MECEP is an enlisted to officer commissioning program designed to provide outstanding enlisted Marines the opportunity to serve as Marine Corps officers. The MECEP is open to all active duty and active reserve (AR) Marines who meet the eligibility requirements below. Selected Marines will be eligible to receive a commission after successful completion of OCS and a baccalaureate degree. They will be ordered to attend The Basic School (TBS) upon commissioning.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
(1) Applicants must be a high school graduate or must have completed a minimum of two years of high school and have successfully passed the General Educational Development High School level test.
(2) The following minimum college credit hour requirement is established (and cannot be waived):
a. Three credits of entry level math or science;
b. Three credits of entry level english;
c. Six credits of any other college class;
d. A total of twelve credit hours.
e. Credits must be actual college courses taken either at community college, traditional college or university, or online college. College Level Examination Program, Sailor/Marine American Council on
Education Registry Transcript credits, and credits earned in a high school will not count towards this requirement.

OBLIGATED SERVICE
Marines must agree to reenlist or extend as necessary to have at least six years of obligated service in the regular Marine Corps after graduating from OCS and prior to detaching from his or her parent command. Marines are required to maintain a four-year obligated service commitment during the entirety of enrollment in MECEP. Marines cannot execute PCS orders from their parent command until enlistment or
extension is approved.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
(1) Ground Officer Applicants. Must be found physically qualified for appointment to commissioned grade in the USMC per the standards set forth in Manual of Medicine.
(2) Naval Aviator Applicants. Must be found physically qualified and aeronautically adapted for duty involving actual control of aircraft and qualified for appointment to commissioned grade.

SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
(1) Marines must have a minimum of three years of active service and one year remaining on their current enlistment or extension from the date of the selection board convening. Having less than one year remaining on their current enlistment prior to the selection board convening, will make any applicant, regardless of E-O program, ineligible for consideration.
(2) AR Marines must be within six months of their current EAS from the date of the selection board convening in order to receive favorable consideration for a conditional release.
(3) AR Marines must be approved for augmentation into the regular Marine Corps. Participation is contingent upon conditional release from the AR program by the CMC (Reserve Affairs Personnel Manpower Branch [RAM]) and MMEA approval of their augmentation request.
(4) Grade. Applicants must be a sergeant or above at the time of application. No waivers will be considered for rank requirements.
(5) Age. Ground candidates must be at least 20 years of age and less than 30 years of age on date of appointment to commissioned grade. Aviation candidates must be at least 20 years of age and less than 27 1/2 years of age, waiverable to 29 years of age, on date of appointment to commissioned grade. Waivers or exceptions to policy may be considered by the CG MCRC up to the age of 35 for ground officers.

PREVIOUS FAILURES
Applicants must not have previously failed to complete any military officer program. Applicants dropped at their own request or for physical reasons during training must reapply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, aviation applicants must not have previously failed any military flight training program.

DEPLOYABILITY
Applicants must be available for world-wide assignment and qualified to reenlist per MCO 1040.31

OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION
a. NROTC Participation. All Marines selected for participation in the MECEP shall attend a NROTC participating school, to include cross-town affiliates and consortiums. This does not include attendance at a two year institution. Marines must be accepted to a four-year degree awarding institution. Refer to the current FY MARADMIN for website address for affiliated colleges/universities to apply.
b. Reporting. The current FY MCBul shall determine the opportunity for Marines to report to either the Spring, Summer, or Fall semester. Applicants are highly encouraged to start the application process early, and if possible, provide acceptance letters to an approved school with their application. If an applicant receives acceptance after forwarding an application, the applicant may forward a copy of their acceptance to MCRC ON/E to be included in their application.
c. Promotions. Promotion opportunities remain uninterrupted and are non-competitive while participating in MECEP.
d. Pay and Allowances. Selectees receive full pay and allowances, excluding proficiency pay, while participating in MECEP.
e. Contracts. Applicants must agree to extend, reenlist, or augment to have six years of obligated service in the regular Marine Corps prior to detaching from their parent command.
f. Educational Expenses. All educational costs, to include tuition, fees, and books are the responsibility of the individual participant. Marines should contact the Marine for Life Program, referenced before contacting the Marine Officer Instructor (MOI) at their future university to inquire about the use of their GI Bill, Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits or any other financial aid available. Marines need to consider the cost of living in the area they would reside and the tuition costs at schools to which they intend to apply.
g. Academic Requirements. Students are expected to complete their academic requirements in the most expedient means possible. Pursuit of double majors is authorized provided that the second can be completed simultaneously and the time required is no longer than that required for a
single degree.
h. Academic Schedule. Marines participating in MECEP are required to maintain a full-time academic schedule that meets the college or university’s full-time student status and enable them to graduate in the most expedient means possible. MECEP students are expected to graduate in four years or less, and maintain a 2.50 grade point average. Degrees requiring five years to complete are not authorized. Applicants may request a waiver for the pursuit of a technical five-year degree. Marines are not authorized to attend graduate school. MECEP Marines will not be authorized PCS moves to transfer to another college or university from which originally enrolled, unless within the same consortium. Approved moves will be personally funded by the MECEP Marine.
i. Administrative Control. While attending school, all MECEP participants will be carried on the rolls of the nearest Marine Corps activity in the vicinity of the academic institution. Administrative and disciplinary jurisdiction will be given to the CO/or Professor of Naval Science (PNS) of the NROTC unit at the academic institution. All matters relating to military personnel administration will be the responsibility of the Marine Corps activity.
j. Post OCS. Upon completion of OCS, MECEP on-campus training, physical qualification, and receipt of a baccalaureate degree, participants will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Enlisted contracts to include any extensions are vacated and the officer is required to serve a
minimum of four years of active duty.
k. Applicants requesting SNA, once at an NROTC Unit and eligible, must submit the NAVMC 11878, “Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program Student Naval Aviator Service Agreement” in the event they are deemed medically unqualified for aviation.