Posted on Mar 29, 2022
SPC Infantryman
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MY S1 is telling me that if I enlisted as an E4, due to a degree, that I am unable to use the degree for promotion points to E5. The degree is on my ERB and my PPW but shows 0 points on the PPW.

I believe they are confusing the reg on extra points for a degree earned in service with the one that says credit hours are worth points. This is the phrasing:


“If recommended for SGT, the degree must have been awarded after enlistment in the Army, USAR, or ARNG prior to being promoted to the rank of SGT”

Do you get points for a degree if you “used it” to come in as E4?
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MSG Intermediate Care Technician
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Per AR 600-8-19, in Section 3-19c, it states "Degree completion. Twenty promotion points will be granted to any Soldier who completes a degree while on active duty. If recommended for promotion to SSG, the Soldier must have completed the degree while in the rank of SGT to receive these points. If recommended for SGT, the degree must have been awarded after enlistment in the Army, USAR, or ARNG prior to being promoted to the rank of SGT."

So, those 20 points are gone since you achieved your degree prior to enlisting. However, you should be able to use the Credit Hours for points under civilian education as per Section 3-19a.

I can't find ANYTHING in the regulation stating you can't use the points because you came in as a SPC with a degree. I would recommend you go find your Education Office and ask them about it.
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SPC Infantryman
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SFC I am in agreement with you. I think their interpretation of the reg is being twisted and they are confusing the two separate sections. I have gone to the Ed Center already for my consolidated transcript and spoken to the S1 NCOIC. I am at a loss with who to go to next.
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MSG Intermediate Care Technician
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SPC (Join to see) - See if you can have an audience with your 1SG. Granted, they may defer the question to S1, but honestly what S1 is telling you doesn't feel right to me.
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MSgt Electrical Power Production
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MSG (Join to see) - Thanks for jumping in!
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SGT Infantryman
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Nicole Johnson - So who would be the right people to talk to and get the points for credit hours added?
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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You cited your own answer. The degree must have been earned after enlistment. You enlisted with a degree. Also, your S1 doesn't control your PPW. If information is input into eMilpo and PPW doesn't grant points for it, that is handled at the PPW database, not S1.
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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SPC (Join to see) I've been posting here for seven years, whatever I said in another post was accurate at that time.

The only thing S1 does is update eMilpo with your degree and Semester/Credit hours. That information feeds the PPW that generates your points. If someone gave you bad information it's because most of S1 is young and inexperienced. Whatever they say doesn't change what the PPW database grants credit toward.
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SPC Infantryman
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SFC (Join to see) I appreciate your help and thank you for shedding light on the process of how it gets updated.

Regarding my question, does having my degree, which allowed me to enlist as an E4 also provide me points for credit hours that I can use for promotion to E5?

Who do I speak to in order to get eMilpo updated if the S1 shop NCOIC is saying they do not because my degree was completed prior to enlistment?

Would the eMilpo office be any help or is it likely theyd refer me back to my unit S1?
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SFC Intelligence Analyst
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So...a Bachelor's degree you come in with doesn't apply to your civilian education anymore? Damn - I came in with a degree and that maxed out my civilian education for SGT and SSG. Then I got my two Masters after SFC. *shrug*.
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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SPC (Join to see) - there is no eMilpo office, that is the system that S1 uses to update your ERB.

As you have read in the regs, you get promotion points for the number of CH/SH you have earned toward your degree, you just don't earn the extra ten points towards finishing it while on AD.

It doesn't matter what the S1 NCOIC or anyone else says about what points you get. All that matters is that the source documentation is filed in the source data system. In this case, that your degree and CH/SH are uploaded to your ERB. That system feeds the PPW system. As long as the correct info is showing in eMilpo and DTMS, that info will feed your points worksheet.
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MSgt Electrical Power Production
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Edited 2 y ago
The Degree Completion program offers 10 Army Promotion points to any Soldier who completes a degree while on active duty. If recommended for promotion to SGT, the Soldier must have completed the degree since joining the Army to receive these points. If recommended for promotion to SSG, the Soldier must have completed the degree while in the next lower rank to receive these points.

So it sounds like if you use them for promotion to E-4 you cannot use them for promotion to
E-5.
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SPC Infantryman
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MSG- My understanding is that you get those extra points for completion in service. I currently am standing at 0 points for my credit hours. The reg has a separate section for points earned per credit hour.
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MSgt Electrical Power Production
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SPC (Join to see) - That’s just what I found googling your question. Hopefully MSG (Join to see) or SFC (Join to see) jump in to answer more thoroughly.
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