5.4 Continuing Education & Voluntary Programs
Key Takeaways
- The Air Force offers three voluntary education programs to defray off-duty education costs: Military Tuition Assistance, the Montgomery GI Bill, and the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
- Montgomery GI Bill participants have pay reduced $100 a month for 12 months and may contribute an additional $600 to add up to $5,400 to the benefit; benefits expire 10 years after separation or retirement.
- The Post-9/11 GI Bill applies to members on RegAF status on or after 11 September 2001, allows transfer to dependents with sufficient retainability, and the decision to convert is irrevocable.
- Tuition assistance cannot be used for textbooks, e-books, reference materials, electronic equipment, certificate or license examinations, or fees.
- Enlisted-to-AFIT nominees must be a RegAF Staff Sergeant or above with five years of Total Active Federal Military Service, a 7-skill level upgrade, a CCAF degree, and a bachelor's degree.
Why Continuing Education Counts
AFH 1 states that certifications and post-secondary degrees matter "to the extent that they enhance the degree holder's job and professional qualifications." Members should focus on enhancing professional competence while expanding their operational employment of air and cyberspace knowledge. Credentials directly related to an individual's primary specialty area add depth of job knowledge, and more advanced degrees enhance performance at the highest grade levels where duties may require broader managerial skills.
Enlisted-to-AFIT
The Enlisted-to-Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) program provides science, engineering, and management graduate degrees that further develop technical and managerial skills and enhance combat capability through career field core competency augmentation.
- Degrees range from 18 to 24 months, depending on undergraduate degree and prerequisite coursework
- Limited to master's degree programs offered at the resident campus, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
Nomination requirements — all four must be met:
- RegAF Staff Sergeant (or Staff Sergeant select) or above
- Minimum five years of Total Active Federal Military Service
- Completed a 7-skill level upgrade
- A CCAF associate of applied science degree and a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
The Air Force Virtual Education Center
AFVEC is described as "the USAF's website for all higher education and credentialing needs." Airmen create their own account and can view education benefits and personal education records — courses taken, tuition caps, and degree plans. AFVEC is where Airmen apply online for military tuition assistance and for AFCOOL funding.
Educational Financial Assistance
The Voluntary Education Program supports long-range USAF goals for maintaining a high-quality force and enhancing professional and personal development, recruitment, retention, and readiness. AFH 1 names three programs for enlisted personnel to help defray the cost of off-duty education.
Military Tuition Assistance
The Air Force pays the cost of tuition at regionally and nationally accredited institutions, not to exceed the hourly and annual caps established by DoDI 1322.25, Voluntary Education Program, and DAFI 36-2670, Total Force Development.
The exclusion list is heavily tested. Tuition assistance cannot be used to purchase:
- Textbooks and e-books
- Reference or instructional materials
- Electronic equipment or supplies
- Certificate or license examinations
- Fees
…regardless of applicability to course enrollment or institutional reimbursement policy.
Top-up: students whose tuition exceeds the semester-hour cap may use the top-up benefit in their Montgomery GI Bill or Post-9/11 GI Bill to cover the remainder.
Montgomery GI Bill
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Individuals who entered the service for the first time on or after 1 July 1985 |
| Cost to participate | Pay reduced $100 a month for the 12 months following the election window |
| Optional contribution | An additional $600, which adds a maximum of $5,400 to the total benefit package |
| In-service use | Permitted after two years of continuous RegAF status |
| Expiration | Benefits expire 10 years after separation or retirement |
| Adjustment | The total benefit is adjusted each year in relation to the cost of living index |
The $100 / 12 months / $600 / $5,400 cluster is the densest set of numbers in Chapter 7 and is worth writing out on a flashcard exactly as listed.
Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Applies to individuals who were on RegAF status on or after 11 September 2001
- Allows transfer of benefits to dependents if the member has sufficient retainability
- The decision to move to this program is irrevocable — AFH 1 recommends Airmen get full details from the Veterans Administration before converting
The irrevocable conversion and the transferability to dependents are the two features that separate it from the Montgomery GI Bill on exam items.
College Credit by Examination
The Credit-by-Examination program helps service members earn college credit for knowledge gained through previous experience, reducing course completion time, avoiding tuition assistance costs, and documenting scores on the Joint Services Transcript (JST) and CCAF transcript. It is no-cost and managed by the Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES), with more than 70 exam titles across two programs.
| Program | Exams | Subject areas |
|---|---|---|
| DSST (Dantes Subject Standardized Test) | 38 subject exams | Business, Humanities, Mathematics, Physical Science, and more. Each exam is based on several textbooks commonly used for a course of the same or similar title |
| CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) | 34 college exams | Composition and Literature, World Languages, History and Social Sciences, Science and Mathematics, Business. Passing earns 3–12 recommended lower-level college credits depending on the exam |
AFH 1 adds the caveat that the amount of credit actually applied depends on the policies of the accepting academic institution. The 38 versus 34 split (DSST versus CLEP) is a favorite discrimination item.
Commissioning Programs
Enlisted members can obtain a commission while on RegAF status through several programs.
| Program | Key requirements and features |
|---|---|
| Officer Training School (OTS) | Requires a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university; guidance in DAFMAN 36-2032, Military Recruiting and Accessions |
| Leaders Encouraging Airmen Development (LEAD) | Delegates authority to unit and wing commanders to nominate highly qualified Airmen for USAF Academy attendance; may lead to direct Academy entry, the Academy Preparatory School, or referral to other programs |
| Scholarships for Outstanding Airmen to ROTC (SOAR) | Airmen separate from RegAF and join an AFROTC detachment as full-time college students. Scholarship of up to $18,000 per year, annual textbook allowance, and monthly nontaxable stipend, for two to four years. On commissioning as Second Lieutenant they return to RegAF status typically within 60 days for at least four years |
| AFROTC Airman Scholarship and Commissioning Program (ASCP) | Same $18,000 per year scholarship structure at a college of the member's choice offering AFROTC. Military obligation of four years active component and four years ready reserve; there may be a wait of up to 365 days to enter RegAF after commissioning |
| Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program (NECP) | Sponsors completion of the upper division curriculum toward a baccalaureate in nursing; participation may not exceed 24 months; participants are administratively assigned to an AFROTC detachment; must pass the NCLEX-RN before attending OTS |
| Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program | 24-month program through the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, completing preparatory coursework for medical school admission while on RegAF status |
| Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) | 29 months; earns a master's degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a commission in the Biomedical Sciences Corps; graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam. Selections run through the AFPC Biomedical Sciences Corps Education Branch |
The program durations — 24 months for NECP and Enlisted to Medical Degree, 29 months for IPAP, 18–24 months for Enlisted-to-AFIT — are the most commonly confused numbers here. The distinguishing service-obligation detail is that SOAR returns you for at least four years, while ASCP carries four active plus four ready reserve.
Which of the following may an Airman purchase with Military Tuition Assistance?
A first-time enlistee who entered service in 2019 elects the Montgomery GI Bill and makes the optional additional contribution. What are the financial terms?
Which requirement must an Airman meet to be nominated for the Enlisted-to-AFIT program?