Navy announces Graduate Education Voucher Program

CHIPS, April-June, 2006 by Ed Barker

Commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) recently released information for the fiscal year (FY) 2006 Graduate Education Voucher (GEV) program, which offers eligible, unrestricted line (URL) officers the opportunity to receive funded graduate education during off-duty hours.

Significant changes to this year's program include the realignment of degree program category allotments based on Navy requirements. As in previous years, officers must choose a course of study that is relevant to their Navy career to align the program along the lines of the Professional Military Education Continuum.

The GEV program is open to URL active duty officers, paygrades O-3 through O-5, in designators 111X, 112X, 113X, 114X and 13XX. Quotas for FY06 are as follows: Surface Warfare -47; Submarine -40; Aviation -47; Special Warfare/Special Operations (SPECWAR/ SPECOPS) -6. Quotas by degree program and warfare areas are available in NAVADMIN 018-06, posted on the Navy College Program's GEV Web page at: https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/gev/.

The GEV program is targeted at officers with demonstrated superior performance and upward career mobility who are transferring or have recently reported to shore duty. The shore duty requirement is so they will have sufficient time for completion of a graduate program. Officers who have already received a graduate degree that was funded by a Department of Defense or Veteran's education benefit are ineligible. But, those currently enrolled in qualifying graduate degree programs using Tuition Assistance, other financial assistance programs or paying privately may apply.

The program benefits cover all graduate education costs (tuition, books, registration/application fees), to a maximum of $20,000 per year for up to 24 months from the time of enrollment (not to exceed $40,000 total). Some restrictions apply and enrollment in the program carries a service obligation up to a maximum of 36 months. NAVADMIN 018/06 contains additional information on specific program requirements. Interested officers should submit written requests to their detailer, per the NAVADMIN.

For those not qualifying for the GEV program, assistance is still available through the Tuition Assistance program and other graduate education programs as listed on the Navy Personnel Command Web site at http://www.npc.navy.mil/CareerInfo/Education/ GraduateEducationPrograms/. For information on the GEV

Program, visit the Navy College Program GEV Web site at https:// www.navycollege.navy.mil/gev/. For more information about Navy education and training, visit the NETC Web site at https://www.netc. navy.mil/.

Ed Barker, NETC Public Affairs