UNCLASSIFIED ROUTINE R 301201Z SEP 16 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// NAVADMIN 219/16 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/SEP// SUBJ/VOLUNTARY EDUCATION/NAVY COLLEGE PROGRAM TRANSFORMATION (CORRECTED COPY)// REF/A/DOC/USD P&R/07JUL14// REF/B/DOC/OSD M&RA/03DEC15// REF/C/DOC/OPNAV N1/04MAR08// REF/D/DOC/NETC N5/20JAN11// NARR/REF A IS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSTRUCTION 1322.25, VOLUNTARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS CHANGE 3. REF B IS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MEMORANDUM ADDRESSING PARTICIPATION BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN MORALE, WELFARE, AND RECREATION COMMERCIAL SPONSORSHIP AND ADVERTISING PROGRAMS. REF C IS OPNAVINST 1560.9A, VOLUNTARY EDUCATION FOR NAVY SAILORS. REF D IS NETCINST 1560.3 NAVY VOLUNTARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS.// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN announces significant changes to the Navy’s Voluntary Education (VOLED)/Navy College Program. It details the phased Navy College Office (NCO) transformation in CONUS from a traditional brick and mortar voluntary education service delivery model to a virtual service delivery model that will provide online access and support to Sailors at the time and place most convenient for them. The OCONUS construct will not change. Existing NCOs will remain in place. 2. Effective 1 October 2016, all Sailors, including those who previously visited other services education offices or counselors, must only use Navy VOLED services described in this NAVADMIN and other Navy instructions. 3. Sixteen CONUS NCOs will transition to the new construct by 30 September 2016 and close. The NCOs at Naval Station Norfolk, VA, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL, Naval Base San Diego, CA, and Naval Base Kitsap, WA will remain open through the end of FY-17. 4. Qualified education counselors at the Navy College Programs expanded Virtual Education Center (VEC) will continue providing information and education counseling services. Sailors will have access to VEC counselors via phone, text messaging, and web-chat along with the ability to schedule education counseling appointments online. VEC counselors are available to serve Sailors from Monday through Friday, 0600-2100 Eastern Standard Time. VOLED information may be found on the Navy College Program website at https://www.navycollege.navy.mil, which is redesigned with enhanced content and services. 5. College Level Exam Program and the DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) exams will continue to be administered at National Test Centers currently operated on Navy installations. Sailors desiring these or additional exams must follow the funding and reimbursement instructions provided on the Defense Activity for non-traditional education services website at http://www.dantes.doded.mil/examinations. 6. Foreign language testing, i.e., Defense Language Proficiency Testing and Defense Language Aptitude Battery, though not a core element of VOLED, will continue to be offered at the CONUS NCOs remaining open through FY-17. Sailors may also request foreign language testing with other services as necessary. 7. For all courses with a start date on or after 1 January 2017, all first- time tuition assistance and Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE) participants must complete the following requirements prior to applying for TA or NCPACE enrollment and before receiving academic advising from an academic institution: a. Complete the Department of Defense (DoD) Higher Education Preparation Training Course hosted at http://jko.jten.mil. b. Complete WebTA Training or NCPACE Crew Brief Training hosted at https://www.navycollege.navy.mil, as applicable. c. Submit training completion certificates to navycollege(at)livehelpnow.net. d. Receive education counseling by a Navy College education counselor through the VEC or a NCO. NCPACE exception to the above policy for Sailors reporting to deployed units may be able to participate in instructor led (IL) courses. Sailors reporting to units deploying within 60 days may be able to participate in IL and/or Distance Learning courses. NCPACE participation is subject to chain of command approval. Following return from deployment and before further entitlement, Sailors must complete all requirements noted in paragraphs 7a-d above. e. All Sailors participating in TA or NCPACE must receive Navy College Program education counseling a minimum of once per academic level (i.e., certificate, associates, bachelors, masters) or if a degree program is changed. The education counseling must be performed by a Navy College education counselor within the first six semester hours (or equivalent). f. Revised TA timeline. All TA requests for courses starting on or after 1 January 2017 must be submitted and command approved between 120 and 14 days preceding the term start date. g. Certificate programs. Sailors may pursue one certificate program using semester, quarter, or clock hours from approved DoD Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) schools if such programs are also approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 8. Region Advisor positions have been created in Navy Regions Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest. RAs will provide VOLED support for installation commanding officers based on an MOU between Commander Navy Installations Command and Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) that incorporates requirements of references (a) through (d). Navy Region Mid-Atlantic RAs will support Naval District Washington installations. 9. Points of contact are as follows: a. OPNAV N127 point of contact is Mr. Jim Johnson, at (703)604-5256/DSN 664, or via e-mail at james.p.johnson(at)navy.mil. b. NETC N52 point of contact is Mr. Tom Smith, at (850)452-7271/DSN 459, or via e-mail at thomas.a.smith4(at)navy.mil. c. Foreign Language Testing point of contact is Mr. Darrin Williams, at (850)452-6529/DSN 664, or via e-mail at LanguageTesting(at)navy.mil. 10. This message will remain in effect until superseded. 11. Released by Vice Admiral R. P. Burke, N1.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//