Changes ensures quality of education for service members

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stephanie Mancha
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Last fiscal year 1,639 Moody Airmen used the tuition assistance program to pay for almost 4,000 college courses, servicing 87 different schools, paying 2.7 million annually.

The Department of Defense Voluntary Education Partnership established a memorandum of understanding for all institutions ensuring the quality education for service members.

Emanuella McCall, 23rd Force Support Squadron chief of force development flight shares the benefits that the MOU will have for the education office, students and schools.

"The MOU will give an oversight on programs offered to students through the distance learning schools, ensuring they receive quality programs and will be getting their money's worth. It also ensures programs are recognized by other institutions," she said.

The MOU is an agreement between the DOD and educational institutions that require a signature before an institute can receive funds through the tuition assistance program.

By signing the MOU distance learning schools are required to develop degree plans for the military member and the school cannot change it once the student enrollment is accepted.

Schools must also provide students with suitable class enrollment, withdrawal and cancellation information and grades.

Some of the other issues dealt in the MOU include schools having to allow transfer of credit to avoid doubling-up on previously earned credit, and to allow at least one nationally recognized testing program such as the College Level Examination Program.

"DOD made it standard across services, where if a school signs the MOU they agree to accept credit from any official military transcripts such as the Community College of the Air Force," McCall said.

Institutions must also agree to not charge service members different tuition rates to attend the same class and must provide one invoice for the class.
Before the MOU some schools would not accept the Government Purchase Card making it a long process to pay a student's tuition.

"By signing the MOU, schools are required to accept the GPC allowing students tuition to be paid quicker rather than going through finance and the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS). This process could at times hinder a student from signing up for classes the next semester if the school was not paid in time," McCall said.

Schools must sign the MOU by March 30, 2012, to continue receiving funds for classes. According to the DOD Voluntary Education Partnership MOU website approximately 4,700 parent and sub institutions have already signed the MOU to include Valdosta State University, Park University, Georgia Military College, Webster University, Embry-Riddle Worldwide Moody and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

To find out more information about the MOU members can contact the education office at 229-257-3150 or visit the DOD Voluntary Education Partnership website http://www.dodmou.com