Education Services

Our mission is to help active duty members and their families successfully achieve their academic goals. We strive to ensure that you are well informed regarding all educational resources and benefits available to you! Services include processing of Tuition Assistance (TA) applications, providing college course prep material and online tutoring information, printing JST transcripts, providing access to career, university and degree selection tools, conducting academic counseling and testing referrals, providing Apprenticeship & Certification Program information and more!

DoD Voluntary Education Portal for all Services

The Voluntary Education Program advocates lifelong learning for the Department of Defense community by providing policy, program guidance, and resource oversight. In addition you’ll find information on military Tuition Assistance, and Service Member Opportunity College (SOC), etc.

https://www.dodmou.com/

Tuition Assistance Brief

Call to register at (619)524-8158 or (619)524-1275 or email at john.goodson@usmc.mil or rong.zhang@usmc.mil

You can also register for the Tuition Assistance Brief at the following link!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ta-orientation-brief-tickets-427311308627

(This is a requirement to be eligible for TA funding!)

Establish Web Tuition Assistance Account

https://myeducation.netc.navy.mil

Joint Services Transcript (JST)

https://jst.doded.mil/

Military courses and training taken are reflected on your Joint Service Transcript and may be eligible for elective credit with your university or institution! Provide a copy of your JST to your academic advisor with your university during the enrollment process in order to receive credit for courses taken. Please contact the Education Office if you need a copy of your JST.

Free Academic Tutoring

www.tutor.com/military

Tutor.com is free online academic tutoring resource that is also available to your family members and dependents! You must register while serving on Active Duty to qualify.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

CLEP testing is free for SMs on the first attempt and may allow you to place out of some pre-requisite courses that you are knowledgeable in. This could save you time, money and allow you to earn your degree quicker! Many schools have a maximum number of credits they will accept through these non-traditional methods.

NU’s Spectrum Campus in Kearney Mesa administers the CLEP here in San Diego. Please contact to schedule at 858-541-7951 or email testingservices@nu.edu.

You can also find additional testing centers near you at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html.

Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES)

The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) helps service members and veterans pursue their educational goals and earn degrees or certifications both during and after their service. DANTES is a Department of Defense agency that provides leadership and support for this important effort through partnerships across the education community. DANTES offers DSST testing that can offer by subject college credit similar to CLEP testing, as well as various academic resources and academic review programs to include:

Online Academic Skills Course (OASC)

The Online Academic Skills Course (OASC) is a free interactive study course to assist in building math and verbal skills. The OASC is a pre-requirement for TA eligibility if your GT score is below 100.

Go to https://dantes.petersons.com/ for more information.

College and University Programs on the Depot

There are two colleges/universities offering classes aboard the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego:

National University – Master, Bachelor, and Associate degrees. – http://www.nu.edu/
Columbia College – Master, Bachelor, and Associate degrees. – http://www.ccis.edu/SanDiego
Contact the Education Center concerning visiting colleges/universities, (619)524-8158

To research and compare college/university programs: www.dodmou.com/TADECIDE

Scholarships & Financial Aid Programs

Scholarships

The MCRD Education Office team has compiled a list of scholarships that are available for Active Duty, AD Spouses, Dependents and Veterans! Please reach out to the Education Office staff at john.goodson@usmc.mil or rong.zhang@usmc.mil if you would like a copy of our Military Affiliated Scholarship Tracker! We routinely update this tracker as we are informed of new scholarship opportunities. Please note that that each scholarship has its own application window, award amount and may have specific eligibility requirements.

FAFSA Application

We encourage you to apply for financial aid as an alternative source of funding through FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov. This FREE application is used to apply for federal, state, and institutional grants, work-study, and loans online. Please note, a pell grant through FAFSA is not a loan and does not need to be paid back. You must reapply every year to reassess your eligibility.

MCRD Military Testing Section Information

The Installation Personnel Administration Center (IPAC) provides Military Testing in Building 622, Room 121 on base at MCRD San Diego. Available tests include the DLAB, ARC or RCAT, EDPT, AFCT GCT, DLPT.

Marines are encouraged to walk in for testing Monday-Wednesday every week. Walk in or appointments for testing will not be available Thursday and Friday due to recruit testing.

Please see the Downloads section on this page to download the AFCT Retest Policy and Sample Letter for reference.

Phone: (619) 524-1993
DSN: 524-4354
Fax: (619) 524-6110

Recruit Administration Branch
41001 Midway Ave
BLDG 622, Room 121
San Diego, CA 92140