Nellis Education Office: Programs and Services for Military and Families

Nellis Air Force Base, one of the largest fighter bases globally, offers a comprehensive range of education programs and services through its Education Office. These programs cater to active-duty Air Force members, DoD civilian employees, adult family members, and military retirees assigned to Nellis and Creech AFBs. The Education Office aims to provide opportunities for academic and professional growth, supporting the Nellis community in achieving their educational goals.

Comprehensive Support from Airman and Family Readiness Center

The Airman and Family Readiness Center (A&FRC) plays a crucial role in supporting mission readiness by helping the Nellis community adapt to the unique challenges of military life. The A&FRC offers a variety of programs and services designed to enhance the well-being of military members and their families.

Counseling and Support Services

Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) provide confidential consultations to address various issues, including deployment/reintegration challenges, marriage and relationship problems, stress, and anxiety. These consultations are anonymous, with no records kept, except in situations where there is a "duty to warn." The Department of War program offers resources and support to active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members and their families worldwide, available 24/7 at no cost.

Relocation Assistance

For those new to the Nellis area or preparing for a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), the A&FRC provides relocation assistance to ease the transition. This includes information on housing, schools, and community resources.

Family Preparedness

The A&FRC promotes family preparedness through education and participation in readiness support. Pamphlets and books are available on topics such as preparing for deployment, coping with separation, and reintegrating as a family after deployment. Pre-Deployment Briefs are mandatory for deployers, and spouses are encouraged to attend.

Financial Readiness

The Personal Financial Readiness Program offers information, referrals, educational programs, and counseling on financial planning, money management, financial assessment, consumer protection, and credit management. A&FRC staff can help individuals evaluate their financial situation and explore ways to increase income, manage current income better, or save for the future through classes and one-on-one assistance.

Financial Aid

Military members and their families facing financial emergencies can receive assistance from the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS). AFAS provides interest-free loans for emergency needs such as basic living expenses, car repair, and emergency travel. Assistance is available at any active-duty military installation, even if not near an Air Force base.

Employment Assistance

The Employment Assistance Program assists with career planning and improving job search skills. This includes resume writing, interview preparation, and networking opportunities.

Transition Assistance

For service members leaving the Air Force, the A&FRC helps ease the transition to civilian life through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Service members can participate in TAP up to three years prior to their transition date. Completion of initial counseling/pre-separation briefing, a transition seminar, a VA benefits workshop, and Capstone is mandatory before separating or retiring. Additional resources and workshops are available to assist transitioning service members.

Family Support Programs

Heart Link: This is an Air Force 101 program for spouses, offering interactive games, presentations, and prizes to strengthen military families and enhance mission readiness.
Key Spouse Program: This program is a partnership between the Key Spouse, unit leadership, and the A&FRC. Unit leadership empowers a volunteer to assist with quality of life programs and services for family members. Key Spouses are formally appointed by the unit commander.
Preparation for Parenthood: Classes for expectant parents are held three times per year.
Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP): This program consists of three components: EFMP-Medical at the Mike O'Callaghan Hospital, EFMP-Assignments at the Military Personnel Section, and EFMP-Family Support at the M&FRC.
Air Force Families Forever (AFFF): This long-term survivor aftercare program provides support to family members of deceased Regular Air Force and Reserve Component Airmen who died in an Active Duty, Inactive Duty for Training (IDT), or Annual Training (AT) status. The relationship must have been established prior to the Airman’s death.

Survivor Benefit Program

The Survivor Benefit Program provides financial security to beneficiaries after a service member's death. It offers peace of mind knowing the election cannot be canceled due to declining health or advanced age, provides a tax savings to the member (SBP premiums are not taxed), provides coverage with the government sharing in the cost of the Plan (subsidized), provides your beneficiary a guaranteed steady source of income after the member's death with regularly adjustments for inflation, and can NEVER run out.

Federal Voting Assistance Program

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) ensures that all Service members, their eligible family members, retirees, civilian DOW employees, and overseas citizens are aware of their right to vote and have the necessary tools and resources to register and request an absentee ballot from anywhere in the world.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering can be a great way to meet people, explore careers, and develop new job skills. The A&FRC can connect individuals with volunteer opportunities on and off base.

Educational Opportunities

The Nellis Education Office offers a wide range of educational opportunities and counseling services. These include:

On-Base Schools

There are five on-base schools offering undergraduate, graduate, and CLEP/DSST testing:

College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
University of Oklahoma
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV)
National University

Testing Programs

The Nellis Education Office provides various testing programs, including:

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Military testing (promotion - WAPS)
End of course exams
Professional Military Education (PME) tests
Language testing (DLPT/DLAB)
Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT)
Electronic Data Processing Test (EDPT)
Basic Aviation Skills Test (TBAS)
CLEP/DSST testing via National University National Test Center

Tuition Assistance (TA)

The Department of Defense (DOD) offers TA to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Each branch has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application process, and restrictions. Funds are approved on a course-by-course basis dependent upon degree requirements. Active duty members may also elect to use the Montgomery GI Bill® (MGIB) or Post-9/11 GI Bill® "Top Up" or their service-provided TA to cover courses. Students using TA may also use other eligible financial aid.

Air Force: All TA Funding Requests must be approved by supervisors, via the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC), and fall within the TA application window of 45 calendar days prior to, and no later than 7 calendar days before, the term start date.
Army: All TA Funding Requests must be approved by an ArmyIgnitED counselor, via ArmyIgnitED, and fall within the TA application window of 60 calendar days prior to, and no later than 7 calendar days before, the class start date.

Prior to enrolling at CSN, students must contact their Education Services Specialist or visit an Education Center to declare an educational goal and create an educational plan to receive approval to use TA. TA authorizations are to be submitted before the payment deadline for each semester.

My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship

The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship is a workforce development program that provides up to $4,000 of tuition assistance to eligible military spouses. The scholarship assists military spouses in pursuing licenses, certificates, certifications, or associate degrees necessary to gain employment in high-demand, high-growth portable career fields and occupations. Spouses may use their My Career Advancement Account Scholarship funds at any academic institution approved for participation in the scholarship.

College Credit for Military Training

CSN offers a free evaluation of military training and experience for college credit. All credit granted for military training is given based on the American Council on Education (ACE) guide recommendations. To request an official evaluation of military experience and training for college credit, individuals can request an official transcript from Joint Services Transcripts (JST) or Community College of the Air Force.

Local Schools

Nellis AFB has various educational options for families, including a public charter school on the installation and access to public and private schools in the surrounding Las Vegas area.

On-Base School

Coral Academy of Science (Nellis Campus) serves PreK to 8th-grade students. The school is located at 107 Stafford Dr in the Nellis Landings housing area. Open Enrollment is from November 1 to February 28 each year. Families that miss the open enrollment period may still enroll, and students will be placed in the general application pool for any future lottery selections.

Public Schools

Las Vegas offers diverse educational options for families, including public schools operated by the Clark County School District, private schools, and public charter schools funded by the State. The Clark County School District is the fifth-largest in the United States, with 233 elementary schools, 61 middle schools, 53 high schools, and 34 specialized magnet schools and career and technical academies. Magnet schools and career and technical academies are geared to those students with unique interests, skills, and abilities. Charter schools use a random lottery-based enrollment system due to their popularity and limited seats. Families interested in these schools submit applications to each school. Applications typically open in fall/winter and close in late February.

Private Schools

In Nevada, all private schools must provide at least the curriculum required of public schools, 180 days of instruction, and the same number of minutes per day required of public schools. Parents who enroll their children in private schools agree to pay tuition and fees the school requires, and some schools offer tuition assistance.

School Liaison Program

Prior to departing a current Installation, contacting the Nellis School Liaison Program Manager is recommended to receive a welcome packet with information on districts, schools, test scores, rankings, and policies. The School Liaison is the chief advocate for military-connected children in K-12 public, charter, private, or home schools, assisting with enrollment, placement, transfers, graduation, and extracurricular activities. For more information, contact the School Liaison Officer at (702) 652-2894.

Age Requirements for School Enrollment

Kindergarten: The child must be 5 years old on or before August 1 of the school year.
First Grade: The child must be 6 years old on or before August 1 of the school year.

The Interstate Compact for the Education of Military Children provides guidance for exceptions to the Age Requirements.

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