Overseas Education Support

Many voluntary education opportunities are available to service members regardless of where they serve. Military members serving outside the continental United States (OCONUS) have various options to begin or continue their education. Depending on the location, service members may access education counseling services, testing services, and on-site and online courses.

Service members can access educational opportunities in forwarding deployed areas within the Central Command (CENTCOM) and Africa Command (AFRICOM) areas of responsibility (AOR). Some bases have government civilian education services officers or military education and training specialists assigned to the education/learning resource centers who can advise service members in various stages of their education journey. DANTES website (https://www.dantes.doded.mil/EducationPrograms/

support-in-school/overseas-support.html) is an excellent resource to learn which universities and colleges are physically located on military overseas and contingency installations.

On behalf of the Services, DANTES provides Contingency Area Education Support through a contract with the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). Current service locations are Kuwait (Camps Arifjan, Camp Buehring, and Ali Al Salem); Qatar (Al Udeid Air Base); Bahrain (Manama Naval Support Activity and Isa Air Base); Djibouti (Camp Lemonnier); Jordan (Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and Joint Training Center); Egypt (North and South Camps Sinai), Saudi Arabia (Prince Sultan Air Base) and United Arab Emirates (Al Dhafra Air Base). Service members will have access to local support, academic guidance, and testing services if they deploy to any of these locations. Government education personnel work closely with the contracted university to ensure students can continue pursuing their education goals while deployed.

DANTES facilitates the availability of academic exams by operating National Test Centers (NTCs). These NTCs offer service members and eligible civilians access to College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DSST internet-based testing (iBT) exams, online credentialing examinations, and other electronic exams. Contracted test examiners also proctor electronic exams for service members enrolled in distance education courses with non-contract education colleges and universities on a space-available basis. MSgt Sean Walls is a 3F2XX Education and Training Specialist assigned to Kuwait’s learning resource center. When discussing his deployed experiences, he shared, “I couldn’t have asked to work with a better and more professional contractor. Ms. Barbara Norl, the local UMGC representative, truly has been a pleasure to work with, and it feels like a real team atmosphere in the education center at Ali Al Salem. We bounce ideas off each other, share advice and feedback, and collaborate where appropriate.”

DANTES offers opportunities to earn college credit and meet certification requirements through a variety of methodologies. Service members have real time access to their instructors via face-to-face, streaming, and hybrid courses. Service members may also enroll in online courses. DANTES offers courses leading to a certificate or associates of science degree, lower- and upper-level courses leading to the award of a bachelor’s degree, as well as courses leading to graduate degrees. The degree programs offered in CENTCOM/ AFRICOM regions are consistent with the degree programs available at the home campus. Service member participation in degree programs is funded through military Tuition Assistance (TA) based on Service policy, the GI Bill, federal financial aid, the various Services COOL programs, or funded individually by an eligible student. Depending on the time of year and the location, service members often have the opportunity to participate in graduation ceremonies while deployed.

Once a service member is notified they will be deployed, they should set up an appointment with their home base counselor. Counselors can assist service members to create a plan to continue their education goals while deployed. Here are a few helpful hints: 1. Review the education plan/degree plan together. Help the service member to secure an education plan before enrolling in courses while deployed. 2. Assist the service member to set realistic goals for the time they will be deployed. Deployments are usually six months but can be as short as three months and as long as 18 months. Consider whether there will be enough time to complete a course or two. 3. Research what programs and services are available at the overseas or contingency locations.

The DANTES website is a good resource to learn which universities and colleges are physically located at overseas and contingency locations.

Term schedules for onsite classes may already be available and service members can learn if upcoming course offerings will transfer into their current degree plans. 4. If there is no onsite college or National Test

Center where the service member is deploying, there are other options. There are hundreds of online classes to choose from. Service members can also to use the time while deployed to prepare for a college level equivalent exam when they return to home station. 5. Encourage service members to download the

MilEd Benefits mobile app https://www.dantes. doded.mil/Resources/MilEdBenefits.html so they have access to military education resources anytime, anywhere.

The Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education (VolEd) Program, through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) ensures Contingency Area Education Support for deployed military members and those stationed overseas in the USEUCOM, USCENTCOM and USAFRICOM AORs (areas of responsibility).

The DANTES European Advisor is available to help military students pursue their education goals while downrange including:

Managing institutional partnerships that provide contingency area education support

Coordinating mobile testing opportunities at down range locations

Conducting training workshops and attends local education fairs

Encouraging military components to stay updated on DANTES education programs

Obtaining feedback from education center staff about DANTES material and operations

Access to face-to-face academic counseling services Opportunities to earn college credit and meet certification requirements Expanded test center accessibility for military members Availability of undergraduate and graduate academic programs

All active duty, enlisted, officer and warrant officers, National Guard and Reserve components, in all military services, including the U.S. Coast Guard are eligible to use Contingency Area Education Support services.