Director, Acquisition Career Management

The DoN Acquisition Workforce Training and Education Program provides a structure for acquisition workforce members to meet Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) training, education and experience standards.

The goal of the DoN education program is to enable acquisition workforce members to obtain the academic education necessary to meet DoD acquisition workforce standards. The education program is designed to maximize the use of resources in ways that contribute to the overall professionalism of the acquisition workforce. The most easily measurable effects are the certification of a previously non-certified acquisition workforce member and the admittance of an acquisition workforce member into the Acquisition Professional Community (APC). The purpose of managing education assistance resources is to ensure that personnel requiring education for certification or APC membership have first priority.

What is the Tuition Assistance Program?
Who is Eligible for Tuition Assistance?
How Do I Get Tuition Assistance?
AWTAP Points of Contact
College Equivalency Examinations
Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Offerings
Education Requirement for GS-1102s and Military Equivalents

The Acquisition Workforce Tuition Assistance Program (AWTAP)

Public Law 101-510, Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) of 1990 (Section 1745):

"The Secretary of Defense shall provide for tuition reimbursement and training (including a full-time course of study leading to a degree) under section 4107(d) of title 5 for acquisition personnel in the Department of Defense for the purposes described in that section. For purposes of such section 4107(d), there is deemed to be, until September 30, 2001, a shortage of qualified personnel to serve in acquisition positions in the Department of Defense."

The Department of the Navy has established a tuition assistance program for employees in the acquisition workforce, including those in designated acquisition positions and APC members. The program is intended to provide funding for tuition costs associated with education requirements established by the DAWIA. The Acquisition Workforce Tuition Assistance Program (AWTAP) is managed by the Director, Acquisition Career Management (DACM), and administered by designated personnel at the DoN's major acquisition organizations and the DACM's AWTAP Coordinator located in Mechanicsburg, PA.

AWTAP Eligibility

All DoN civilian and military acquisition workforce members (including military personnel with orders to an acquisition position) are eligible to apply for tuition assistance under the DoN AWTAP.

AWTAP Application Procedures

SECNAVINST 5300.36 (Part 2, Chapter II, Para. 3) requires that each member of the Acquisition Workforce maintain a Career Development Plan (CDP), such as the commonly used Individual Development Plan (IDP). All personnel requesting tuition assistance under this program are required to maintain a CDP which includes the education goals and requirements for their position/career field. AWTAP managers will ensure that students granted tuition assistance have documented these education goals and requirements in their CDP.

Acquisition workforce members employed by the acquisition organizations noted in Appendix I (PDF File) should see their designated AWTAP representative for application procedures.

Individuals who work for organizations not listed in Appendix I may apply directly to the AWTAP Coordinator for tuition assistance using the procedures below.

Personnel desiring tuition assistance under this program must submit to the AWTAP Coordinator the approved portion of their CDP pertaining to education goals and requirements. CDP's should identify the complete course of education necessary to meet both short and long-range education goals. Personnel may use existing formats, such as the Individual Development Plan (SD 481), or a DAWIA-specific format such as the sample provided in Appendix K (PDF File).

Each course must be requested on a DD Form 1556 (PDF File) (Request, Authorization, Agreement, Certification of Training and Reimbursement), accompanied by the appropriate pages from the college catalog or flyer with a course description and breakout of tuition and fees. Courses must be reflected on the current CDP on file with the AWTAP Coordinator. Requesters and/or requesting organizations should complete Sections A and B, and blocks 25, 32, and 33 of the DD 1556. The instructions for completing for DD 1556 (PDF File) are contained in Appendix L (PDF File) of the DoN Acquisition Workforce Education and Training Manual.

Completed requests should be forwarded to the AWTAP Coordinator for approval. The AWTAP Coordinator will validate eligibility and approve requests in accordance with the priorities noted above and available funding. The AWTAP Coordinator may be contacted for further information at (717) 790-2887. Requests will be submitted to: AWTAP Coordinator, Naval Acquisition Career Management Center, 5450 Carlisle Pike, P.O. Box 2033, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-0784.

Tuition Assistance for Military Personnel.

USD Memo, Payment of Tuition for Education and Training of Members in Defense Acquisition Workforce (10/30/00), authorizes tuition reimbursement for military acquisition workforce on the same basis as the civilian acquisition workforce from funds appropriated for required training. The USD Memo may be used as authority for reimbursing the military acquisition workforce until such time as DOD 5000.52, Defense Acquisition Education, Training, and Career Development Program, has been updated to reflect changes in Title 10, United States Code, as a result of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000.

AWTAP Points of Contact

College Equivalency Examinations

Statutory semester-credit hour requirements for APC membership, the GS-1102 series, and warranted contracting officers may be met by passing examinations administered by Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). DANTES administers examinations in the following business and management disciplines: accounting, business finance, economics, law, marketing, quantitative methods, and organization and management. A completed "DAU Testing Program-Eligibility Statement" (PDF File) available through training representatives, must be presented to the local DANTES Test Control Officer (at military installation education centers or other DoD education offices) before a test will be administered. For additional information on DANTES, see DAU pamphlet, "Prepare for Advancement Through Testing."

Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Offerings

Associated Files: