DOD’s military Tuition Assistance Program helps active duty service members—some of whom may regularly be reassigned to another location, including overseas—pursue an education. Through partnership agreements between DOD and more than 3,000 schools, during off-duty hours, service members are able to take undergraduate, graduate, vocational, licensure, certificate, and language courses. They may also complete their high school education, if necessary.service members who participate in the program are enrolled in undergraduate courses. The Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness within DOD is responsible for implementing the Tuition Assistance Program, which includes the provision of educational counseling for service members.However, each military service is responsible for establishing and operating its own program. Through 195 education centers located on U.S. military bases, advisors are available to provide assistance and information to service members pursuing their education. These bases also make classroom space available for service members to take classes on base, although the majority of service members enroll in online classes. To participate in the program, service members must meet certain requirements. In consultation with an advisor, they must develop an education goal and education plan, and maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for undergraduate-level courses and a 3.0 GPA for graduate-level courses. Service members can receive up to $250 in tuition assistance per credit hour, with a maximum of $4,500 each year. If the cost of tuition exceeds the amount that the program provides, service members are eligible for other federal financial aid, such as federal grants and loans, to cover their expenses. Tuition is paid directly to the schools by DOD, and if a service member fails to complete a course or receives a failing grade, the student must pay back the money for those courses. Schools participating in the military Tuition Assistance Program must sign DOD’s Voluntary Education Partnership memorandum of understanding (MOU), which requires, among other things, that the schools (1) be accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the Department of Education (Education); (2) comply with state authorization requirements consistent with Education regulations; (3) be certified to participate in federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965; (4) disclose basic information about the school’s programs and costs, including tuition, fees, and other charges to service members; and (5) undergo, when requested, an evaluation of the quality of the education programs it is providing to service members. DOD contracts with an independent entity to assess the quality of postsecondary educational programs and services used by service members to assist in the improvement of these educational programs and services. In accordance with contract requirements, the contractor was to conduct evaluations of individual postsecondary schools. Also, for selected military bases that have a school on the base, the contractor was to evaluate all of the schools located on a single base and the facilities and operations of that base that support these schools and the delivery of education services to service members. Specifically, each year DOD required: four evaluations of military bases (with limited scope evaluations of the schools located on the base); two evaluations of distance learning (or online) schools; and four evaluations of schools located in close proximity to the base. Education is responsible for the administration of all federal student aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Under that act, Education has oversight of the more than 7,200 postsecondary schools that participate in federal student aid programs, including those that participate in DOD’s Tuition Assistance Program (but not with respect to compliance with DOD’s requirements). Specifically, Education must certify a school’s eligibility to participate in federal student aid by determining that the school is accredited by an accrediting agency it recognizes, is authorized to operate within a state, and meets certain administrative and financial requirements. In addition, postsecondary schools that provide federal student aid are subject to program reviews by Education, which are made available on its website. Education also maintains websites that provide publicly available information about schools that participate in federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, including graduation rates, default rates, and costs. In addition to Education reviews, these schools are subject to compliance and financial audits by independent auditors. 38 U.S.C. §§ 3301-3325. housing and book payments to eligible students. As part of this program, VA is required to conduct annual compliance reviews to assess whether postsecondary schools that receive VA educational benefits adhere to applicable laws and regulations. Postsecondary schools that participate in Education, VA, and DOD education benefits programs include (1) public schools, which are operated and funded by state or local governments; (2) nonprofit schools, which are owned and operated by nonprofit organizations whose net earnings do not benefit any shareholder or individual; and (3) for-profit schools, which are privately owned and whose net earnings can benefit individuals or shareholders. In fiscal year 2013, 571 advisors were available to provide a range of information on programs and educational support to nearly 280,000 service members taking courses funded under the Tuition Assistance Program (see fig. 1). Each military service determines the number of advisors it will allocate to support service members’ education, based on competing priorities that balance education support with readiness needs. Across all four services, there was a net increase of 27 advisors from fiscal year 2011 through 2013. That increase, however, was driven primarily by the Air Force, which added 48 advisors to its program. According to one Air Force official, the increase was largely the result of provisions in law requiring that service members separating from the military be provided with transition assistance services (including education advice). Conversely, the Navy reduced the number of its advisors by 25. A Navy official said this decrease was due to budget cuts resulting from sequestration. This official said that the decrease in the number of advisors also reflects a shift within the Navy to reduce support for off-duty education and direct it towards training that directly affects military readiness—such as training in operating and maintaining complex radar and fire control systems for ballistic missile defense. (See app. I for statistics on service members and advisors participating in the Tuition Assistance Program, fiscal years 2011 through 2013.) From fiscal year 2011 through 2013, the number of service members taking courses using the Tuition Assistance Program declined by 8,819 (about 3 percent), according to DOD data. DOD officials said the decrease was due in part to a temporary suspension of the program resulting from the automatic spending reductions to federal budgets as part of the 2013 sequestration. Further, according to DOD officials, the drawdown of forces in 2013 accounted for some of this decrease. As the forces continue to draw down, the demand for tuition assistance could drop as service members leave active duty service and are no longer eligible for the program. Decreases in the number of active duty service members could potentially affect the number of advisors needed in the future. To help service members pursue educational opportunities, DOD advisors are available to provide a range of assistance and information and service members can also receive assistance from other sources (see fig. 2). DOD advisors, who are required to have specific training in educational advising, are available to help service members determine their educational goals, advise them about the range and types of schools they can attend, and the types of courses and degrees these schools offer. (See app. II for a description of DOD advisor qualifications.) In addition, advisors provide information on possible sources of funding for education, such as federal grants and loans, and discuss the program requirements. Each of the services has guidance that describes the roles and responsibilities of their respective DOD advisors. (See app. III for information on guidance the services provided about the role of DOD advisors.) At Joint Base Andrews—where 2,223 service members were enrolled in courses during fiscal year 2013—the two advisors we interviewed said that as service members arrive on base they are provided with information about Tuition Assistance Program funding, eligibility, and the schools available. These advisors reported holding information sessions, distributing brochures and pamphlets, posting information on the military base’s Facebook™ page, and holding office hours for service members who want to meet in person to receive this overview. Once a service member decides to register for the Tuition Assistance Program, the advisors said they are available to answer questions about the schools, financing education, and transfer of credits if reassigned to another location. In addition, they said that they might also explain the differences in the types of programs schools offer and share information such as graduation rates and other school statistics available from Education websites. Further, the advisors we spoke with said they also discuss a range of financing options available, including other military aid, federal financial aid (grants and loans), and private student loans. With respect to private student loans, which sometimes have significantly higher interest rates than federal student loans, the advisors told us they advise service members to exhaust all federal options to cover college costs before pursuing private loans. Once a service member has completed a certain number of course hours, as required by the program, advisors we interviewed told us they work with that individual to develop, and then approve, an education plan for completing a specific course of study. These plans are to help students and advisors track the student’s progress toward fulfilling course requirements that will ultimately lead to a degree, certificate, or license. All services require the development of an education plan for service members. When service members are registering for classes, advisors we interviewed said they are the busiest. They also told us that requests for their services vary by service member, with some requiring little assistance. Advisors added that other support staff at the education center on the base are available to assist service members when an advisor is not needed.