The Department of Defense offers active duty service members opportunities to earn college degrees. The Fleet and Family Support Center at Naval Air Facility Atsugi is taking this benefit one step further.

For active-duty members interested in taking college courses, but unsure of how to begin the process, FFSC held a two-day class teaching students the college credit process and methods for choosing which school and degree can best help them meet their goals.

"This two-day workshop is designed to help anyone thinking about going to college get all of the information they need to make the best decisions for their goals and their family," said FFSC Working Family Life Consultant Freddie London. "Participants will research institutes of higher learning and their various degree options."

The course is designed to be more than just goal planning. It delves a bit deeper in helping students think critically about things like: how many classes are required to complete a degree or certificate, the pros and cons of deciding online or on-campus education, the number of military credits that can be transferred and the total cost of the program to the service member.

All of these factors and more should figure into what kind of degree and which school a service member chooses to attend, London added.

In addition to the classes and degrees, the FFSC course challenges Sailors to look into the financial aspects of a university -- whether or not the school participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, in which a school matches the Department of Veterans Affairs contribution toward tuition, or is part of the Department of Defense's Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges network. Both these programs can affect the tuition rates for a given school, even if a university will accept on-the-job training as part of a member's schooling background.

"Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that participants will leave with a better understanding of the resources available to them throughout the college process from admission to graduation," said London. "It's my goal to see each and every one of our Sailors and Marines to go on to achieve the most they can; and I believe that can start here with this class."

For more news from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, visit www.navy.mil/