Does anyone have any idea what the current tuition is at the CCAF? I just wasted about 30 minutes perusing their web site and reading their school catalog for the info. It doesn't seem to be listed anywhere. I thought I'd just send them an e-mail and ask but when I clicked on "contact" it doesn't actually give you any way to contact them. Frustrating and confusing.
That's what I thought too. However, I did find one independent web site that states the school does charge tuition...although not very much.
I just checked at forums.military.com and had a couple of people confirm that the CCAF does not charge any tuition.
faero13 has it right. BTW, that includes active, reserve, and guard. But not veterans, nor retirees. And if you get commissioned, you can't finish a CCAF degree.
You do realize that CCAF is not a traditional college that you can take courses through right? The college is only for enlisted service members, and most (if not all) courses are completed are through technical school after boot camp, through official correspondence, or via leadership schools (NCO upgrade courses: 5 level, 7 level, ect...) You cannot take courses at CCAF unless you are currently serving on active duty, reserves, or national guard; and Commission Officers attend Air University.
Right. The info isn't for me. I'm trying to research this for someone else who might be interested in the Air Force. :-D
The CCAF was established in 1972 to recognize technical training enlisted Air Force members completed as part of their careers. Originally accredited by SACS as a technical school, the CCAF awarded the "Career Education Certificate" for completing their program. A few years later they were accredited as an academic degree-granting institution and the CEC was changed to an AAS. CCAF offers a multitude of AAS degrees related to a variety of Air Force specialties (occupations). Thus, you earn the CCAF degree related to both the specialty in which you perform and the technical training you received. For example, I earned what they then awarded to people in my specialty, an AAS in Education Administration and Methodology. CCAF awards its degrees by awarding credit for technical training, OJT, credit by examination, and then recognizing transfer credit from other schools. It does not offer instruction itself. CCAF also has articulation agreements in place with other schools who have agreed to accept CCAF graduates and degrees into their bachelor's degree programs. You must complete the degree requirements while in uniform and in enlisted status. Thus, if you discharge, or if you are commissioned as an officer, you cannot subsequently complete a CCAF degree. I finished mine while serving as a staff sergeant in the AF Reserve after having left active duty. I was in graduate school at the time, and had not yet reported to Officer Training School. I'm a little dubious of the value of a CCAF degree, but inside the enlisted force, it is a major deal. It is detrimental to one's progress to the two highest enlisted grades (senior master sergeant and chief master sergeant) if one has not completed a CCAF AAS, even if one has complete higher degrees. You can have a PhD, but you better have completed your CCAF AAS or the promotion board will not look kindly on your record. It has to do with leading by example, showing the younger troops that education is vital. Here's some history: http://www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/public_affairs/index.asp
I felt like the Air Force was basically handing these to the enlisted Airmen (not like a mill type handing). Over half of my CCAF was completed by Airmen Leadership School, Basic Training, and 3 & 5 level training. I'm yet to understand why more people don't take advantage of it. Especially given that it's now a requirement for E8/E9.
Oh, that's interesting. I didn't realize the CCAF does not offer any courses of its own. I did read in the CCAF catalog that they accept up to 30 credit hours of challenge exam credit. Seems like a person could wrap up an associate's degree in no time at all through the CCAF.
One day, as I worked in a base education center, I was complaining about this limit. What made the 30th credit okay and the 31st unacceptable? Then a colleague told me about Regents and it changed my life.
A friend who is currently working at CCAF down at Maxwell says that it has to do with SACS requirements for them.
Do they have a scholarship for those who can't afford the full tuition fee but they really want to continue schooling?
Did you read through this thread? No scholarships. No tuition. No charges at all. No instruction. Etc. etc. etc. CCAF is like a free Excelsior to Air Force enlisted members. That's it.