Non-Traditional Educational Options through DANTES

DANTES (Defense Activity forNon-Traditional Education Support) is a Department of Defense organization thatoffers several programs to help servicemembers reach their educational goalswhile continuing their service. Keep reading to learn more.

Why ChooseNon-Traditional Education?
Whenyou pursue a degree traditionally, you must report to classes and turn inassignments according to the class schedule. As you serve your country, youneed more flexible options to reach your educational goals. DANTES programsoffer the flexibility you need. Your education services office or Navy collegeoffice can offer you information and assistance in pursing these programoptions.

What DoesNon-Traditional Education Mean?
Insteadof attending classes in the typical manner, you can learn through video,e-mail, internet, CD-ROM, a PDA, podcasts, print correspondence, satellitetelevision or your mandatory military training. You can take remote classes,study on your own and take exams, or apply your military experience toward youracademic goals.

DANTESPrograms
DANTESprovides the following programs:

• Credit-by-Examination Programs
• Distance Learning Programs
• Military Evaluations (Transcript) Programs – College Credit for Service
• Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges - SOC
• Career Guidance Materials
• Informational Videos
• Certification Programs
• Troops to Teachers Program

Credit-by-ExamPrograms

Theseprograms allow you to take an examination that will in essence let you “testout” of a college course, which can save you time and money when pursuing yourdegree. ACE determines how many credit hours each test is worth—anywhere fromthree to eight semester hours each.

Youselect your subject(s) and study the material as you see fit—using textbooks,study guides, or other methods. Depending on your study rate and your priorknowledge of the subject, you may be able to prepare in under a month. Upon passing the exam, the credits will beadded to your military academic transcript. Available exams include the CLEP, DSST, and ECE.

Youcan earn a high school credential, undergraduate credits, professionalcertification, or satisfy undergraduate or graduate college admissionrequirements through these exams. And if you take a test at an on-base testingcenter, it is free. (A $15-25 registration fee will apply for on-campustesting.)

Visityour local education center or Navy college office for assistance. Plus, youcan read about the Credit-by-Exam Program in greater depthhere.

DistanceLearning Program

DANTEShas compiled three catalogs that include individual courses, degree programs,and certificate programs that all can be earned remotely—with little or noresidency requirements. All listed classes and programs are fully coved by the G.I. Billand your branch’s TuitionAssistanceprogram will cover the courses in most cases.

Thefollowing links will take you to the DANTES site catalogs, which list distancelearning courses and programs:

• DANTES Independent Study Catalog:This catalog is designed for students who need to find and take specific courses. It lists over 6,200 classes from regionally accredited institutions including high school courses, undergraduate and graduate level courses, and exam prep courses.
• DANTES External Degree Catalog:This catalog lists programs that require little or no residency, which makes them ideal for servicemembers. Each institution is regionally accredited. Here you’ll find certificate, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programs as well as a teacher certification section, which describes teacher certification programs available through distance learning.
• DANTES Catalog of Nationally Accredited Distance Learning Programs:This catalog lists all programs and courses available via distance learning from nationally accredited institutions.

Military Evaluations Program

DANTESworks with ACE to determine how your military experiences transfer intoacademic credits. Practically all of your training—even basictraining—translates into credits. ACE’s recommendations are published in the Guide to the Evaluation of EducationalExperiences in the Armed Forces (ACE Guide). When you request a militarytranscript, these credits will appear—in most cases automatically. Read moreabout military experience creditshere. Andthen contact your local education service office for assistance.

ServicemembersOpportunity Colleges (SOC) Program

SOCis a network of colleges and universities that accepts credits from otherinstitutions in the network. They work to make it feasible for theservicemember or military dependent to pursue a degree despite frequent moves.This program also acts as the advocate between the servicemember and theinstitution to ensure that credits are honored appropriately. The SOC publishesa list of the accepted colleges and universities in the SOC Consortium Guide. Visit your local education service office formore information.

Career Guidance Materials

DANTES ensures that your local educationcenter has the resources needed to guide you in your career and educationaldecisions. They distribute a number of Interest and Aptitude Inventories(questionnaires)so that counselors can measure your interests in different careers and academicsubjects and determine your level of confidence in performing variousoccupational activities. Thesequestionnaires include the Campbell Interest andSkills Survey (CISS), Career Assessment Inventory (CAI), Holland’s Self-DirectedSearch, Kuder Career Search with Person Match, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator(MBTI), and Strong Confidence Inventory. All are also made available onlinewith the exception of the Holland’s Self-Directed Search.

In addition to the resources provided to counselors to assistservicemembers, DANTES has made the Computer Assisted Guidance InformationSystem—called DISCOVER—available in 232 military installations throughout theworld at no charge to education offices. This system allows servicemembers to interactwith the computer to make logical educational and career decisions. It includesthree career assessments that evaluate what you like to do as well as what you can do and then uses that information to make suggestions about careers andeducational paths. It also provides information about schools, occupationalfields and job-seeking skills. The best part is that the results are analyzedimmediately.

DANTES Informational Videos

DANTES has produced several videos thatcan help you understand the process of higher education and the benefits ofusing DANTES programs. A few examples include

• A Matter of Degree: This video discusses the terms associated with higher ed, the difference between semester hours and quarter hours, dangers of diploma mills and unaccredited schools, how to be successful in getting your degree, advantages of distance learning, military experience credits, DANTES credits-by-exams, and the benefits SOC offers to servicemembers.
• DANTES: Your Partner for Success: Ideas discussed in this video include creating a plan for getting a degree, utilizing your education counselor, DANTES programs like SOC, transcript services, Troops to Teachers and much more.
• SOC: Getting a College Degree while on Active Duty: This video discusses the importance of getting an education, how SOC makes it easy, benefits associated with higher ed, and the convenient courses held at military installations.

Certification Support Programs

DANTES currently provides two Certification Support Programs:

Certification Testing Program
For servicemembers who wish to receive a certification orlicensure, DANTES will reimburse the test taker’s testing fee (for one testonly). A wide range subjects are available including Information Technology,federal communications, human resources management and much more. You can takethe credentialing tests at your local Education Service Office’s testing centerand at other national testing centers. To learn more about the ARNT testreimbursement programvisit their official website.

Troops to TeachersProgram (TTT)

This program is designed to help eligible military servicememberstransition to a career as a public school teacher in an area of need. Becausecertification requirements vary from state to state, DANTES has established TTToffices in most states. Staff at the TTT offices can counsel you about the bestroute to certification and help you find employment leads. The TTT websiteprovides a helpful list of links and a job search tool. Stipends of $5,000 areavailable, pending available funds, to help with the cost of certification andeducation. Additionally, a bonus of $10,000 is available to eligibleindividuals who choose to teach in designated schools that educate a highpercentage of low-income families for a minimum of thee years. Visit theofficial TTT website for more information.

As you can see, DANTESprovides an array of helpful programs and tools to help servicemembers andtheir families reach educational and career goals. To take advantage of theseprograms, visit your local Educational Services Office.