Initial Counseling Briefing 30 FSS/FSDE Overview Vandenberg AFB - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Initial Counseling Briefing 30 FSS/FSDE

Overview  Vandenberg AFB Education Office Hours and Phone #  Air Force Education Benefits  MilTA Policy and Step-by-Step Procedures  Student Responsibilities  Supervisor Responsibilities  On-Base Colleges  Air Force Testing and CLEP/DSST Testing  Community College of the Air Force  Air Force and CCAF Initiatives  General Education Mobile (GEM)  Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative (ABC)  CSP (Career Skills Program) Resources  Peterson’s Educational Tools

Vandenberg Air Force Base Education Office We are open: 0730-1600 Monday – Friday (Closed 3 rd Thur, 1300 for training) We are located at: 641 Utah Avenue Bldg 13640 Phone: 605-5904 “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Air Force Education Benefits  Tuition assistance provided to AD/RES/ANG AF provided you do not hold degree at that level (CCAF Exception)  $3750 per fiscal year  $250 SH  $166.67 QH  No Fees paid

Air Force Education Benefits Degrees/Credentialing Available CCAF Degree  Associates Degree ( obtain this first if you want civilian degree and CCAF )  Bachelors Degree  Undergrad degrees - max is 124 SH (186 QH)  Masters Degree  Maximum is 42 SH (70 QH)  AF COOL (AF Credentialing Opportunities on- line) based on AFSC, pays up to $4500/lifetime, fees for exam(s), prep courses, books, etc, plus recertification fees Can obtain more than one!  https://www.my.af.mil/afvecprod/afvec/Public/COOL

STEP 1 – DECIDE ON GOAL  Logon to AFVEC - www.my.af.mil  Check accredited schools (left side under MOU)  Understand regional and national accreditation  Talk to other students (for CCAF – discuss with counselor)  Research, research, research!!! Use TADECIDE (can compare up to 3 schools at a time)  Apply to school, receive degree plan (No Degree Plan is needed for CCAF)  Now time to create education goal, E-degree plan, and upload degree plan – evaluated or non-evaluated

STEP 2 – CREATE GOAL/E-DEGREE  Education Goal  Create in AFVEC  No Degree Plan is needed for CCAF  Use tutorial on AFVEC (QH checkmark)  Degree Plans  Unevaluated (off website) You can only take two courses on an unevaluated degree plan  Evaluated - lists all required courses  Includes transfer credits (courses, exams, etc.)  Includes student’s name, remaining credits required, signature of Registrar  Plan will need to be approved by Ed Center (can take up to 2 days, so allow plenty of time)

STEP 3 – APPLY FOR TA  ***IMPORTANT: *** CAN ONLY APPLY 45 TO 7 DAYS PRIOR TO TERM START DATE Click “Start a Funding Request”  Select current goal  Ensure all fields are correct  Select EXACT start/stop dates; cost per unit (fees will not be paid by AF)  Review for accuracy  CAC signature

Helpful Tips: Funding Request Give Yourself Time: Be aware of the 45-7 day window for submissions. It’s your education. It’s your responsibility to get it submitted on time. Double Check Your Work . Make sure to review before you sign and send. Make sure of the following:  Did I choose the correct Goal? (CCAF vs. Bachelor’s goal)  Are the TERM dates are correct? Class start date vs. Term start date.  Course Codes. Should read as ENG 101. Check your degree plan.  Verify the Course Cost Information: SH vs QH, credit cost, total cost…etc. Make sure you’re taking the correct courses. Ask yourself if the course is on your degree plan. Remember, there is a lifetime cap with credits so make sure you’re taking the right courses that are approved for your degree program. Check to ensure your supervisor is listed correctly and that they are present to review/approve.

Incorrect TA Funding Request

Mil TA Policy  Application window  No sooner than 45 and no later than 7 days prior to TERM start date  Course approval  MilTA does NOT pay for retakes of courses already passed  Begin by taking one class at a time. Then advance to two. Per AFI, you can take up to 9 credits at a time based on grade history (includes ALL grades!)  Apply for TA before you sign up for classes.

Mil TA Policy  Automatic Disapproval if you are currently on/have  UIF  Failed PT Test/Non-Current  Referral EPR/OPR  Control Roster  Low GPA ( all grades count towards academic performance after 15 SH taken for undergrad, 9 at grad )  Undergraduate 2.0  Graduate 3.0  Supervisors have the right to disapprove TA request for any reason

ALTERNATE FUNDING  If TA not available to you, use alternate funding sources  GI Bill / Post 9-11  Pell Grants  On Base Private Orgs

Mil TA Procedure  Degree/Program  Allowed change of program one time  Keep in mind the Maximum is 124 SH for Undergraduate, 42 SH for Graduate  Ensure you’re aware of:  Retainability requirement (DOS & class end date)  ADSC (Active Duty Service Commitment) Officers Only  Supervisor Info correct  Rater/Anyone in chain of command  Verify email address/availability of approver

Mil TA Procedure Reimbursement - we encourage you to work with your school if you need more time to finish  “I” (incomplete) grade - not converted to a passing grade within 120 days of class end date  You will pay back your TA cost if  You receive “D” or “F” grade at the undergraduate level  You receive “C” “D” or “F” grade at the graduate level  You can retake a failed class after it has been processed for reimbursement - contact Ed center to process TA request

Mil TA Procedure Withdrawals  Immediately contact school & Ed Center  If you decide not to take a course PRIOR to class start date, officially drop with school, then you can delete your TA document  If you withdrawal AFTER the class start date but PRIOR to the drop date for the school, provide Ed Center a letter from the school stating there is no cost incurred  For withdrawals due to no fault of your own-i.e. emergency situation and/or mission changes, a waiver may be requested through milta.reimb@us.af.mil

Student Responsibilities  Apply in advance (45-7 days) of TERM date  GPA – 2.0 Undergrad / 3.0 Grad - calculated after 15 semester hours for undergraduate and 9 semester hours for graduate courses  Deployment & TDY (verify internet connectivity)  Provide TA document to your school if required (check with your school)  Choose the right degree for you  College Fees (not covered by Mil TA)  Foreign Transcripts Review (see Ed Center for info)  Students are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of their records and for timely updates, changes, etc…

Student Responsibilities  Grades (multiple auto emails will be sent to you - before, after class end date - these are reminders)  School is responsible for updating grades/you contact them after 30 days from class end date  Missing grades  Contact Ed center if 45 days from class date and multiple attempts have been made to contact school to input grade  Reimbursement will begin 60 days from class end date  E-mail for reimbursements is Milta.reimb@us.af.mil  Separating/Retiring - grade has to be posted 2 weeks before

Supervisor Responsibilities  Discuss strategies for success  Approve/Disapprove TA  Do not just auto approve  Think about course load, work duties, family life  Explain financial liability  Debt/Reimbursement Notification  Supervisors receive same email as member

On-Base Colleges/Local Options  Allan Hancock College – Room 215  Associates degrees in a variety of disciplines  Online/DL, In-Class, On Base  University of La Verne – Room 228  Bachelors degrees  Management, Business, Public Administration, Information Technology  Masters degrees  Leadership/Management and Business (with concentrations)  Online/DL, In-Class, On Base

Air Force and CLEP/DSST Testing  CLEP and DSST Testing and Proctored exams  Test out of needed credits (check with school if they accept)  Register/Schedule through University of La Verne  Free for active duty (First time)  Study/preparation are needed to pass  Military Testing  WAPS Testing  All PME testing  DLPT/DLAB (foreign language testing)  CDC testing Tuesday only at 1300 (see your UTM) Uniform is required for AF testing

Community College of the Air Force  Five-Level Internship  First Priority  Worth 8 semester hours (SH)  Residency: Sixteen SH through "affiliated school" coursework or internship credit  Sixty Four Total Semester Hours: in five areas  Physical Education (4 SH): satisfied through AF Basic Military Training  Technical Education (24 SH): tech school, internship, 6 SH in computer science  Management/LMMS (6 SH): normally completed through ALS; ALS provides 9 SH  Program Electives (15 SH): extra credit from tech ed, LMMS, gen ed; natural science  General Education: 5 areas--oral/written com, math, social science, humanities  Degree Requirements must be completed BEFORE separation, retirement, or commissioning

Air Force Initiatives  General Education Mobile (GEM) www.my.af.mil/afvec/Public/GEMPlans.aspx  Take courses through schools in GEM program without being “enrolled” in program at school  Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative (ABC) www.my.af.mil/afvec/Public/ABCPrograms.aspx  Schools in ABC program will accept ALL military credits toward Bachelor’s program