CG Education Assistance Program

[BMC Rodney Wurgler]

I would like to comment on the great opportunities the CG has for education assitance. This is not limited to the GI Bill, the CG offers tuition reimbersment, and CGMA offers text book reimbersment. You can also receive up to $350.00 in grant money per year from the CG Foundation, Education Grant Application, every little bit helps. I strongly encourage people to take advantage of these programs if you have the time. I have taken advantage and I am getting a nearly free education. Most colleges and universities will accept military courses and schools as credit towards a
degree program. Some accept a lot some not many at all, you need to do your research. Case in point, my school, Webster University accepted 60 credit hours from my military transcripts.
We need to think about how a better education will help us not only in our CG career but life after the CG. Knowlege is power and it is never to late to begin on gaining more education.

In conclusion I once again strongly encourge you look into these great opportunites and pass along this info to your shipmates.

Thank You,

BMC Rodney Wurgler

[ETCS David Kroll]

Hi Rodney,
Tell me if I'm wrong, but you sound like someone who just got their degree and/or started their degree.
It is exciting isn't it, once you figure out how to use all the money out there and that it is so easy to to. I wish I could get more of the CG interested in this but you you know the saying, you can lead a horse to water, but ....
Oh well, good luck on your degree!
Dave

[DCC Mitchell Penneau]

I have tried to get junior members interested in getting more schooling, and using TA, but out of all the members I have talked to, only one has looked into it and has gotten started with class. I don't know why this is, but from what I see it is the more senior people that are taking advantage of this great program.

I have used it a lot and once I finish the program I am in now I will have received three degrees while in the Coast guard.

[PACS Steve Carleton]

Mitch,

I don't know if there is a magic button to push to get the junior enlisted people interested in the program or not.

It just may not be a priority for them at that moment in their lives, regardless of the number of examples (like yourself) and the benefits of free money you use in the discussions with them.

They may look at you, roll their eyes and think, "great, there goes the Chief talking about TA and education again, when's liberty?" Almost like talking to parents.

Looking back at times earlier in my career, no amount of discussion would have convinced me to take advantage, but then one day, the light goes off, the realization kicks in and I took advantage of the programs later in my career when I realized the value of an education.

Maybe that is why there are more people taking advantage later in their careers.

[BMCS Mark Stauffer]

Mitch,
One thing I have tried doing to get junior members more involved in applying for TA or using any educational money is to put it in perspective that will shock them.

I tell them that if they spend 20 years in the Coast Guard they will lose out on at least $90,000 in education money. Then when they retire they have the $36,000 from their GI bill to receive their graduate degree.

The excuse I hear frequently is that junior members don't know what they want to major in. The answer is easy. Start taking courses to get your gen ed requirements out of the way then worry about what your going to study. By the time your gen ed is over you may have an idea of what interests you.

I am currently taking courses and am still kicking myself in the behind becuase I didn't do it earlier. With 100% of tuition being payed for you can't go wrong as long as its from an accredited institution.

I have had a few people interested in courses but no takers so far. I will continue to put them on the spot.

[BMCS Bill Gheen]

I'm glad this post was made; I have been giving the educational opportunities some serious thought, which have been haunting me recently.

Questions:

Lets say I want to enroll in online classes with Excelsior:

Do I send in my print out from the CG Institute and pay up front and the get reimbursed after my initial assessment from Excelsior, or do I apply for the money come first then receive a check then pay for my assessment?

Once that is completed and they grant me XXX amount of credits towards a degree, do I pay up front for the enrollment, service fees, books, etc… or do I apply for money then enroll?

What if during the time I am enrolled with Excelsior, and later I CLEP some courses; do I pay for another assessment? How does that work?

I check the CG Institute web page, and basically I just get confused as it lacks the pictures I need. :rolleyes:

[ETCS David Kroll]

Lets say I want to enroll in online classes with Excelsior:

Do I send in my print out from the CG Institute and pay up front and the get reimbursed after my initial assessment from Excelsior, or do I apply for the money come first then receive a check then pay for my assessment?

answer;
The easiest thing to do is call the admissions office. Here is what I did with my online collegge. I emailed them asking these same questions and then faxed them my transcripts from the institute as well as my previous college. Then they emailed back a degree plan. Now is when I paid the money for registration and had it refunded with Mutual assistance.

Once that is completed and they grant me XXX amount of credits towards a degree, do I pay up front for the enrollment, service fees, books, etc… or do I apply for money then enroll?

answer;
Usually you have to register for classes, once accepted for the classes, submit your TA assistance request to the institute. Once that is recieved back to you, you fax it to the college and your done. Books, service fees, etc are paid for from Mutual Assistance and foundation grants.

What if during the time I am enrolled with Excelsior, and later I CLEP some courses; do I pay for another assessment? How does that work?

answer;
No problem, take your clep tests and when you do, have the results mailed right to the college. I did mine prior to college so I had to pay a $20 transfer fee to send them to the college.

These are the intimidating steps, but after your first classes it is easy, just take the jump, you'll be happy you did. Call me if youhave any questions.
Dave

[BMCM Steve Cantrell]

Get creative with this stuff! There is a station in D1 that has transformed their training room into a weekly college classroom. They have a school (I believe it is Nicholls College) that comes into the station once a week and does classes for the crew. Somehow, the college hires a professor to teach their classes. They come in, help the folks fill out the TA forms, and away they go. 2-3 hours once a week. I don't have all the specifics, but I found it really really interesting that the OIC got so creative with this process and has had great success getting his crew excited about using our educational benefits in a different way. Not sure if that type of learning is available everywhere, but it sure is worth looking into.

Steve

[ITC Steven Grimes]

I would like to know who in the Entire U.S. Coast Guard has spent the most when it comes to Tuition assistance. I emailed the institute and I have spent a very small part, just shy of $12,000 in 2.5 years. (I have yet to touch my GI Bill) Can we ask around or email the institute and find out who the top 10 are? Officers or enlisted. We would not even need names, just amounts, ranks or rates and what degree they were able to complete. I think people should be notified when they reach a milestone like 10G, 15G, 20G ETC.....

Anyone here beat my $13,000. I'm sure that someone has. It would be a good advertisement to see that someone had used over $20,000 dollars of tuition assistance.

I also heard lately that people waiting for Masters and PHD tuition have been put on hold with tuition assistance. Is that just officers they are making wait or enlisted also?

[ETCS David Kroll]

Hi Steve,
I don't have the msg in front of me but I believe they were talking only post graduate ( PHd) courses, and I believe it was putting everyone on hold until all the graduate and undergraduate courses were funded, then they will look at those going to PHd's.
I have have spent $8000 of TA money in the last 18 months, and I still have the full GI bill to use. Congrats on graduating last semester Steve, I still think you have to continue with the Masters. My BSBA degree will have cost the CG TA $10,000 in the end, plus Touro University paid me $1000 in tuition (gave me a free class). The MBA will also be free to me, I just can't turn down anything that is free. I can't remember how much my AA degree was through Phoenix but I know it didn't cost me a dime.
Dave

[ETCS Robert Kelley]

I believe the hold was on graduate and postgraduate degrees but has since been lifted. I do know that the graduate courses are now being funded as I am using TA for an MBA. I have used about $15,000 and finished an AA, AS and BSBA to date and about 1/3 done with an MBA. The AS and BSBA were classroom (night school) and the AA was a Phoenix program. The MBA is Grantham, this one will be “free” well… at least is won’t cost me any money.

[LT Pat Leftwich (YNC)(Ret.)]

The Coast Guard has an excellent Education Program compared to the other services. The CG is the only service to really offer the type of service that the Voluntary Education Department at the Institute provides (up-to-date degree planning). Their TA is second to none. The Navy limits the number of courses you can take in a year, the Army only pays up front TA for just over 130 schools (any soldier going to a school other than one of those pays for the tuition out of their pocket and then get reimbursed once the course is completed). The CG has made tremendous strides in getting education to the deck plates. You need to use these benefits to their fullest. Congrats to those that are.