Active Duty Army Stationed in Colorado

These instructions are for Army service members who are permanently assigned to an installation in Colorado and their dependent family members.  Please follow these instructions carefully. Contact the Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC) Fort Carson office at (719) 502-4200 if you have any questions. 

If you have previously taken classes with PPCC, you can skip to registration.

NEW STUDENTS

1.  ADVISING
Go to the Fort Carson Education Center and discuss your academic plans with an ACES Counselor. Be sure that you understand the degree plan and what courses the Army will approve and support with Tuition Assistance (TA) dollars. You may call them at (719) 526-9885 or (719) 526-4121.

2.  APPLY TO PPCC before you request TA through GoArmyEd (GAE).  It’s simple. Complete an online application. It’s free!

3.  CONFIRM YOUR PPCC APPLICATION THROUGH GAE 
The Army requires every soldier to apply to the college through the GAE portal to establish eligibility to attend PPCC, generate a Student Agreement and obtain TA.  Processing through the Army portal requires a two-business day turnaround.

4.  TAKE THE PLACEMENT TEST
This is a Colorado state requirement and is one test that everybody aces. The placement test is available at the  Fort Carson and Peterson AFB offices.  Please see Our Locations for specific days and times.

5.  PRIOR MILITARY CREDIT
Contact a PPCC Soldiers Opportunity College (SOC) advisor by sending an e-mail to mil.programs@ppcc.edu. They know all the ins and outs of registration, proper course sequencing, and the prerequisites you’ll need to graduate in any given major. You must work through the PPCC advisor to complete your Student Agreement with the college after completing six credit hours with PPCC.

6.  TRANSFER COURSES
You may already be well on the way to getting a degree from PPCC! You should tell our advisor of any college-level courses that you have already successfully completed from an accredited college or university. In addition, you may need to request an official copy of your transcripts from your former college(s) and have them sent directly to:

   Pikes Peak Community College
   Campus Box 8
   5675 South Academy Blvd.
   Colorado Springs, CO  80906

Download a Transcript Request Form.
We can only accept hand-carried transcripts if they are in their original, sealed envelopes from the granting college/university. 

7.  TURN IN A GREEN FORM
Submitting the Tuition Classification Certification form or Green Form enables soldiers and their family members to receive the Colorado in-state tuition rate.  This form must be submitted every semester/term in which the student enrolls.  The Green Form is available at the Fort Carson Education Center and should be turned in at the  PPCC office, room 118 at the education center. 
IMPORTANT:  Soldiers permanently assigned (PCS) to Colorado and their family members must have the Green Form completed and signed by an Education Services official at the Fort Carson Education Center.  Failure to submit a Green Form by the published drop (or census) date of the semester/term in which the student is enrolled will result in being charged the non-resident tuition rate. Soldiers not on PCS orders to Colorado and their family members are not eligible to receive the Green Form.  As a result, they will be charged the non-resident tuition rate. 

8.  APPLY FOR THE COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY FUND (COF) 
All soldiers and their family members permanently assigned (PCS) to an installation in Colorado must register for the College Opportunity Fund (COF). You only need to register once but if you don’t you will be personally responsible for paying the tuition portion that COF would have paid. Remember, you must always authorize the use of your COF funds for your classes each semester/term when you register.  Army TA will not pay the COF amount of the tuition bill.  If you do not have a Colorado Drivers License or if you have had a Colorado Drivers License for less than one year, please visit the PPCC Military Programs Office at the Fort Carson Education Center  to complete a paper copy of the COF application.  If you have had a Colorado Drivers License longer than one year, you may complete and submit the COF application form online at www.ppcc.edu.  If you have any questions about COF registration, please send us an email at mil.programs@ppcc.edu.  SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS NOT ON PCS ORDERS TO COLORADO CANNOT REGISTER FOR COF.  THEY MUST PAY THE NON-RESIDENT TUITION AND FEES.

9.  REGISTER WITH PPCC BEFORE you register through GAE
Check out the latest class offerings by reviewing the current class schedule.  If you need assistance, send us an e-mail at mil.programs@ppcc.edu or come to the Fort Carson Education Center, room 118 to register for the class(es) you are interested in.  
Note: the registration process is a great deal easier if you register with PPCC first and then confirm your PPCC registrations with GAE! GAE is not aware of Colorado course prerequisite requirements nor does GAE allow you to register for classes more than eight weeks in advance – registering with PPCC first ensures you have a seat in the classes you want and are eligible to take.

10.  REGISTER WITH GAE
To have the Army pay for your courses, DON’T MISS THIS STEP! Once you have completed registration through PPCC, you must go to the GAE portal and register for the exact same classes. Failure to do so will result in the Army denying you TA for your classes.  Make sure you register for the same course(s) and section number that you registered for with PPCC.
IMPORTANT:  GAE REGISTRATION WINDOW: You cannot register for a course through GAE more than eight weeks prior to the start date of a class. While you hopefully will have already registered through PPCC, you need to be sure to go back to GAE and register for the same course(s) when it becomes available in the portal. If you decide not to take the class, be sure to contact PPCC and drop the course prior to the PPCC published drop date or you will be responsible for paying all associated tuition and fees.

11.  BOOKS AND COURSE MATERIALS
You can order your books and materials through the on-line PPCC Bookstore. Of course you can visit any one of the campus bookstores to purchase textbooks, course materials and the latest outerwear and PPCC accessories. 

12.  APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID  
Besides Army TA, you might be eligible for financial aid to defray some of the costs not covered by Army TA.  Getting help is easier than you think. The earlier you submit your financial aid application the better your chances to be considered for all available sources of financial assistance. Apply online at fafsa.ed.gov.

13.  CHANGING YOUR CLASS SCHEDULE - DROPPING/ADDING/CHANGING A CLASS
Soldiers can (and should) add, change, or drop courses in GAE to match their PPCC schedule, only up until the last day to register. If you need to drop a class, you may do so online at www.ppcc.edu. Make sure to also drop the class in GAE. Once the term begins and the drop period passes, soldiers cannot change courses in GAE without close coordination with the PPCC office on Fort Carson.

14.  WITHDRAW AFTER CLASS HAS BEGUN  
Soldiers who cannot complete a class due to military reasons (duty, deployment, etc.) must notify the Army through GAE or they will be held responsible for paying the Army TA dollars. Be sure to also comply with the PPCC published withdraw deadlines (you can withdraw), PPCC rules regarding drop and withdraw deadlines, grades, fees, and appeal and waiver requirements by reviewing the current PPCC  catalog.