Tuition Assistance
Tuition Assistance (TA) is the Navy’s primary educational financial assistance program. It provides Active Duty personnel and Selected Reserve enlisted personnel on active duty orders for over 120 days funding for tuition costs for courses that lead to an associates, bachelors or graduate degree, taken in an off-duty status at a college, university or vocational/technical institution, whose regional or national accreditation is recognized by the Department of Education. Courses must be offered in Semester Hours, or Quarter Hours. Navy Tuition Assistance pays up-front the tuition charged by educational institutions for course enrollments. Navy TA pays 100 percent of tuition costs for courses applicable to the completion of a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. For other education levels, there is a fiscal year credit limit of 16 Semester Hours, or 24 Quarter Hours per individual. Other restrictions to the use of TA include satisfactory completion of most recent PFA, succesful completion of most recent advancement exam, recommendation for promotion or advancement, one year on board the first permanent duty station after completion of initial skills training. All participants must have an approved degree plan and only those courses that lead to the degree accomplishment will be funded through TA. TA will only fund one degree at each educational level.
Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE)
NCPACE provides Sailors opportunity to experience challenging education while assigned to sea dutey or remote locations. NCPACE covers 100 percent of the tuition costs and is not restricted by semester or quarter caps. Sailors pay for their own textbooks and other instructional materials. Restrictions to participation are the same for NCPACE as they are for TA.
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES)
DANTES provides Sailors with the opportunity to take college level examinations (CLEP and DSST) at National Test Centers around the world. Initial exams may be taken at no cost to the Sailor. Retests must be funded by the individual. SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT exams are also available at no cost to the Sailor.
