Criteria For Advanced Pay-grade
Normally, a Navy enlisted member would expect to begin service in pay-grade E-1, but the Navy wants to ensure you receive credit for certain life experiences you may have already had. The Navy provides opportunities for you to advance to pay-grades E-2 or E-3 while you wait to leave for boot camp. Keep in mind the importance achieving advancement prior to leaving for boot camp - higher pay-grade equals greater responsibility and more money!
- Here is an example;
- Entering the Navy at pay-grade E-3 will allow you to be eligible to advance to Third Class Petty Officer (E-4) only six months into your enlistment versus an E-1 who would only be eligible to advance to E-4 after serving a minimum of 2 years - you are a full year and a half ahead! Take a look at this current military pay scale and see the difference.
The following are ways that you may gain advancement -- some for things you have already accomplished, and a couple you still can do while waiting to leave for basic training;
- College Credits:
- If you have satisfactorily completed 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of college credits, you may be enlisted in pay-grade E-2. For those who have satisfactorily completed 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours of college credits, you can be enlisted in pay-grade E-3. College credits earned via classroom, Online or distant learning must be from a U.S. community college, college, or university accredited for postsecondary education and listed in the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) website. Classes must be of the 100 and higher variety as remedial courses are NOT authorized for use in determining whether you qualify for Advanced Pay-grade.
Official transcripts are the only acceptable documents to verify your advanced pay-grade eligibility. And keep in mind, if you are enlisted as a High School Diploma Graduate based on satisfactory completion of 15 semester/22 quarter hours, the hours cannot also be applied to advanced pay-grade unless you have enough credits to satisfy both requirements.
- Foreign Education:
- Same holds true for college-level foreign education. If the courses are considered equivalent to the U.S. courses of 24 semester (36 quarter) hours, you may be enlisted in pay-grade E-2 and U.S. equivalent of 48 semester (72 quarter) hours of college may be enlisted in pay-grade E-3.
- Navy Sea Cadet Corps.
- Those of you who were active members of the Navy Sea Cadet Corps may be enlisted in pay-grade E-2 or E-3, provided you are able to prove the following:
- » Completed indoctrination training at a Naval Training Center or an approved Navy activity.
- »» Completed the approved curriculum and reached pay-grade E-2 or E-3 in the Navy Sea Cadet Corps Program.
- »»» Must not have reached 24 years of age on the date of enlistment.
- Civil Air Patrol.
- If you provide documentation of having received the Civil Air Patrol Billy Mitchell Award, you may be enlisted in pay-grade E-2.
- Junior ROTC Program.
- If you have successfully completed two years of any Junior ROTC Program, you are entitled to enlist in pay-grade E-2. If you have been awarded a certificate of successful completion of three years of any Junior ROTC Program, under any military department, you are entitled to be enlisted in pay-grade E-3 upon presentation of the completion certificate or high school transcripts showing successful completion.
- Scouting
- Provide evidence of successful completion of Eagle Scout or the Girl Scout Gold Award requirements and you are entitled to be enlisted in pay-grade E-3.
- Sea Scouts
- Provide evidence of successful completion of requirements for Quartermaster in the Sea Scouts, and you are entitled to be enlisted in pay-grade E-3.
- Young Marines
- Provide evidence of having been designated an E-5 in the Young Marines, and you are entitled to be enlisted pay-grade E-2.
- Vocational/Technical School
- For successful completion of 1,080 classroom hours at an accredited vocational/technical school you may be enlisted in pay-grade E-2. For E-3 you would have had to complete 2,160 classroom hours at an accredited vocational/technical school. The vocational or technical training must at a level beyond high school and can not have been courses required for completion of high school.
- Military Academy
- If you have successfully successfully completed two years and graduated from an accredited high school-level military academy you may be enlisted in pay-grade E-2 and for three years you are entitled to E-3.
- Delayed Entry Program (DEP) Referrals
- While a Future Sailor in the Navy DEP, if you refer qualified applicants that subsequently join the Navy, you may be authorized advancement up to pay-grade E-3. Utilize this chart to see who and how many!
Referral Awards for Enlisted DEP Personnel Chart
| Eligibility Criteria | Awards | Awarding Authority |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Enlisted Contract (non-NF or non-NSO/NSW) | Letter of Appreciation | NAVTALACQGRU |
| 1 Enlisted NF or NSO/NSW Contract | Advancement to E-2, Certificate of Promotion and CO LOC | NAVTALACQGRU |
| 1 Officer Accession | Advancement to E-2, Certificate of Promotion and CO LOC | NAVTALACQGRU |
| 2 Enlisted Contracts (non-NF or non-NSO/NSW) | Advancement to E-2, Certificate of Promotion and CO LOC | NAVTALACQGRU |
| 2 Enlisted NF or NSO/NSW Contracts | Advancement to E-3, Certificate of Promotion and Flag Letter of Commendation | NAVTALACQGRU/ NAVCRUITCOM |
| 2 Officer Accessions | Advancement to E-3, Certificate of Promotion and Flag Letter of Commendation | NAVTALACQGRU/ NAVCRUITCOM |
| 4 Enlisted Contracts | Advancement to E-3, Certificate of Promotion and Flag Letter of Commendation | NAVTALACQGRU/ NAVCRUITCOM |
Definition of a Referral. A referral is someone provided by you and to qualify for advancement must fall into one of the following categories:
- You must provide the recruiter with the name of the new prospect or introduce the recruiter to a new prospect. This includes referrals provided up to six months before your DEP enlistment date, when it is documented that you could not DEP-in earlier through no fault of your own (age, temporary rejected at medical, etc.).
- When you successfully refer a prospect that your recruiter has been unsuccessful in contracting, the prospect must have previously declined processing, and the recruiter must have documented at least one unsuccessful follow-up.
Ensure your Recruiter has documented that your efforts was the reason for successfully contracting the prospect!
Effective Date. The effective date of advancement will be the date the qualifying referral enlists (including DEP enlistment) or the date you begin active duty, whichever is later.
Eligibility for Advancement. You are allowed credit for DEP referrals up until you report to your first permanent duty station. Referrals made during periods assigned to Hometown Area Recruiting Program (HARP) are not credited toward advancement, do not confuse HARP with leave after boot camp or A school.
- No credit is awarded when:
- » You are just answering the telephone in the recruiting station for your recruiter.
- » You are calling names of people from a list provided by your recruiter.
- » You helped the recruiter with an applicant that they were already working.
- Completion of DEP Guide Personal Qualification Standards (PQS) & Initial Fitness Assessment (IFA)
- If you successfully complete the DEP GUIDE PQS, pass a written test at Recruit Training Command (RTC), and pass PT-Baseline with a SAT-MED will be advanced to E-2 effective from their Active Duty Service Date (ADSD). Completion of your DEP GUIDE PQS will be confirmed and documented by the Classifier at MEPS.
