The mission of Army Continuing Education System is to promote lifelong learning and readiness through flexible, relevant education programs, services and systems in support of the Total Army Family. Army Continuing Education System empowers Soldiers to use educational resources, sharpening the competitive edge of the Army, and enabling them to return to civilian life with key employment skills.
The Army observes American Education Week this week. The observance began in 1921 to build national support for education; after discovering one-quarter of World War I draftees couldn’t read or write. The theme is “A Culture of Learning, A Legacy of Service.”
The Army Installation Management Command has education specialists in 150 centers and offices around the globe. Here at Fort Campbell education specialists are located at the Staff Sgt. Glenn H. English Jr. Education Center and are ready to assist anyone interested in continuing education. Additionally, the GoArmyEd portal provides information about programs and services, including tuition assistance.
The Army recently removed waiting periods for tuition assistance and created a two-tier eligibility system. Before, Soldiers had to wait one year, after advanced individual training, to use tuition assistance to pursue a bachelor’s and wait 10 years to pursue a master’s degree.
Eligible Soldiers will have $4,000 per year toward 130 semester hours of undergraduate credit, 39 of graduate credit, and 21 for a certificate.
Tier 1 includes Soldiers without a bachelor’s degree pursuing an undergraduate certificate or diploma, or associate or bachelor’s degrees. This tier also includes Soldiers who completed a bachelor’s without tuition assistance and pursue an undergraduate or graduate certificate or master’s degree. Those eligible for Tier 1 include enlisted advanced individual training graduates, warrant officer basic course graduates and basic officer leaders course graduates.
Tier 2 includes Soldiers who used tuition assistance for any portion of their undergraduate, have a bachelor’s, and pursue an undergraduate, graduate certificate or master’s degree. Those eligible for Tier 2 include enlisted advanced leaders course graduates, warrant officer advanced course graduates and captains career course or equivalent graduates.
The Army is piloting a credentialing program with active duty Soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, and Texas Army National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers. The program is expected to roll out Armywide late 2019.
Army Continuing Education System helps Soldiers obtain skills to achieve the Army Vision of strong, capable leaders while meeting personal and professional goals. Education increases combat readiness, helps retain quality Soldiers, enhances careers and prepares Soldiers for a successful transition to civilian life. The program supports the leader development imperatives of the Army leader development strategy and supports Army strategic priorities.