Publication:Sea Talk Autumn 2005/The price of education
By Leading Seaman Morgan Loiterton
One of the bigger red-button issues over the past couple of years has been the increased price of university education and the limitation of available positions for those students who cannot afford to pay their Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) fees up front.
With many Australian universities electing to increase HECS by the full 25% allowed by the Federal Government, an undergraduate degree can cost as much as $13,200.001. For a sailor considering his or her future beyond the RAN, the mounting cost of university education is of major concern.
Completing an undergraduate degree whilst being a serving member is no mean feat. If you are serving at sea (which you will undoubtedly do during the course of your study) and/or you have a family and/or other commitments, finding the time and the money can often preclude the average sailor from realising educational goals.
Even with the Defence Assisted Study Scheme (DASS) the serving member must pay all tuition fees and related costs up front before being able to claim the financial benefit on completion of study.
So, is there an alternative?
Yes - the alternative is attendance at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA). As many would already know the Defence Force Academy is a campus of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and degrees earned there are not just recognised within Defence as is the case with much of our internally delivered education.
At present only commissioned officers may undertake full time degree studies at the Academy which is seen as a drawback by many of the sailors I've spoken to over the past two years. Unfortunately for them, the Academy's purpose is to produce the 'best leaders for the Australian Defence Force'which in this case means earning a commission.
There are two avenues for entry and full details can be obtained from chapter 10 of ABR 10 (Sailor Career Management Manual). The avenue I have used is the Sailor Entry to the Academy (SEA) scheme, which is open to those with the rank of Leading Seaman and above. For me, the road has been long to reach my goal. I've always wanted to attend university but could never see any way of achieving it without sacrificing my career in the Navy and seriously disadvantaging my growing family.
On top of all this, I didn't have the educational standard the RAN requires for commission. At the beginning of 2003 I finally did something about it and undertook HSC studies through NSW TAFE's Open Training and Education Network (OTEN). I only had to complete senior level English and one other subject (in my case it was mathematics) to qualify under the RAN's requirements and I was lucky enough to be able to remain ashore to do it.
There are many other ways to reach the required standard and you need only speak to the very helpful staff at Naval Personnel and Training to find what you can do.
A warning from my personal experience though - research the entry requirements laid down by UNSW as you will need to satisfy them also. Be sure you can meet them as normal academic admission procedures must be followed which will involve you lodging an application through the Universities Admission Council (UAC). ABR 10 does not include this information at present.
So, what's the catch?
Like most things in the Navy that involve a large investment of funds for an individual's training, the SEA scheme involves a Return of Service Obligation (ROSO). Personally, I find absolutely nothing unfair about the ROSO system especially when considering that this undertaking of study will benefit me greatly after my Navy time has come to an end.
The good news for the short term is that officers who have entered the academy through this scheme are promoted to ASLT and are not involved in the military training undertaken by Officer Cadets and Midshipmen. The good news for the RAN is that they get officers who bring with them a wealth of knowledge of what it's like to be a sailor in the Navy today.
Read up on ABR 10 if you think this may be the right thing for you. You will need the support of your divisional system but be as pro-active as you can. My experience has been very positive and there has been no end of Navy people who have offered their time, experience and advice.
I'm looking forward to the challenges that the New Year will bring and the new way of life that will come with it. I'm happy to answer any question about this small journey that you feel might help you in yours.
