CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 031821Z JUN 24 MID120001178269U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 112/24 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N7// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N7// MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N71/JUN// SUBJ/ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026 FLEET SCHOLARS EDUCATION PROGRAM CORRECTED COPY// REF/A/DOC/CNO WASHINGTON DC/15AUG16// REF/B/DOC/CNO WASHINGTON DC/08JAN15// REF A IS OPNAVINST 1500.78, FLEET SCHOLARS EDUCATION PROGRAM// REF B IS OPNAVINST 1520.24D, OFFICER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN announces the Fiscal Year 2025, Academic Year (AY) 2025-2026 Fleet Scholars Education Program (FSEP). 2. Background a. The Fleet Scholars Education Program (FSEP) is a Navy talent and warfighter development initiative that selects high performing Unrestricted Line (URL) Officers, to include Information Warfare (IW) Officers, to attend in-residence graduate education. Selected participants will attend in-residence graduate school at an accredited institution of their choice (Continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii). b. FSEP is nominally suited for the Lieutenant (LT) paygrade; however, Lieutenant Commanders are eligible. Top performing Lieutenant Junior Grade Officers may be considered if scheduled to be promoted to LT before reporting to their school of choice for graduate education. c. FSEP participants have 24 months to complete a graduate degree while in a full-time student status. Participants will be required to choose a degree that will earn a subspecialty code. The approved areas of study list for fully-funded degree has changed from last year due to the continuing refinement of Navy education requirements and can be found in paragraph 4. Distance learning or night/weekend/part-time programs structured for the working professional are not authorized graduate programs under FSEP. d. Officers who have already received Navy provided fully-funded graduate education are not eligible to participate. Graduate degrees obtained through Post 9-11 G.I. Bill, tuition assistance or the Navy College Program for Afloat College Education are not disqualifiers. Selectees will be assigned a unique additional qualification designation (AQD) for tracking and career management purposes. 3. Application and Selection Process a. Community sponsors will develop and implement their own application criteria and selection process to identify their most talented officers with proven past performance and high potential future performance for FSEP participation. Community sponsors will determine their nominees for selection no later than 30 September and submit them to the Director for Warfighter Development (OPNAV N71) via the Civilian Institutions (CIVINS) program office for final selection approval and selection notification. Selection notification will be released by 31 October 2024 from OPNAV N71 in order for Navy Personnel Command, Graduate Education and Training Placement (PERS-440) to meet the AY25-26 fall/winter semester/quarter start dates. Each community sponsor may select up to their annual allocated graduate education opportunities, per reference (a), shown below: Community Designator Opportunities SURFOR 1110 8 SUBFOR 1120 5 NSW 1130 3 EOD 1140 3 AIRFOR 1310, 1320 6 IWC 1810 1 1820 1 1830 1 b. Upon notification of selection to FSEP, selectees should apply to at least three accredited graduate education institutions. Participants may be reimbursed for up to three application and transcript fees after beginning their first semester/quarter. Participants shall consult the list of schools that have existing Education Service Agreements (ESA) with the Navy on the MyNavy HR website CIVINS page at https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career- Management/Fellowships/NPS-CIVINS/. In cases where the school of choice is not on the ESA listing, the selectee shall notify the CIVINS office no less than 7 months prior to program start to allow sufficient time to pursue and establish additional ESAs. Participants are responsible for researching and completing prerequisites including Graduate Record Examinations where applicable (Navy will not reimburse for GRE fees). Permanent change of station orders and enrollment should not occur prior to 01 July 2025 for the fall/winter term of AY25-26. 4. Areas of Study: a. FSEP participants should choose a subspecialty code from the following areas of study. Degrees earning a subspecialty code not listed below will have a tuition cap. National Security / Regional Studies - 2XXX Public Policy / Public Administration - 3000 Education and Training Management - 3150 Operations Resource Management - 321X Mathematics - 4100 Engineering and Technology - 5XXX Systems Operations - 6XXX b. All degree programs shall yield a subspecialty code upon completion; therefore, all Education Plans will be reviewed against the Educational Skill Requirement (ESR) and approved by the respective Subject Matter Expert (SME). The full list of subspecialty codes can be found online at https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Education/Subspecialty/. c. For questions on whether a desired degree falls outside the specific areas of study listed above, the selectee shall submit a degree approval request to the CIVINS office. 5. Tuition Cap. For degrees that earn a subspecialty code listed in paragraph 4, FSEP selectees will receive 100% funding for tuition related expenses. For any other degree programs, FSEP selectees will only receive a maximum of $40K/year in tuition related expenses for a total of $80K per capped participant. Selectees may use a combination of scholarships, post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits, and personal resources to cover additional costs. Reference (b) provides additional information on scholarship requirements. 6. Service Obligation: In line with reference (b), FSEP selectees shall agree to remain on active duty for three years following graduation or withdrawal from the program. A member who voluntarily or through misconduct fails to complete the active-duty time agreed upon shall be required to reimburse the cost of the education received, prorated for the obligated time served. 7. Additional information regarding FSEP is available at the CIVINS website at https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career- Management/Fellowships/NPS-CIVINS/Fleet-Scholars-Education-Program/ and in reference (a). 8. Points of contact. a. For AY 25/26 FSEP quota availability contact your detailer. b. For policy questions, e-mail OPNAV N711 (OPNAV_N711@us.navy.mil). 9. This message will remain in effect until superseded or 31 May 2025, whichever occurs first. 10. Released by VADM D. W. Dwyer, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Development (N7).// BT #0001 NNNN CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED//