A Guide to Military Education- The Coast Guard, part 1.

Coast Guard Education Programs

The Coast Guard also offers its members great opportunities to get a college education generally referred to as Voluntary Education or Vol Ed. The Coast Guard Institute offers the following programs to help Coast Guardsmen reach their education goals.

If you are an Active Duty, Selective Reserve or Coast Guard federal employee, the Coast Guard will pay up to 100% of your college Tuition. View Coast Guard Tuition Assistance page.

SOCCOAST
SOCCOAST is the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) degree program for the Coast Guard.

1. SOCCOAST consists of colleges that offer associate and bachelor's degree programs on or accessible to Navy and Marine installations worldwide.
2. SOCCOAST colleges form networks in which each college accepts credits from all the others.

For more detailed information visit the SOCCOAST website.

SOCCOAST Afloat
SOCCOAST Afloat consists of SOCCOAST institutions that have degree programs where you can fulfill requirements with stand-alone CD-ROM Courses. This media is necessary aboard ships and cutters where there is limited Internet connectivity. The current, SOCCOAST Afloat is comprised of four institutions that have that capacity:

1. Coastline Community College
2. Excelsior College
3. Florida Community College at Jacksonville
4. Fort Hays State University

These institutions have a good reputation in providing courses afloat to other servicemembers. Other SOCCOAST institutions may join SOCCOAST Afloat as the concept is further developed and implemented.

Click on SOCCOAST Afloat for more information.

More Coast Guard Resources
The Coast Guard Foundation Grant If you are an active duty enlisted member the Coast Guard Foundation offers you an annual Education Grant. This grant program is open to active duty enlisted personnel in pay grades E-3 to E-9 with two or more years of Coast Guard service. This $350 grant may be used in conjunction with the Coast Guard Tuition Assistance Program, or other non-funded relevant education items.

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)
CGMA offers a Supplemental Education Grant (SEG) of up to $160 per year. You can use this grant for any

Additional Education Assistance family member's education expenses. However it does not cover Tuition expenses. This grant can also be used to pay for ASVAB, CLEP, SAT, and other study guides. CGMA also offers several education related loans.

The Coast Guard also offers dependent spouses and Federal Coast Guard employees the opportunity to take CLEP, DANTES, and other tests at no cost.

Advanced Education Programs
There are many advanced education programs available for both enlistees and officers. These are currently announced by ALCOAST, ALCGENL, and other general distribution messages from Coast Guard Headquarters.