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A COST-FREE DEGREE
With the various benefits available to you because of your service in the Coast Guard, you can actually earn a 60-credit associate's degree (and even a 120-credit bachelor's degree) from a number of schools at no cost to you. Below are just four examples (in alphabetical order) of schools where you can do this.
Example #1: Coastline College
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Complete and submit to the Coast Guard Institute an Application for Voluntary Education Services, as described on the "Getting Started" page.
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Send an official USCG Transcript Request form to the Institute, asking the Institute to send an official transcript of your education to Coastline College. The school will use it to figure out how close you are to meeting the credit requirement for your chosen degree.
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Apply for admission to Coastline College (application fee: $0).
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Apply up to 40 semester hours of credit from military experience or from CLEP tests, DSSTs, or ECEs. (There are preparation materials for many of these tests also available at no cost to you through the ESO.)
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Take at least 20 semester hours of actual courses (12 of which must be through Coastline).
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Apply for graduation (fee: $0).
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Apply for a Coast Guard Foundation grant and/or Coast Guard Mutual Assistance grant to be reimbursed for the costs of fees, materials, and books.
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Receive your degree.
Example #2: University of Phoenix
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Complete and submit to the Coast Guard Institute an Application for Voluntary Education Services, as described on the "Getting Started" page.
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Send an official USCG Transcript Request form to the Institute, asking the Institute to send an official transcript of your education to Coastline College. The school will use it to figure out how close you are to meeting the credit requirement for your chosen degree.
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Apply for admission to the University of Phoenix (application fee: $45).
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Take and pass all five CLEP general exams (free) for 30 credits. To get ready for these exams, a number of test preparation materials are available both here and through the Coast Guard Institute.
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Submit a Tuition Assistance request form to the Coast Guard Institute, through your ESO, to pay for any courses you need to complete your degree. (This includes Written Communications (COMM299), a 3-credit course everyone must take to graduate from the University of Phoenix.)
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Apply for graduation and pay the required fee ($65).
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Apply for a Coast Guard Foundation grant and/or Coast Guard Mutual Assistance grant to be reimbursed for the costs of fees, materials, and books.
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Receive your degree.
Example #3: Thomas Edison State College
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Complete and submit to the Coast Guard Institute an Application for Voluntary Education Services, as described on the "Getting Started" page.
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Take and pass enough free CLEP subject exams, DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs), and/or Excelsior College Exams (ECEs) to acquire all but 6 of the remaining required credits. (There are preparation materials for many of these tests also available at no cost to you through the ESO.)
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Send an official USCG Transcript Request form to the Institute, asking the Institute to send an official transcript of your education to TESC. The school will use it to figure out how close you are to meeting the credit requirement for your chosen degree.
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Apply for admission to TESC (application fee: $75).
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Take two 3-credit courses through TESC ($208 per credit, paid for by Coast Guard tuition assistance). (TESC requires you to earn at least 6 credits from its courses.)
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Apply for graduation and pay the required fee ($225).
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Apply for a Coast Guard Foundation grant and/or Coast Guard Mutual Assistance grant to be reimbursed for the costs of fees, materials, and books.
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Receive your degree.
Example #4: TUI University (formerly Touro University International)
TUIU awards only bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. To receive a bachelor's degree, you must have 120 credits.
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Complete and submit to the Coast Guard Institute an Application for Voluntary Education Services, as described on the "Getting Started" page.
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Apply for admission to TUIU (application fee: $0)
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Transfer up to 92 credits (depending on your major) from earned through military experience, CLEP tests, DSSTs, ECEs, etc. E.g., you can take and pass all five CLEP general exams (free) for 30 credits. To get ready for these exams, a number of test preparation materials are available both here and through the Coast Guard Institute.
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Send an official USCG Transcript Request form to the Institute, asking the Institute to send an official transcript of your military education to TUIU. The school will use it to figure out how close you are to meeting the credit requirement for your chosen degree.
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Submit a Tuition Assistance request form to the Coast Guard Institute, through your ESO, to pay for any courses you need to complete your degree. There is no cost to you for tuition.
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There are no fees or costs for books, although if there were you could apply for a Coast Guard Foundation grant and/or Coast Guard Mutual Assistance grant to be reimbursed for them.