Coast Guard Voluntary Credentialing Assistance Program The Voluntary Credentialing Program enables eligible service members to obtain credentials, certifications, and licenses while serving in the Coast Guard. The VCP employs Credentialing Assistance to reimburse members for authorized fees in the pursuit of credentials. Service members are authorized reimbursement for one credential per fiscal year. Many civilian jobs have certain professional and technical standards. Obtaining credentials—certifications and licenses—demonstrates that you meet industry standards. For example, a welder can show their welding certifications to an employer to prove they have specific skills and knowledge. Credentials may be required for a job, can increase the likelihood of employment, aid career advancement, and may lead to a higher salary. This program is especially beneficial to reservists, whose professions often require credentials, certifications, and licenses. Who is Eligible? • Civilian credentialing can contribute to military career development. • Federal, state, or local law may require specific credentials to legally perform some jobs. • Employers may choose to hire only employees who have credentials or to pay those employees more. • Credentials may improve an employee's prospects for promotion. Reserve eligibility: • Enlisted SELRES members who meet all participation standards including current readiness metrics as per the Reserve Policy Manual (12 months before and 6 months after obtaining a credential), and they must have a points statement uploaded in MyCG Ed. (Program does not apply to ISL, ASL or IRR members.) • Members must be marked “Ready” or “Not Ready” on current Enlisted Evaluation Report. • Member must have no misconduct or punishments in the last 12 months. • Member must be in compliance with COMDT weight standards. Authorized coverage and limitations • Exam, renewal, and application fees • State license fee • Member fee (when required) • One credential per fiscal year For more information, visit https://www.cool.osd.mil/uscg � — Story by Mike Reynolds • Credentialed members demonstrate to civilian employers their skills are aligned with civilian peers. immediately or at a larger monthly amount, thus saving the insurance and allowing it to grow, depending on where the death benefits are held. It potentially provides a larger amount of future money. Beneficiary has been mentioned several times. Along with choosing option A, B, or C you will have to choose a designated beneficiary category. Keep in mind, when we are discussing beneficiaries, if you have a beneficiary category when you are making your RC-SBP decision you will either take it or decline it (forever). Listed below are the beneficiary categories: • Former Spouse, court-ordered. If you are divorced (or later get divorced and have elected spouse SBP) and you are court ordered to provide former spouse SBP you MUST make this election. It overrides any other election. If you chose spouse SBP and later divorce, and you are required to provide former spouse SBP you and/or your former spouse have one year from date of divorce to notify the pay center of the change from spouse to former spouse SBP election. (With former spouse and children coverage, you are covering only children between you and your former spouse. The cost for this is identical to spouse and/or spouse and child election.) • Spouse-only coverage is covering the spouse you are married to at the time the election is made. If you later divorce, there are options, same as if you should remarry. It starts with the divorce decree and what it requires with former spouse SBP. • Spouse and eligible dependent children. The spouse is the primary beneficiary. Payments would be made to the spouse (for tax purposes). If the spouse would become ineligible (due to remarriage before age of 55 or death) the eligible children would get the monthly annuity in equal shares. • Child(ren)-only option is providing RC SBP coverage only while there is an eligible dependent child to receive the monthly annuity. However, depending on your option election, you will be required to pay the RC cost when you start receiving your monthly reserve retirement pay, even if/ after your children have aged out of this program. At the beginning of this article I talked about doing a needs analysis. You should realistically do more than one needs analysis, and by that, I mean if you looked at what monies your death would provide, and you have a spouse/significant other, do the analysis more than once. One with your death, one with the death of both of you (think car accident). This will help you determine if you want to, or need to, add in the child option. Take time to review all your beneficiaries and to make sure your documents are up to date. Would the executor of your estate know where your will is? Do you have the necessary DoD and VA paperwork available for your loved ones to take advantage of services for which they might be eligible? Last thing: remember, almost all benefits must be applied for by your loved ones. If they don’t have the paperwork, they may miss out on benefits. � — Story By Bob Bieri, USMC (ret.) Editor's Note .Bob Bieri is a retired Marine and a senior presenter for Navy Mutual, educating veterans on their benefits. For more information, contact [email protected]. Issue 2 • 2020 � RESERVIST 37
