There are several colleges and universities that offer courses on
the base. Semester hour rate vary depending on college of
choice.
For military members, your first stop should be at the Navy
College Office which is there to assist in the educational development of
sailors. The Navy College Program at NAS Patuxent River is
multi-faceted. Its programs include providing command and individual
group briefings and coordinating off-duty educational opportunities for active
duty personnel. The Navy College Office is an educational resource, guidance,
and advisement center providing information on local colleges,
vocational-technical training, tuition assistance, testing, and non-traditional
education programs.
There are several programs at the Navy College Office
to note for the military. "SMART", the Sailor/Marine American Council
on Education Registry Transcript, is now available on line. You can
now view and print your own copy of the "SMART" transcript. Just go
to the web overview link and follow the instructions. "SMART" is a
record which documents all Navy and Marine occupational experience and training,
along with the corresponding recommended college
credit. "Servicemembers Opportunity College Navy", and the "Tuition
Assistance Program" for active duty sailors who attend accredited colleges
during off-duty time are some of the other programs available at the Navy
College Office. The Navy will pay 100% of tuition, not to exceed
$250.00 per semester hour, with a fiscal year funding limit of 12 semester hours
(or eqivalent). "Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges" (SOC) degree
program for the Navy is a system of college curriculum networks designed for
servicemembers and their adult family members. Networks consist of
groups of colleges that have agreed to accept each others courses in a
particular program of study. Students can move freely among the
colleges in a network without being reevaluated or worrying about whether or not
courses will transfer. Any questions on the programs should be
directed to the Navy College Office.
Don't forget to check on your
veterans education benefits with the Veterans Benefits Representative at the
Fleet and Family Support Center.