Academic Skills Program

The Camp Pendleton Base Education Center and Palomar College have teamed up to provide this 30-day TAD educational program! The program is open to all active duty enlisted personnel, dependents, and civilians who are interested in improving their English and Math skills. Classes are limited to approximately 30 students per session and are held at the Base Education Center (BEC), Bldg 1331, Monday through Friday, 0730 – 1600 for four weeks. Once students finish the course, they should see an improvement in their basic skills in English and Math and should be more competitive in today’s military and civilian job markets.

The Academic Skills Program is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for all active-duty military students who want to use tuition assistance for the first time and could use a Math and English refresher. Many campuses assume that basic skills are in place and remedial/refresher courses are not offered as separate classes. This noncredit class is open to the public. Priority and guaranteed admission are given to active-duty service members holding a GT score of 99 or less.

The Academic Skills Program is not an ASVAB or AFCT prep course. MARADMIN 081/11 clarifies DOD and USMC policy in regard to ASVAB prep courses. Marines are not allowed to take ASVAB prep courses, and the use of other specific test preparation aids is strictly prohibited.
Service members who want to improve their AFCT scores to qualify for reenlistment or other programs are encouraged to go to https://dantes.petersons.com/ for free and approved prep materials. Also, there are free AFCT (ASVAB) prep materials available at the base libraries.

Application Process

Step 1:Fill out the Academic Skills Program Acknowledgement Letter. Be sure to provide all of the requested information at the top of the form. Your initials and signature indicate you have read and agree to the terms of the program. Once you have completed the form, have your commanding officer sign it. Contact the BEC at (760) 725-6660 for more information if needed. For more information, please visit the Base Education Center website: https://www.mccscp.com/bec.

Step 2:Bring the signed acknowledgement letter to the BEC (Bldg 1331 Rm 101) for review. The BEC will then keep your original Acknowledgement Letter and a copy will be given to you for your records.

STEP 3: Apply for admission to Palomar College at Palomar.edu/Apply. After approximately 24 hours, you will receive a Student ID Number via email.

Step 4: Have a BEC Staff Member add your name to the ASP Roster located in Building 13150, Marine and Family Programs Headquarters.

Step 5: Have your command create your TAD orders. You will submit your TAD orders to the BEC on the first day of class.

You will be contacted the Monday prior to your selected course start date with confirmation that you've been Accepted and Enrolled. All Service Members are accepted on a first come, first serve basis.

What Makes the Academic Skills Program Great?

Robert Mifflin has been one of our instructors for the Academic Skills Program (ASP) since he designed the math side of the class in 2005. His background includes generating hardware, software, and System on Chip designs for over 30 companies as a consultant. He holds a BSEE from UCI, MS in Bioengineering from UCSD, and worked on a Doctorate in materials for micro/nanosystems in a DNA lab. When asked how he landed at Palomar his reply was “pure serendipity”.

“I had enrolled as a Palomar student to refresh my Calculus skills before going back to graduate school. In addition to consulting and school, I volunteered to tutor math and science for Marines. One fine day I stopped to check in with my wonderful wife (a full-time math instructor at Palomar) at her office. She received a phone call while I was standing there and handed me the phone – which was a wee bit odd. It was from the Camp Pendleton BEC. They were trying to track down the volunteer “math guy” as they wanted him to set up a math program."

I have always enjoyed moving the world forward by designing devices and systems to improve the world. This was a new opportunity to reach 20 to 30 Marines at a time and the potential to change lives through a better understanding of math while I was prepping for grad school. I was fortunate in that I had access to first-class math instructors at Palomar to gather their best techniques. I then used the UCSD library to access research journals on optimal techniques for transferring knowledge to my students. In a typical class, we cover the complete Aufmann pre-algebra book in 2 to 3 weeks and then use the remaining time for tests and review.

This format works because Marines are constantly training as a way of life in their MOS. They are willing to work hard, execute assignments, and set aside their previous math experience while embracing new techniques. They are the absolute best students which makes the teaching fun.”