ACN 050/19 - MAY 2019 DEGREE REPORTING AND VALIDATION OF CURRENT DEGREE COMPLETIONS IN DIRECT ACCESS

ALCOAST COMMANDANT NOTICE                                   CANCEL DATE 22 MAY 2020

R 231458 MAY 19
FM COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA//FC-C//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS//N01560//
ACN 050/19
SUBJ: DEGREE REPORTING AND VALIDATION OF CURRENT DEGREE COMPLETIONS IN DIRECT ACCESS
A. Performance, Training and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10 (series)
1. This ACN announces updates to policy and procedures for entering degree completion data in
Active Duty (AD) and Reserve (RES) members' Direct Access (DA) Person Profile record.
2. Background: Following the decommissioning of the CG Institute, the Education and Training
Quota Management Command (ETQC) became the centralized entry and validation point for all college
degree data entered into DA Person Profile records per REF (A).
3. Policy: ETQC is the sole entity responsible for entering and validating all degree data into
DA Person Profile records. ETQC enters all degree data for AD and RES personnel to include degrees
earned prior to joining the Coast Guard (CG); degrees earned through an Advanced Education program;
degrees earned using CG Tuition Assistance; and degrees awarded by the CG Academy. Degree data
currently listed in DA is subject to validation by ETQC. If ETQC determines degree data is missing
or erroneous in comparison with the information noted on the transcript, ETQC will update the DA
Person Profile record to align with the transcript data. ETQC will only process degrees earned
from accredited colleges approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Verification of a college’s
accreditation can be done online at: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation.
4. Degree Entry Procedures: the following steps shall be followed to ensure degree completion data
is successfully entered into a member’s record:
    a. Members are responsible for having an official copy of the college transcript sent to ETQC's
Registrar Office.
    b. Official transcripts must list the institution name, type of degree, degree Major/Minor,
date of degree completion/conferral date, and grade point average (GPA).
    c. Only official transcripts, sealed in an envelope, or electronically forwarded from the
degree granting academic institution are acceptable.
    d. Paper copies of official transcripts shall be mailed to the following address: USCG ETQC
Registrar's Office 1430-D Kristina Way, Chesapeake, VA 23326.
    e. Electronic transcripts shall be securely transmitted to the following e-mail address:
ETQC-SMB-RO@uscg.mil.
    f. Following receipt, ETQC will validate the member’s transcript, enter degree data information
as it is listed on the transcript into the DA Person Profile record, and forward a scanned copy
of the transcript to CG PSC-BOPS for inclusion in the Electronically Imaged-Personnel Data Record
(EI-PDR).
5. Degree Validation: There are over 20,000 AD and RES members with degrees listed in DA and new
degree entries occurring each day. To achieve and maintain data integrity and accuracy of degree
entries, ETQC will audit DA entries, validating DA data with the information listed on members’
EI-PDR transcripts. If a discrepancy is found, i.e. incorrect degree type, incorrect date of
completion, etc., ETQC will automatically correct discrepant data. If data is incomplete, i.e.
missing grades, missing institution name, etc., ETQC will automatically enter incomplete data. If
changes to a member’s DA Person Profile is made during an audit, the member will be notified via
email. If a degree listed in a member’s DA Person Profile does not have a corresponding transcript
filed in their EI-PDR, the member will be notified via email. Following notification, the member
will have 30 days to respond to ETQC’s inquiry and provide confirmation that an official
transcript was requested to be forwarded to ETQC via their academic institution. If ETQC does not
receive an official transcript per the provisions of paragraph 4.C, and is therefore unable to
validate the member’s degree, the degree entry will be removed from the member’s DA Person Profile.
6. Educational Service Officers (ESOs) and members may review the procedures for degree entries
and corrections by visiting the ETQC Voluntary Education Service Portal Page at:
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/forcecom/ETQC/SitePages/Degree%20Reporting.aspx.
7. These changes will be reflected in the next revision of REF (A), which will be released within
the next year.
8. Please refer to your local ESO for field level questions. Questions from unit ESOs should be
directed to CWO2 Anthony D. Nash (ETQC) at (757) 413-7449 or email at: ETQC-SMB-RO@uscg.mil.
9. Released by RDML B. K. Penoyer, Commander, Force Readiness Command.
10. Internet release is authorized.