Army COOL (Credentialing Opportunities On-Line)

Army COOL: Army Credentialing Opportunities On-Line

If you are Active Duty Army, Army Reserve or National Guard personnel, you may be eligible for up to $4,000 of financial assistance from the Army Credentialing Assistance Program. Part of the Army Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) service, this program is designed to provide assistance in earning certifications and licenses to help augment your skills in the Army, prepare for advancement opportunities, as well as help transition into civilian careers. MedCerts offers approved online programs in healthcare, IT and more.

Army COOL

The Details.

Amount: up to $4000 available for combined use of Tuition Assistance (TA) and CA funds. Renews each fiscal year (FY).
What Schools Qualify: Civilian credentials and licenses through approved credentialing agencies.
What Can Funds be used for?: payment of credentialing expenses for classroom, hands-on, online/blended training, study guides, materials, textbooks, fees, exams, and/or recertification of credentials.
Who Funds it?: The Department of Army through the Department of Defense

Army CA Approved Vendors.

Find the Right Fit.

There are tons of schools and training programs already approved as vendors – including MedCerts. If you choose a vendor not already pre-approved, you can submit a Soldier CA Request to have the institution vetted for approval. When choosing a vendor, consider the format of their program (online vs in person), if their trainings lead to in-demand careers and what type of support they provide students. You can find a full list of Credentialing Assistance approved vendors through the Army COOL (Credentialing Opportunities On-Line) site here.

Credentialing Assistance vs Tuition Assistance (TA) Understanding your Eligibility.

Tuition Assistance and Credentialing Assistance are funded through the same pool of money. Service members are offered a total of $4000 each fiscal year to use towards Credentialing Assistance and Tuition Assistance. If you choose to use both TA and CA in a fiscal year, you cannot exceed the $4000 total.

I had an excellent experience

“The course was easy to understand and very informative. The staff took great care of me. They were very supportive and helped me to focus on things I could work on in order to prepare for the exam. My Career Service Coach was so good! She helped me with a mock interview and gave me questions in advance to prepare. She also helped a great deal with the job search. As a result I landed a great job in the field that I studied in!!”

Ileene C