child care in a group environment outside of
their homes.
Currently, most Navy and Marine Corps
installations provide some child care facilities;
however, these facilities may not be large
enough to provide for all of the child care needs
of the military community. Various types of
child care facilities can usually be found in the
local community which may be utilized in addi-
tion to an on-base child care facility.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DEPENDENT SCHOOLS (DODDSs)
Department of Defense Dependents Schools
(DODDSs) is the only U.S. school system which
has schools located around the world.
The DODDS system ranks as the 11th largest
U.S. school system, counts a student population
of approximately 140,000, and has 273 schools
located in 23 countries.
Although the schools are located in many
parts of the world, the quality of education
exceeds the standards set by the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).
All 57 DOD high schools are accredited by
the NCA. Some DOD elementary and middle
schools are now accredited by NCA, and others
will be processed for accreditation over the next
few years.
The NCA accreditation of DOD schools and
a standard curriculum plan permit students a
much easier transition period when they return
to stateside schools from the DOD schools.
Many dependent schools offer special educa-
tion classes for physically or educationally
handicapped children, including those with
visual and hearing impairment. Remedial read-
ing specialists are assigned to schools to aid
teachers in improving student communication
skills. DODDSs also provide correspondence
courses for those students who live in remote
areas which have no school facilities.
Dormitory facilities are available at 8 of the
57 secondary schools. These schools are staffed
with dormitory counselors who are fully qual-
ified instructors and offer substitute-parent
supervision to the high school students.
When the students’ homes are more than 1
hour’s commuting distance from the schools,
students live in the dormitories Monday through
Friday. If the students’ homes are more than 2
hours away from the schools, the students live in
the dormitories for the 7-day week and have
vacation breaks at Easter and Christmas.
Dependent Scholarships and Educational Aid
More than 20 Navy-oriented organizations
currently sponsor scholarships or offer aid for
study beyond the high school level. Dependent
sons and daughters of Navy, Marine Corps, and
Coast Guard members and former members are
eligible for these scholarships or aid.
The Naval Military Personnel Command
(NMPC-641C) administers the Dependents
Scholarship Program and processes applica-
tions. The scholarships, which are funded by
sponsoring groups, are usually awarded on the
basis of scholastic achievement, character,
and financial need. Selection committees of
the sponsoring groups select and notify the
recipients.
The Scholarship Pamphlet (NAVPERS
15003 series) contains a wealth of information
concerning the Dependents’ Scholarship Pro-
gram, including requirements for eligibility. The
pamphlet and applications are available upon
request from the career counselor. Information
about the following year’s program is usually
available in December and the application
deadline is March 15.
Another source for educational aid is
the Navy Relief Society-sponsored Guaranteed
Student Loan. Loans up to ,500 per year
(,500 total) are provided for undergraduate
study or vocational training. Graduate study
loans can be made up to ,000 per year (,000
total or a maximum of ,000 if loan is under-
graduate and graduate combined). Information,
eligibility requirements, and applications are
available from the Navy Relief Society. For
further information see MILPERSMAN Article
6210110.
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