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Military Portals for Every Branch of Service
By: Kimberly Cardwell, University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
Each service branch of the military is ready to meet your educational needs with their unique military portals. Every portal manages the classes students take as well as how much tuition assistance they are able to use.
Go Army Ed
Go Army Ed is a sophisticated portal, which serves as a soldier’s one-stop shop to manage their educational needs. The portal serves active duty and Reservists, National Guard, and some DoD Civilians in the U.S. Army who use tuition assistance to take courses. Soldiers, Army Education Counselors, and schools all utilize the portal to provide a seamless experience. If a soldier wishes to pursue a degree, they must first fill out a questionnaire, known as VIA, detailing their professional and educational goals. Then, the results of the questionnaire will guide them to a degree and a school that will best fit their needs. The school the soldier chooses will provide a military degree plan showing which classes are needed to graduate. Once the soldier selects the degree and school, a common application is electronically sent to the school of their choice. From there, the soldier will be able to register for courses and request tuition assistance (TA)using the Go Army Ed portal. Go Army Ed is unique because it’s the only military portal that requires students to register for classes, drop classes, and change majors in the system.
Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard
The MyNavy Portal serves students who are in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Students must choose the school they want to attend and provide a degree plan to the Navy College Office. The degree plan will detail the classes needed to graduate. Once students register for courses with their university of choice, they must request tuition assistance through the MyNavy Portal. Once approved, the student must submit the tuition assistance form to their school.
Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC)
The Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) system is the portal that Airmen use for their tuition assistance benefits. Airmen register for courses through their school of choice and then request tuition assistance in AFVEC. Like the other military branches, they are required to furnish a degree plan which shows the classes they need to pursue a degree. Once their tuition assistance (TA) is approved, their school may receive the TA electronically. Airmen are able to speak with education counselors at their duty stations to guide them. Additionally, Airmen can pursue a Community College of the Air Force associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree at a civilian school simultaneously through the Air University’s Associates-to-Bachelors Completion (AU/ABC) program. All military portals have dedicated staff to assist military service members with their educational and tuition assistance needs, and work to help students reach their personal, professional, and educational goals. They are available at most duty stations by phone, e-mail, and in-person visits. Additionally, many schools also have specialized and dedicated staff to assist military students in using TA to fund their education while they serve