Service members attended a College 101 brief, hosted by Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Education Center, May 6, 2015, in classroom A of building 220.

The purpose of the brief was to provide service members the information and correct procedures for utilizing their tuition assistance to the best of their ability. The brief was also meant to reinforce the benefits of seeking an education while still on active duty.

“Later in life, the more training you have while [on] active duty, the further your benefits will go,” said Cheryl Chiu, an education and career specialist with the Education Center. “The College 101 class prepares service members who wish to further their education.”

Chiu said TA is an excellent resource for the Marines to utilize, but they might not necessarily understand how they can use it to its fullest potential. She said that while the brief is mandatory, it provides the service members that extra information.

“Attending the brief is required for Marines who wish to use their TA, however, it is open to anyone who is interested, from dependents and spouses to veterans and Department of Defense civilians,” Chiu said. “The brief is open to anyone with base access.”

One topic the brief covers is the requirements for utilizing TA, Chiu said.

“There are four requirements,” she said. “The Marines must attend the College 101 training, have two years of active service, they must take the personal financial management MarineNET course and they need a degree plan from the institution they will be attending, certifying that they have selected an appropriate course of study.”

Sgt. Brock Scholtisseck, a generator mechanic with Combat Logistics Battalion 3, said the brief also provides a general idea of how to plan for college and what is needed to apply.

“This tells (service members) where they can go to get help and reminds them that they don’t have to go without having a plan,” Scholtisseck said. “People (with the Education Center) are willing to work with you. For example, they let you know that if don’t maintain a certain criteria, you might have to pay the government back and that’s something people may not know. This reminds you to apply yourself and make sure you don’t fail.”

Scholtisseck said it was a lot of information to absorb, but it’s worth it. He said that while the Marine Corps is a good plan and it pays well, service members should always want to have a back-up plan.

“I absolutely recommend attending the brief, even if it isn’t mandatory for your branch of service, and the sooner you can take it, the better,” he said. “I thought it was an effective way of getting the information across and I wish I did this a lot sooner. While it was in the form of a (slideshow), which isn’t necessarily everybody’s favorite, it was interesting and kept the audience engaged. You could tell (Chiu) knew what she was talking about.”

Chiu said education is important for the service members, so they may continue to seek a higher purpose in life. She said they should seek information and knowledge, not only to better themselves, but to better the society around them as well.

“For the service members attending the brief, I want them to have an excitement for learning something they are interested in,” she said. “Education shouldn’t just be about a job, it should be about a lifelong love of something you enjoy. I was always told, ‘If you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life.’ I try to instill that in my personal beliefs and I hope I present that through this course.”