In April 2012, President Obama signed Executive Order 13607 to address reports of misleading and predatory behavior from education institutions toward service members, veterans and military families. The Principles of Excellence are designed to ensure a fulfilling education experience, providing you with personal and professional development opportunities to assist in your military career and your transition to the civilian workforce.
Guidelines for education institutions
The Principles of Excellence provide guidelines for education institutions participating in the federal tuition assistance program and require institutions to provide the following information:
- Total cost of an education program
- Prevention of abusive and deceptive recruiting practices
- High-quality academic and student support services for military students
- Re-admittance procedures for students temporarily unable to attend class or having to suspend studies because of military service obligations
- Approval from the education institution's accrediting agency for new courses and program offerings prior to enrolling
- School's policy for returning unearned tuition assistance funds as stated by Title IV
- Education plans for students using federal military tuition assistance and veteran educational benefits
- Designated points of contact for academic and financial advising
Postsecondary education institutions that have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Defense will have acknowledged the requirements of the MOU, which are aligned with the Principles of Excellence. Visit the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Memorandum of Understanding website to see if your school is on the list.