Personal and Professional Learning Opportunities for the Marine Corps Community

The Voluntary Education Program provides personal and professional learning opportunities to the Marine Corps community. The program positively impacts recruitment, retention and readiness of all Marines.  Services and resources are provided by qualified counselors and advisors in cooperation with education service providers through individual and group counseling, workshops and training opportunities to include testing for college credit and pre-admission. Marines will be informed of the full breadth of tuition funding sources and how they can advance their degree plans and academic achievement with appropriate courses and institution selections.

Services

• College Level Exam Program (CLEP) test mastery of college-level material acquired in a variety of ways to include general academic instructions and significant independent study or extracurricular work. Successfully completed exams are generally accepted by institutions of higher learning for academic credit.
• Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) provides nationally recognized examination and certification programs, in addition to consolidated management of contracts and programs to prevent duplication of effort among the Services.
• Education Service Officers are available provide information about other education programs and provide high quality individualized academic advisement to maximize resources.
• Joint Service Transcript is now the official transcript tool for Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard personnel that validates and documents the recommended college credits for professional military education, training courses and occupational experience of service members and veterans. This unified and standardized document makes it easier for institutions to review and articulate these credits as appropriate to service members and veterans degree programs.
• Provides information on the American Council on Education college credit recommendations, the Montgomery GI Bill that funds college expenses for veterans or active duty service members who served after 1 July 1985, the Post 9/11 Montgomery GI Bill that funds college and living expenses for veterans or active duty Service members who served after 11 September 2001, and the United States Military Apprenticeship Program that documents skills acquired while on active duty, which leads to civilian recognition and journeyman status in a compatible civilian trade or skill.
• Tuition Assistance(TA) offers training, experience, and opportunities Marines need to develop to support personal and professional goals of individual Marines.

Learn More

Contact your Installation Education Service Officer for more information and to receive one-on-one support.

Marine Corps Credentialing Opportunities On-line (COOL) is a credentialing awareness, information and resources capability for all Marines. In addition to general information on credentials and licenses, Marine Corps COOL also provides extensive associated linkages covering the gamut of education, transition, career, and veteran’s resources.

Tuition Assistance (TA) is a valuable benefit that is offered to all Marines authorized for up to 100 percent of tuition and fees including lab, technology, and distance learning fees, but not to exceed $250 per semester hour. Initial and continued usage of TA is at the commanders’ discretion. Marines have no minimum time in service requirement for utilization of TA, however, there are several prerequisites that the Marine must meet prior to TA approval and it is the Commanders responsibility to ensure Marines meet all eligibility criteria.

TA eligibility criteria, funding amounts, guidelines, policies, and procedures can be obtained on the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) website: https://usmc-mccs.org/taguide/, Updated for FY2021 or through the installation Voluntary Education (VOLED) Center.