MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA -- Approximately 76 active-duty service members, family, veterans, and DOW civilians were recognized at the Voluntary Educational Center’s Celebrating Student Success Ceremony at The Clubs of Quantico, Apr. 7.
“This event is about recognizing the hard work we put into our goals which we were able to achieve thanks to the help from the Voluntary Educational Center,” said U.S. Air Force veteran Daniel Bellitt, a graduate of Syracuse University. “It was fulfilling to be recognized in front of my friends and family.”
The Celebrating Student Success Ceremony honored students who earned certificates, licenses, or degrees of any level while utilizing the resources and services provided by the VEC, including Tuition Assistance, the Marine Corps Credentialing Opportunities Online, U.S. Marine Corps Military Apprenticeship Program, and others.
“It helped me achieve my goals,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Tristen Davis, a graduate of Purdue University’s United Services Military Apprenticeship Program. “It allowed me to go to college while on active duty, helped pay for my education, and choose a program that was right for me.”
The VEC is designed to provide quality educational programs to the Marine Corps community. They host education fairs, student success celebrations, and many more events to educate and inspire base personnel to better themselves.
In fact, in 2025,Quantico’s VEC was the third-largest processing center in the entire Marine Corps, seeing a 96% increase in authorized funding, going from $211,949 in 2024 to over $4.5 million in 2025.
With that funding, 1,994 students used tuition assistance, and the VEC offered 6,273 courses while performing 5,801 educational counseling sessions.
“I encourage younger Marines [to] take advantage of the resources available to them,” said U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Rae Ann VillaFranco, a graduate of American Military University. “You just have to ask the questions.”
The list of services the VEC associates with includes:
- $4,500 per fiscal year funding via TA,
- G.I. Bill registration counseling,
- Scholarships and FASFA registration,
- Military classification testing,
- Various educational counseling,
- and more!
Whether Marines need help finding the right school, navigating TA, or exploring their opportunities, the VEC can assist them. If interested, please contact the VEC at mailto:MCCSQuanticoEdCenter@usmc.mill or call 703-784-2375.