DIB
JUL
DANTES INFORMATION BULLETIN
2018
Get DANTES Program Websites on Tablet, Laptop, & Phone
In this issue: DOD MOU 2 TA DECIDE
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SOC Degree & Certificates
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Hot News
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Troops to Teachers
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Contact Information
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DANTES Information Bulletin
Answers to DoD MOU, TA DECIDE, and SOC FAQs Taheesha Quarells, Communications Division, DANTES
O
ver the past few years, the Defense Voluntary Education (VolEd) Enterprise has made major changes to its partnership with academic institutions. From strengthening commitment and ensuring service members are attending quality academic institutions to making sure potential military students have tools to make informed decisions when choosing a school, VolEd has transformed and continues
to transform its strategic partnerships with more than 2,800 colleges, universities, and other postsecondary training providers. However, with many changes, there are always many questions. The focus of this month’s issue is on finding the answers to the questions customers may have regarding Defense education partnerships and the official college comparison tool for military students.
http://www.dantes.doded.mil
DoD Memorandum of Understanding
This may be a primer for some and a refresher for others, but the following article will equip VolEd personnel with the ability to answer frequently asked questions for: • DoD MOU - The Department of Defense Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (DoD MOU) between DoD Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) and educational institutions • TA DECIDE - The official online information and comparison tool for military members • SOC - The new degree networks and certificate programs within the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) program during its modernization For more information on each one of these programs, visit www.MyVoled.com and navigate to each program’s specific website. DoD MOU FAQs Here are common questions received from students about the DoD MOU program: 1. How do I find out if the school I want to attend is eligible to receive TA? Since 2014, DoD policy requires educational DANTES Information Bulletin
institutions that wish to participate in the DoD Tuition Assistance (TA) Program to sign a MOU conveying the commitments and agreements between the educational institution and DoD prior to an educational institution receiving funds from a Service’s TA program. All educational institutions that have signed the DoD MOU can be found by clicking on the Participating Institutions tab on the program homepage, http://www.dodmou.com. 2. I have checked the Participating Institutions list and I want to attend a school that is not a DoD MOU partnership. Can I still attend that school? Participating DoD MOU schools have been vetted for quality and value for military members by DoD. All institutions providing high school completion and postsecondary education programs through the DoD TA Program must have a signed, approved DoD MOU on file prior to service members receiving TA approval to attend their institution. If service members choose to attend a non-DoD approved school, they may not be eligible for TA and may need to search for other sources of funding such as self-funding, education benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Student Aid, or scholarships. http://www.dantes.doded.mil
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DoD Memorandum of Understanding Below are common questions received from schools about the DoD MOU program: 1. Who do I contact if I have questions about the DoD MOU or need assistance with the application process, annual updates, or system access? The DoD MOU Team is standing by to assist schools as they navigate the DoD MOU application and annual update process by phone and email. The team’s hours of operation are Mon-Fri, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (CST). For assistance, contact them via email: voledconcerns@navy.mil or call 850.452.1977. 2. I am still confused about accessing military bases/installations? Does it depend on the type of facility? Does my institution need to sign a separate MOU with each DoD installation we request access to?
building, or other facility to which DoD personnel are assigned for duty. This includes, but is not limited to, locations at an active duty military installation, National Guard or Reserve facility (state readiness center, armory, unity, etc.), or recruiting center (leased space inside a shopping mall or office building). The DoD Voluntary Education Partnership MOU serves as the uniform MOU with DoD outlining the requirements for DoD installation access. For example, signing a separate MOU with the installation is not a requirement for educational institutions solely providing academic counseling or support services to students or participating at sanctioned education fairs at approved locations. However, each DoD installation may require installation-specific requests
and reporting procedures for this type of access. Educational institutions that provide on-installation education programs or services such as classroom instruction, however, must sign an MOU with that installation in addition to meeting the DoD installation access provisions of DoDI 1322.25, “Voluntary Education Programs.” The installation-specific MOU stipulates the additional provisions for which an educational institution is permitted access to the DoD installation in performance of contracted services.
DoD Instruction 1322.25, “Voluntary Education Programs,” allows DoD MOU educational institutions access to military installations to provide programs, services, and education guidance to their students or to participate in sanctioned education fairs. It also has a section covering access for institutions that only want to provide academic counseling or support services to their students. Additional information is available on https:// www.dodmou.com by clicking “Department The policy pertains to all DoD installations, of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education DoD which are defined as any active duty military, Installation Access Tips and Resource Links” in Reserve or National Guard owned, leased, or the “Resources” box in the lower right corner. operated base, reservation, post, site, camp,
DOD Memorandum Of Understanding
DANTES Information Bulletin
http://www.dantes.doded.mil
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TA Decide
TA DECIDE FAQs by Students
are committed to and held accountable for meeting the requirements and adhering to the student protections outlined within DoD policy.
1. What is TA DECIDE?
TA DECIDE is the only online tool that focuses specifically on showing service members members how other military students and veterans are performing at each school in terms of completion rates and tuition costs. By entering personal parameters such as preferred degree level, program area and residential area, service members can use TA DECIDE to research and compare schools and programs, and much more.
Here are common questions received from students about TA DECIDE:
TA DECIDE is an online information and comparison tool tailored to the unique educational needs of service members. It is designed to support decision-making when it comes to military members selecting DoD MOU eligible schools, choosing the right program in which to enroll, and making decisions that are aligned with their unique personal goals. 2. Why should I take the time to use TA DECIDE?
The TA DECIDE tool is located on the DoD MOU website at www.DoDMOU.com. To access, click on the “TA DECIDE� tab at the top of page.
With more than 2,800 schools to choose from, VolEd personnel are encouraged to equip service members with the tools they need to research potential schools in order to make informed selections on their programs of study. Only educational institutions that are listed as participating DoD MOU schools are listed within TA DECIDE. Therefore, students can be confident that any school that they find will be eligible to receive TA funding to pay for their coursework. Furthermore, these schools DANTES Information Bulletin
http://www.dantes.doded.mil
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SOC Degree & Certificates
SOC FAQs
Below are common questions received from students, VolEd personnel, and schools about the SOC program.
To access the Course Category Codes, visit http://supportsystem.livehelpnow.net/resources/23351/SOCM_DNS_Category%20 Codes.xlsx
1. Students ask: How do I search for a course that will transfer back to my current SOC institution and degree?
2. VolEd personnel ask: Where can I find the SOC DNS handbook?
VolEd personnel should direct service members needing to take a course from an institution other than their home institution to search the SOC Course Category Codes to identify courses and institutions that provide guaranteed transferability to and from their home institution. However, service members should be advised to consult with their home institution before completing a course from another institution and verify the course will be transferred and applied to degree requirements.
The SOC Degree Network System (DNS) Handbook is updated annually and has been reviewed as of 2/15/18.
The Course Category Code tables may be used to search for a transferable course by selecting the appropriate degree level, associate degree (DNS-2 Course Category) or bachelor’s degree (DNS-4 Course Category.) Then apply the appropriate filter to find the course, institution, and the state in which it is located.
Suggested updates to the handbook may be submitted electronically using the ticket system on the SOC website. To submit a ticket, navigate to www.goSOCed.org, select the “Get Help” link in the top right corner of the screen and select “Submit a Question or Comment”.
DANTES Information Bulletin
Access the DNS-2 Handbook at
http://supportsystem.livehelpnow.net/resources/23351/soc_dns2_handbook.pdf
Access the DNS-4 Handbook at
http://supportsystem.livehelpnow.net/resources/23351/soc_dns4_handbook.pdf
http://www.dantes.doded.mil
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SOC Degree Network System (DNS)
SOC FAQs (continued)
3. Schools ask: How do I submit a SOC Student Agreement? VolEd personnel should advise inquiring academic institutions that as of May 1, 2018, all required SOC Student Agreement data must be submitted online behind their institution’s secure SOC Point of Contact (POC) account login at https://www.gosoced.org/. To direct them to more information about how to create a SOC account, refer them to http://supportsystem. livehelpnow.net/article/23351/95941. The new web-based submission form replaces the previous Microsoft Excel template. 4. All groups ask: What is the purpose of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program? The DoD and the Services, with the support of SOC, developed a new Voluntary Education (VolEd) program guide to provide Career and DANTES Information Bulletin
Technical Education (CTE) certificate opportunities to service members to assist them in preparing for transition into the civilian labor market after their military service. This program is designed to aid in aligning certificate opportunities from degree granting institutions with the service members expertise in an occupational specialty or technical area they obtained in the military. The CTE programs adopt certificates in high demand career and technical fields that are available in the civilian workforce. The CTE program guide is accessible to Veterans, as the certificate opportunities listed must be approved by the appropriate State Approving Agency for Veteran Affairs education benefits. The certificates should complement the service members’ military occupation and training and the completed coursework should be stackable towards an associate or bachelor’s degree in the technical career field.
http://www.dantes.doded.mil
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Program Updates
Hot News
The courses are free to all users and also include free textbooks and course materials. More imNew DSST Exam Titles Available portantly, courses can be downloaded via the SST has added two new exam titles to its Modern States app so that service members can portfolio of offerings to service members: access the content no matter where they’re LoPhysical Geology and Ethics in Technology. Both titles offer three credit hours and were recently cated. Encourage service members to join more reviewed and approved by the American Council on than 70,000 registered users who are already Education (A.C.E.) utilizing the Modern States courses to prepare for CLEP exams. To view the current list of CLEP DSST Second Shot is Back courses and sign up, visit the Modern States etween August 1 and September 30th, website, http://modernstates.org/course.
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military students who do not pass their first exam attempt will be eligible for one FREE retake. Historically, this promotion yielded record numbers of military members taking exams! Did you know that nearly 70 percent of all service members passed their exam on the first attempt? Go to www.getcollegecredit.com more information.
FREE Online CLEP Courses Available
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elp service members prepare for CLEP exams with free online CLEP courses offered by Modern States Education Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to making a high quality college education free of cost and accessible. The courses, taught by professors from leading institutions have no prerequisites or restrictions for enrolling and cover all CLEP exam subjects. DANTES Information Bulletin
DANTES/TTT Social Media Messaging
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o you want to share more information on your base or education center’s social media accounts? New information is posted regularly on DANTES and Troops to Teachers social media accounts. We encourage you to share the graphics and information with your base audience. There’s no work involved. Just share!
FB: @DANTES.DoD FB: @TTT.DANTES Twitter: @DANTES_DoD Twitter: @TTT_DANTES
http://www.dantes.doded.mil
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Troops to Teachers
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roops to Teachers (TTT) announces six more states have been awarded a TTT grant with two consortia of states providing services to a total of eight states. This brings the total number of states offering local TTT grant assistance to 31 states. The 2018 grants will provide services for a five year term ending in May 2023. NEWEST STATES The newest states to be awarded a state grant are: • • • • • •
Alabama Kansas Michigan Ohio New Jersey and Delaware (consortia) Missouri and Iowa (consortia)
GRANT OFFICE BENEFITS The main benefit of the TTT state grants is that local state education departments and agencies are able to assist military members, veterans and TTT participants with local counseling and guidance. These local offices become the frontline for certification and hiring information, resources, and technical assistance on meeting teacher requirements related to each individual state. OTHER STATES Other states which already have a state grant office include the following: DANTES Information Bulletin
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Arizona Colorado - (consortia) with New Mexico Connecticut Florida Georgia Hawaii Montana - (consortia) with Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming New York North Carolina Oklahoma Pennsylvania Texas Virginia
PROGRAM INFORMATION TTT is a military transition program within DANTES. The grants support recruiting of eligiblecurrent and former military members for participation in the TTT program and facilitate the employment of participants as teachers in K-12 schools. Registration for the program is free and requires no commitment. Members can register via the program website, www.proudtoserveagain.com. Headquarters TTT program reps can be reached by calling 1-800-231-6242 or by emailing ttt@navy. mil.
http://www.dantes.doded.mil
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DANTES Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support
DANTES OCONUS European Advisor (Contingency Operation Support)
6490 Saufley Field Road, Pensacola, FL 32509 (850) 452-1901
011-49-611-143-544-1230/1210
usarmy.badenwur.usareur.mbx.dantes-euro@ mail.mil
DANTES_Outreach@navy.mil
www.DANTES.DoDed.mil DANTES4Military.Education
DANTES INFORMATION BULLETIN
DANTESpulse.DoDlive.mil
DANTES Information Bulletin The DANTES Information Bulletin is published monthly to inform education personnel about DANTES programs and to help promote more efficient customer service to service members. Email all inquiries to DANTES_Outreach@navy.mil. Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted for any purpose of the United States Government, except that copyrighted materials cannot be reproduced without written permission from the copyright owner. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by DANTES of the linked websites, or the information, products, or services contained therein.
Jeff Allen, Director Michelle Alexander, Editor DANTES Information Bulletin
http://www.dantes.doded.mil
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