Sailors stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island seeking higher education took a course on Tuition Assistance (TA) July 26. The course is held twice a week at the Whidbey Island Navy College Education Center and is a prerequisite for Sailors who wish to use tuition assistance.

“This (TA) is something that is way under-utilized that’s paid for by Uncle Sam and, if you don’t use it, it goes away and we don’t want that,” said Patrick Travenetti, an Education Counselor of Chapman University Whidbey Island Campus, who facilitated the course.

The course covered the limitations on TA concerning maximum number of credit hours and prices per credit hour that a Sailor is allowed to use per fiscal year according to how a school breaks down its hours. 

There are three types of hours schools use; semester hours, quarter hours, and clock hours which TA breaks down appropriately to determine the amount of funding each Sailor is allowed.

“I already have 20 college credits through community college and high school. I joined the Navy to go to college and get my associate’s degree,” said Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman Recruit David Torrey. “I want to know what the Navy offers through TA and how to use my GI Bill to continue my education.”

TA can also be augmented by your Montgomery GI Bill using the Top-up program which will use your GI Bill to cover the tuition that is over TA’s maximum price per credit, but it will decrease one of your 36 monthly installments you receive when you use your GI Bill after you separate from the Navy. 

“This will help me because I want to get at least my associate’s degree, maybe even my bachelor’s, to help my Navy career,” said Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Apprentice John Quicquaro.

The class also taught Sailors about researching schools and developing a plan by using Sailor-Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART) and Service Member Online Academic Advisor (SMOLAA) to build towards a degree.

“Don’t procrastinate. Once you start, higher education is very addictive, I can’t overemphasize that you should start talking to a counselor early,” said Travenitti. 

Students got a tour of the Navy College Learning Center (NCLC) where students can enroll to study for the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), military schools, and college placement exams.

Madilyn Gonzalez, NCLC facilitator, said the center is a good place to prepare yourself for higher education. “For those who don’t have any college courses done already this is the best place to start your preparation for taking your placement tests,” she said.

Jeovanni Camacho Jr., enrollment services and financial aid assistant for Chapman University advises that Sailors should try it out to see if they want to continue their education.

“Get in the classroom, get your feet wet,” he said. “See how you handle the added responsibilities and take classes for experience, not just for the grade.”