How Military Tuition Assistance Can Help Finance Your Education

By Ryan Laspina
Senior Specialist, Red Flags and External Reviews at APUS

A common pay type for active duty military members (and reservists/National Guard members in some instances) is Tuition Assistance (TA). TA can be somewhat confusing because each branch of the armed forces has a different TA process. Before diving in to the different processes for each branch, it is important to understand a few facts about TA.

1. For each branch of the military, TA has a fiscal year limit. Each year this amount can change, so all figures below are based on 2016.
2. The balance for TA will renew each year on October 1^st.
3. TA can only be used to pay for the cost of tuition. Fees and materials for classes are not covered by TA.

• Air Force TA
  • Students using Air Force TA must apply for TA through the Air Force Portal Virtual Education Center.
  • After signing the TA request in the Portal, your school will be sent a notification that an application for TA has been submitted.
  • If approved, the TA will be electronically sent to your school.
  • No physical TA form will need to be submitted.
  • The fiscal year limit is $4500, and TA will cover up to $250 per credit.
• Army TA
  • Students using Army TA will first need to register for classes at their school.
  • Next, they will need to register for the exact same classes through their GoArmyEd account.
  • Once this process is completed and approved, the TA will be electronically sent to the school.
  • No physical TA form will need to be submitted.
  • The fiscal year limit is $4000, and TA will cover up to $250 per credit.
• Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard TA
  • Students must first complete a TA application at their Base Education Office or an online TA application (website varies depending on which branch).
  • If approved, the student can obtain a copy of the TA Authorization.
  • Students must sign the physical TA voucher form and send that form to their school.
  • The fiscal year limit is $4000. TA will cover up to $250 per credit for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard

While all the armed forces branches may have different policies and procedures, your best resource will be a representative at your Base Education Office. They will be able to answer questions about using TA and let students know how much TA funding they have remaining. Also, students using TA can still receive Federal Student Aid (FSA) such as the Pell Grant. Next week, we will take a look at some other less common military pay types, including MyCAA and VOCA.

About the Author

Ryan Laspina is a Senior Compliance and Default Prevention Specialist at American Public University System. He is a current MBA student at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. Ryan studied business and English as an undergraduate. His specialties include writing, editing, and financial planning and management.