the contract, the Sailor will have more academic institutions from which to choose DL courses. The criteria for the NCPACE DL course are that they must be in a self-contained format, meaning that no internet connectivity is required to complete the course. Command approvers will still have to approve the NCPACE DL request much as they do now for WebTA applications. No other approval is required unless there is an issue with the NCPACE request. At that time a NCP staff member will provide assistance to resolve any problem. As is the case with TA, NCPACE DL AIs must have signed the DOD VOLED MOU and be approved to receive TA.

Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE) ? Instructor Led (IL) Courses. In FY 18, this program will remain a contractor implemented program with contract instructors teaching one of 17 lower level college courses on board Navy vessels. However, beginning in FY 18, more authority will be given to commands to implement a program best suited for their units. Commands will appoint a NCPACE Command Coordinator as they do now. The Command Coordinator will go to the NCP website's NCPACE page, determine which one of three NCPACE IL academic tracks best meets their command's needs, select the track, sign up Sailors to take courses, download the request template and submit it to the NCPACE Ordering Office which will then order the courses from the contractor. Sailors will be required to complete the on-line training requirements, but the authority is in the hands of the NCPACE Command Coordinator. Once the Sailors complete the IL courses and the AI submits the final rosters and grades to the VOLED database, My Education Module will notify the Sailor if any training or counseling requirements are missing. These changes streamline and automate a current IL process which is manual and depends on contractors having to visit NCPACE commands.

To contact education staff at the NCVEC, visit the NCP website to submit a Help Request at the Assistance Center, initiate a Live Chat session, schedule a counseling appointment or call the NCVEC toll free 1-877-838-1659/CML (757) 492-4684/DSN 492-4684. Follow us on Facebook at .

For more information on the Navy College Program and the Virtual Education Center visit . Follow Navy Voluntary Education on Facebook at: . Additional information about the Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center (NETPDC) can be found via .

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