There's no better time for your CCAF Published Feb. 19, 2014 By Senior Airman Peter R.O. Danielson 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The Community College of the Air Force associate's degree has been an integral part of promotion consideration for those enlisted Airmen who want to put themselves ahead of their peers. However, with force shaping and budget changes, there has never been a better time to finish a program that every enlisted Airman has started. Established April 1, 1972, the CCAF is partnered with over 106 affiliated Air Force schools, 256 education services offices and more than 1,500 civilian academic institutions. They serve more than 300,000 active-duty, Guard and Reserve enlisted personnel, making the CCAF the largest community college system in the world. "I can testify that the Air Force members receive the best training available among the services in their technical and upgrade training," said Randy Coleman, a 55th Force Support Squadron's Education and Training Office education specialist and former Airman. "When I was going through my bachelor's program, some of the management classes were a complete rehash of the material I had learned in my professional military education, even down to using the same authors and quotes." Each degree program requires 64 semester hours, but the road towards graduation is not as daunting to Airmen as it first seems, said Coleman. Every enlisted member starts with four credits of physical education credit earned from Basic Military Training. Technical school adds credit based on the length of the course, with a minimum of 12 credits for even the shortest programs. The 5-level upgrade training adds eight credits, and 7-level upgrade training gives another four credits. Up to 24 of these training credits apply to the technical education requirement, and additional credits spill over into program elective requirements. Completion of the Airman Leadership School grants 10 credits in management requirements. All of these credits are earned through the Airman simply fulfilling their normal duty expectations. A maximum of 30 semester hours may be earned from examination such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) tests. The University of Nebraska-Omaha offers 33 CLEP and 38 DANTES tests at the testing center located in the lower level of Building D at no cost to the Airman. The Department of Defense pays the testing fees the first time a military member takes one of these tests, but retesting and fees are $100 the second time around. These scores are often posted within thirty days of testing but sometimes take more time. "Be vigilant and monitor your record," said Coleman. "Human error is a factor, and you don't want to miss out on any part of your classes or tests. Most people only realize there's something missing at a point when they wish the CCAF has been accomplished." Any credits not earned through these programs need to be taken through a college or university. Because courses can take a lot of time and effort, the CCAF itself recommends that students meet with a counsellor after completing 45 semester hours to determine the most efficient way to complete the right classes, tests and programs. "(The Education Center) helped me take a look at what I could CLEP to fill the holes in my transcripts after my credits were transferred in," said Senior Airman Christopher Voss, from the 55th Strategic Communication Squadron. Voss said he was unsure which bachelor's degree he wanted to pursue, but his CCAF associates degree gave him the biggest head start towards a bachelors of science in computer science. "The degree has helped me earn additional credits and skip ahead a few classes," Voss said. Currently, the Air Force will pay up to $4,500 per fiscal year to an accredited school with the tuition assistance program. The flow of tuition assistance funding has varied throughout the years. Before 2002, military tuition assistance required service members to pay 25 percent of their tuition costs. Last year, fiscal concerns in the budget threatened to take tuition assistance away entirely. The Education Center helps students all year long in their tuition assistance applications. If funding for tuition assistance isn't available, Coleman said they'll advise students on how to apply for grants or scholarships that fit. With the credits each Airman has already earned by doing their jobs, the ability to quickly test through degree requirements, and tuition assistance to cover class costs for the remainder, it has never been easier or more necessary to earn an associates from the world's largest community college. "You can't do anything about the current force management programs, but you can position yourself better against what might come down in the future," Coleman said.