Full education services available at Dix Education Center Published April 1, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Bryan Swink Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Being located at a tri-service installation allows servicemembers some benefits that may exceed single-service installations. This couldn't be truer in the aspect of higher-education services provided at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Conveniently, there are multiple locations offering these services around the joint base. The McGuire Education Center primarily works with Airmen regarding their grades and school involvement, while the Dix center only provides educational administrative services to Soldiers. Even though they only work with the Army when it comes to tuition assistance, higher-education programs and testing, any servicemember and their family can come in for guidance. "We want the joint base community to know we are here and available to help them with their educational needs," said Ardith Bowers, Dix Education Center administrative manager. "We have many useful tools and benefits to help any servicemember, regardless of what branch of service they are in." The Dix Education Center provides resources for colleges offering online degree programs. The Education Center also offers online courses for those who live far from base, but still want to get their degree. These online courses give students a chance to study and participate in web-based discussions on their own time. Many different options are available, so a degree can still be a reality for anyone in any situation. Felician College, Thomas Edison State College, Grand Canyon University, Ashford University and Burlington County College are the colleges that work directly with the Dix Education Center. These institutions provide undergraduate and graduate degrees. Testing is also available at the center. The College Level Examination Program, Dantes Subject Standardized Test and Army Personnel Testing are available for Soldiers looking to quickly obtain credit hours at their institution or advance through their military career. A large amount of testing they provide for Soldiers is language testing. "We provide the Defense Language Aptitude Battery test which measure someone's ability to learn a foreign language," said Cathy Ferguson, Dix Education Center test examiner. "Once they pass the DLAB, they have the opportunity to take the Defense Language Proficiency Test to become certified as an interpreter or linguist in the language." The Dix Education Center also provides a computer lab for any servicemember needing computer use. With the center being located in the heart of Dix, it's accessible to anyone staying on the installation using the shuttle system. For more information about the services and benefits the Dix Education Center provides, call 562-5001 or email acc-counseling@conus.army.mil.