§9315. Community College of the Air Force: associate degrees

(a) Establishment and Mission.-There is in the Air Force a Community College of the Air Force. Such college, in cooperation with civilian colleges and universities, shall-

(1) prescribe programs of higher education for enlisted members described in subsection (b) designed to improve the technical, managerial, and related skills of such members and to prepare such members for military jobs which require the utilization of such skills; and

(2) monitor on a continuing basis the progress of members pursuing such programs.

(b) Members Eligible for Programs.-Subject to such other eligibility requirements as the Secretary concerned may prescribe, the following members of the armed forces are eligible to participate in programs of higher education under subsection (a)(1):

(1) Enlisted members of the Air Force.

(2) Enlisted members of the armed forces other than the Air Force who are serving as instructors at Air Force training schools.

(c) Associate Degrees.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), an academic degree at the level of associate may be conferred under section 9317 of this title upon any enlisted member who has completed a program prescribed by the Community College of the Air Force.

(2) No degree may be conferred upon any enlisted member under this section unless the Secretary of Education determines that the standards for the award of academic degrees in agencies of the United States have been met.

(Added Pub. L. 94–361, title VI, §602, July 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 928 ; amended Pub. L. 96–513, title V, §514(9), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2935 ; Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title XI, §1182(a)(12), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1772 ; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, §1078(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 451 ; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title V, §552(a), (b), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1748 ; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, §556(b), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1915 .)

Amendments

2004-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 108–375 amended heading and text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

"(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the commander of the Air Education and Training Command of the Air Force may confer an academic degree at the level of associate upon any enlisted member who has completed the program prescribed by the Community College of the Air Force.

"(2) No degree may be conferred upon any enlisted member under this section unless (A) the Community College of the Air Force certifies to the commander of the Air Education and Training Command of the Air Force that such member has satisfied all the requirements prescribed for such degree, and (B) the Secretary of Education determines that the standards for the award of academic degrees in agencies of the United States have been met."

1997-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–85, §552(b)(1), inserted heading.

Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 105–85, §552(a)(1), substituted "enlisted members described in subsection (b)" for "enlisted members of the Air Force".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–85, §552(a)(4), added subsec. (b). Former subsec. (b) redesignated subsec. (c)(1).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–85, §552(a)(2), (3), (b)(2), redesignated subsec. (b) as subsec. (c)(1), inserted subsec. heading, substituted "Subject to paragraph (2)," for "Subject to subsection (c),", and redesignated former subsec. (c) as subsec. (c)(2) and pars. (1) and (2) of former subsec. (c) as subpars. (A) and (B), respectively, of subsec. (c)(2).

1996-Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 104–106 substituted "Air Force" for "armed forces".

1993-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–160, §1182(a)(12)(A), substituted "Air Education and Training Command" for "Air Training Command".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–160, §1182(a)(12)(B), substituted "Air Education and Training Command of the Air Force" for "Air Force Training Command".

1980-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–513 substituted "Secretary of Education" for "Commissioner of Education of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare".

Effective Date of 1997 Amendment

Section 552(c) of Pub. L. 105–85 provided that: "Subsection (b) of section 9315 of such title, as added by subsection (a)(4), applies with respect to enrollments in the Community College of the Air Force after March 31, 1996."

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Section 1078(b) of Pub. L. 104–106 provided that: "The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to enrollments in the Community College of the Air Force after March 31, 1996."

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–513 effective Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701(b)(3) of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.