Just like the other services, the Navy has several different programs for enlisted Servicemembers. The Navy takes getting an education seriously, and have created a number of programs to help its personnel and people who are considering enlisting a leg up on an education. The different programs that the Navy offers are voluntary but several of them are very lucrative and make getting a college or university education a lot more accessible. The Navy has five education programs that are voluntary, and they are part of the 5-vector career development model. The following programs are part of the five different education support programs that the Navy features: Seaman to Admiral, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society Grants, Tuition Assistance, Servicemember Opportunity Colleges (SOCNAV) and the Navy Advanced Education Voucher initiative.
Navy Tuition Assistance- The Navy joins the other 4 Armed Forces Services in offering up to 100 percent tuition assistance to Servicemembers who are serving on Active duty. It is limited up to 12 credit hours per year, and up to 250 dollars per credit hours. If any additional fees are mandatory in the college program you are in then the Navy sometimes will agree to pay those fees also. SOCNAV- The Servicemember opportunity colleges that the Navy supports are those schools, universities and colleges that participate in the Naval SOCNAV program, and they offer associate and bachelor degrees for Navy personnel involved in their programs. They accept credits from all other SOCNAV schools, and many of them are available by distance learning or Internet Accessible. NCPACE- The Navy College at Sea program is one that is offered for active duty personnel serving aboard a Navy vessel on sea duty. It is a list of about 16 colleges that offer programs with some flexibility in timing, allowing for the priority of the Navy mission. These colleges and schools offer undergraduate and graduate programs, and are all regionally accredited schools.
SEAMAN to ADMIRAL- This is a program where enlisted Servicemembers are accepted into a program that pays for all their schooling, while they attend college to earn a degree and a commission as a Navy Officer. Navy Marine Corps Relief Society- This is a group of programs that offer interest free loans, grants and other funding for those seeking to participate in college programs. It supports the Medical Enlisted Commissioning program, the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program, and the Enlisted Commissioning Program.
