FY-09 SEAMAN TO ADMIRAL-21 (STA-21) PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT:

UNCLASSIFIED//

ROUTINE

R 080146Z MAY 08 ZUI ASN-ASS129000542 PSN 557510K23

FM OU=CNO WASHINGTON DC(UC),L=WASHINGTON,L=DISTRICT OF 
COLUMBIA,OU=ORGANIZATIONS(UC),OU=NAVY,OU=DOD,O=U.S. GOVERNMENT,C=US

TO CN=AL NAVADMIN(UC),OU=ADDRESS LISTS(UC),OU=NAVY,OU=DOD,O=U.S. 
GOVERNMENT,C=US OU=NAVADMIN,OU=N,OU=AUTODIN PLAS,OU=DOD,O=U.S. 
GOVERNMENT,C=US

INFO OU=CNO WASHINGTON DC(UC),L=WASHINGTON,L=DISTRICT OF 
COLUMBIA,OU=ORGANIZATIONS(UC),OU=NAVY,OU=DOD,O=U.S. GOVERNMENT,C=US

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NAVADMIN 127/08

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/MAY//

SUBJ/FY-09 SEAMAN TO ADMIRAL-21 (STA-21) PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAV/02MAY2003//

AMPN/REF A IS OPNAVINST 1420.1A, ENLISTED TO OFFICER COMMISSIONING 
PROGRAMS APPLICATION ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL.//

RMKS/1.  THE PURPOSE OF THIS NAVADMIN IS TO SOLICIT APPLICATIONS AND 
PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR THE FY-09 SEAMAN TO ADMIRAL-21 (STA-21) 
COMMISSIONING PROGRAM.

2.  STA-21 IS A FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION AND COMMISSIONING 
PROGRAM OPEN TO ENLISTED PERSONNEL OF ALL PAYGRADES AND RATINGS WHO 
MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN REF A AND ON THE STA-21 
WEBSITE UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION LINK.  SELECTEES ARE PROVIDED A 
MAXIMUM OF 36 MONTHS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND STUDY TO COMPLETE A 
BACCALAUREATE DEGREE.  PARTICIPANTS WILL REMAIN ON ACTIVE DUTY WHILE 
ATTENDING COLLEGE AND RECEIVE PAY, ALLOWANCES, BENEFITS, AND PRIVILEGES 
OF CURRENT PAYGRADE.  IN ADDITION, SELECTEES WILL RECEIVE AN EDUCATION 
VOUCHER FOR UP TO 10,000 DOLLARS PER YEAR TO COVER TUITION, FEES, AND 
BOOK COSTS.

3.  DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS FOR THE FY-09 STA-21 
PROGRAM IS 1 JULY 2008.  APPLICATION PACKAGES MUST BE POSTMARKED ON OR 
BEFORE THE DEADLINE DATE.  DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ADDITIONAL 
DOCUMENTATION TO AN APPLICANT'S PACKAGE IS 1 AUGUST 2008.  FOR THE
FY-09 STA-21 APPLICATIONS, SERVICE MEMBERS IMPACTED BY THE DANTES 
TESTING SUSPENSION MAY SUBMIT A PARTIAL APPLICATION PACKAGE, LESS ONLY 
THEIR AMERICAN COLLEGE TEST (ACT) OR SCHOLASTIC ASSESSMENT TEST
(SAT) SCORES, NLT 1 JULY 2008.  THOSE PARTIAL APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE 
AN ENDORSEMENT BY THEIR COMMANDING OFFICER CERTIFYING THAT THE DANTES 
TEST SUSPENSION HAS PROHIBITED THE APPLICANT FROM RECEIVING THEIR 
SAT/ACT RESULTS PRIOR TO 1 JULY 2008.  THOSE APPLYING WITH THESE 
PARTIAL APPLICATION PACKETS MUST SUBMIT THEIR ACT/SAT TEST SCORES 
BEFORE 1 SEPTEMBER 2008.  ACT/SAT SCORES UP TO 3 YEARS OLD MAY BE 
SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE PACKAGE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CANDIDATE.  
NO ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS CAN BE ADDED AFTER THIS DATE.
NAMES OF SELECTEES WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY NAVADMIN IN OCTOBER 2008.

4.  LESSONS LEARNED.  THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ADDRESSES LESSONS 
LEARNED FROM THE FY-08 STA-21 SELECTION PROCESS AND BOARD.  THIS 
INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO PRECLUDE COMMON ERRORS.
A.  OF OVER 850 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, ONLY 713 WERE BOARD ELIGIBLE.  A 
TOTAL OF 210 WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FY-08
STA-21 PROGRAM.
B.  EACH YEAR, PACKAGES ARE STILL NOT CONSIDERED DUE TO NON-QUALIFYING 
SAT/ACT TEST SCORES, NO SAT/ACT TEST SCORES SUBMITTED, NO CO 
ENDORSEMENT, RECENT NJP, AND MISSING OR ILLEGIBLE SUBMISSION OF 
DOCUMENTS.
C.  MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BEFORE SUBMITTING AN 
APPLICATION.  THE SELECTION PROCESS IS EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE.  
APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE MAILED ONLY WHEN FULLY COMPLETE.
OFFICER INTERVIEW BOARDS AND THE CO'S PERSONAL INTERVIEW SHOULD ONLY BE 
CONDUCTED AFTER THE APPLICATION IS COMPLETE.  THE FULL PICTURE OF AN 
APPLICANT'S ACADEMIC POTENTIAL CAN ONLY BE DETERMINED BY REVIEWING THE 
SAT/ACT SCORES AND HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS.
D.  AN INTERVIEW BOARD AND NOMINATION REVIEW BOARD SHALL BE CONDUCTED 
PER REF A.  IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT OFFICERS OF THE APPLICANT'S 
DESIGNATOR CHOICE, IF AVAILABLE AT A BASE OR COMMAND, BE ASKED TO 
PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVIEW/NOMINATION REVIEW BOARD TO ASSESS THE 
APPLICANT FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.  NOMINATION REVIEW BOARDS SHOULD BE 
EXTERNAL OF THE COMMAND.  IN THE EVENT THAT A NOMINATION REVIEW BOARD 
OUTSIDE THE COMMAND CANNOT BE CONVENED, THE COMMAND SHOULD PRESENT 
THREE ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW APPRAISALS TO ADD TO THE PACKAGE OR AN 
EXPLANATION OF WHY THE DIRECTED PROCESS COULD NOT BE FOLLOWED.  HOW 
OTHER OFFICERS VIEW THE APPLICANT CARRIES SIGNIFICANT WEIGHT.  FOR 
JUNIOR SAILORS WITH ONLY SCHOOLHOUSE EVALUATIONS, THE CO MUST ADDRESS 
THIS ISSUE IN HIS OR HER ENDORSEMENT.  SAILORS MUST ADDRESS ANY 
HARDSHIPS OR UNIQUE EXPERIENCES THAT SHAPED THEIR CHARACTER AND JUNIOR 
SAILORS PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCES.  HIGH SCHOOL 
TRANSCRIPTS RARELY PROVIDE IN-DEPTH INFORMATION ON INVOLVEMENT IN 
SPORTS, CLUBS, VOLUNTEER WORK, ETC.
EACH CANDIDATE SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO INCLUDE IN THEIR PERSONAL 
STATEMENT REASON(S) FOR THEIR INTEREST IN THE STA-21 PROGRAM, WHAT THEY 
HAVE DONE TO DESERVE CONSIDERATION FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND WHAT THEY 
WOULD DO WITH THE OPPORTUNITY IF SELECTED.  ADDITIONALLY, APPLICANTS 
SHOULD EXPLAIN ANY MITIGATING ISSUES THE BOARD NEEDS TO CONSIDER (I.E., 
POOR HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE GRADES, UNEXPLAINED GAPS).

5.  DIVERSITY WITHIN THE NAVY'S OFFICER COMMUNITY IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR 
FUTURE SUCCESS.  I REQUEST ALL COMMANDING OFFICERS, COMMAND CAREER 
COUNSELORS AND SENIOR ENLISTED MEMBERS ENCOURAGE ALL QUALIFIED SAILORS 
TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.

6.  APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE MAILED TO:
COMMANDER
NAVAL SERVICE TRAINING COMMAND (OD2/STA-21) 250 DALLAS STREET, STE A 
PENSACOLA, FL 32508-5268

7.  SPECIFIC DETAILS, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS 
AND SELECTION PROCEDURES CAN BE FOUND IN REF A AND AT THE STA-21 
WEBSITE UNDER PROGRAM OPTIONS AT HTTPS://WWW.STA-21.NAVY.MIL.

8.  QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO COMMAND 
CAREER COUNSELORS OR TO NAVAL SERVICE TRAINING COMMAND OFFICER 
DEVELOPMENT DIVISION (OD2) AT (850) 452-9563 OR EMAIL AT 
pnsc_sta21@navy.mil.

9.  RELEASED BY VADM M. E. FERGUSON III, N1.//

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