Here's a piece of Marine Corps news that won't make the evening broadcast, but it could save a young Marine a semester of tuition. On October 16, Marine Corps Community Services at Marine Corps Base Quantico opened a National Testing Center inside the base's Voluntary Education Center. It sounds like a small thing. From where I sit, it's exactly the kind of small thing that changes what happens after the uniform comes off.
What opened at Quantico
According to the Marine Corps, Marines at Quantico used to have two options for college-credit exams: pay standard fees at an off-base testing center, or drive about an hour to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, which had been the only active National Testing Center in the National Capital Region. Now education counseling, in-person test prep, testing and credentialing support all sit in one building on base.
The center offers the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST), Pearson professional assessments, and eligible certification exams tied to programs like Marine Corps Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL). It was opened through a partnership with Grand Canyon University, which the Marine Corps says fully funded the center.
The line from the story that stuck with me came from the base's MCCS director: sometimes the biggest obstacle to higher education is simply knowing where to begin. A junior Marine with a family quoted in the same story said paying for exams would have been hard on his budget. I believe both of them. When you're working long days and running a household on a lance corporal's pay, “drive an hour and pay a fee” is often where the plan dies.
Why a few hours of testing matters
CLEP and DSST exams let you earn college credit for what you already know or learned in training. DANTES, the Defense Department office that runs the funding, says the average exam takes a few hours instead of 8 to 15 weeks in a classroom. Scores show up on your Joint Services Transcript, and credit you earn this way can replace courses you would otherwise pay for with Tuition Assistance.
A few details worth knowing before you book a seat:
- Who DANTES pays for: actively serving members, including Guard and Reserve, with a valid Common Access Card. DANTES funds one attempt per exam title.
- Retests: not funded. DANTES says you wait three months and pay the exam and administration fees yourself.
- Check with your school first: DANTES recommends asking your school adviser which exams it will accept for your degree plan before you test.
Already out? You still have options
Separated veterans aren't covered by DANTES funding, and that's where a lot of us fall off the map. But the VA says the GI Bill can pay you back for national tests, including CLEP and DSST, if you're covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty or Selected Reserve), or Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance. The VA reimburses registration and administrative fees, even if you don't pass, and charges your entitlement based on the amount it pays. You request it with VA Form 22-0810 along with your receipt and your results. DANTES also points veterans who don't qualify for its funding to Modern States, a nonprofit offering no-cost CLEP vouchers.
My two cents
When I went from the Marine Corps to the University of Alabama, I learned fast that the hardest part of school wasn't the coursework. It was the first step: figuring out the system, the paperwork and where to start. Anything that puts that first step inside the gate, next to a counselor who can answer questions, is a win for Marines.
If you're still in, walk into your base education center this month and ask what exams they offer. If you're out, check your GI Bill before you pay out of pocket. And if you know a young Marine who keeps saying “someday” about college, forward this to them. A few hours on a Saturday could be the start.
Semper Fi.
Sources: Marine Corps Base Quantico: Quantico's New National Testing Center opens doors to furthering education · DANTES: College Credit by Examination (CLEP) · DANTES: College Credit by Examination (DSST) · DANTES: Eligible for DANTES-funded CLEP and DSST exams? · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: National Tests
