Overview

The Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Program offers assistance to service members and their families in planning and paying for their education expenses. Installation continuing education offices provide eligible service members with detailed information on available programs as well as assistance with the completion of required forms for study and degree planning. Through programs offered by DoD and through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), service members and their families can enroll in and complete courses leading to high school diplomas, undergraduate, and graduate degrees at little or no cost to the student.

The military understands that frequent deployments and relocations could dissuade some service or family members from enrolling in courses and working towards achieving their educational goals. Because of this, installation voluntary education service providers ensure that service members and their families are aware of the variety of methods for earning course credit. During information and advisement sessions, service providers help potential students with planning their curriculum of study, including coursework through the traditional classroom setting, college-level equivalency testing, assessment of prior learning, assessment of military training, independent study, and distance learning. Service providers also assist service members in researching options for paying for their education and completing the required forms for the military's tuition assistance program and financial aid (scholarships, grants, and loans) from the federal government and outside sources.

Installation service providers working within the voluntary education offices are uniquely suited to help service members and their families define, plan, and achieve their academic goals. They understand the various options available to members of the military community pursuing their education and are aware of and can help overcome the potential challenges to continuing a course of study due to the mobile military lifestyle.