Military Tuition Assistance (TA)
Military tuition assistance, or TA, is offered by each branch of the United States Military to offset higher education expenses while serving. It’s also provided as an alternative to the GI Bill, allowing those still in uniform to earn higher degrees without touching their GI Bill benefits.
Over the years, each branch of the military has modified its TA options based on available funding, demand, and other variables. In some years, shifts in demand or funding prompt individual branches to adjust their annual credit caps or policies. Check with your unit or installation education center to confirm the latest branch rules before enrolling.
Why Use Tuition Assistance?
Why should you consider using a Military Tuition Assistance (TA) program instead of your GI Bill benefits? TA is offered to active-duty personnel, National Guard members, and reservists. It works by covering college costs upfront while saving your GI Bill for later.
Should you save those GI Bill options? For most troops, using TA while serving protects future education funds. Active-duty service members using the Post-9/11 GI Bill do not receive the monthly housing stipend, as they already receive a basic allowance for housing.
Saving the GI Bill for after leaving military service allows veterans to collect the full monthly housing stipend while attending school as civilians.
Related: Ultimate GI Bill Guide
How to Use the Military Tuition Assistance Program
You can use military tuition assistance for degree or credential programs. You can use military tuition assistance to pay for:
- Vocational programs
- Technical programs
- Undergraduate programs
- Graduate programs
- Independent study
- Distance-learning programs
TA may not exceed $250 per semester credit hour or $166.66 per quarter credit hour; Funding may not exceed $4,500 per fiscal year (Oct. 1 through Sept. 30), though branches like the Coast Guard cap funds lower, at $3,750 per year.
Tuition assistance is designed to cover tuition charges.
Department of Defense policy states that tuition assistance DOES NOT PAY FOR:
- Course fees, lab fees, or computer fees
- Books and course materials
- Flight training fees
- Repeating a course
- Continuing education units (CEUs)
Military TA Top-Up
Some service members have the option to “top up” their military tuition assistance using the Post-9/11 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill. Topping up helps cover the difference when tuition exceeds branch rate caps. You can apply for Top-Up only after your branch approves your TA request.
How To Apply For Military Tuition Assistance
To qualify for military tuition assistance, the following requirements apply:
- Enlisted service members must have enough time remaining on their enlistment contract to complete funded courses.
- Active-duty officers incur a two-year service obligation that runs parallel to existing commitments. Reserve component officers incur a four-year obligation in the Selected Reserve.
- Applicants must submit an approved degree plan from their school after completing an initial orientation or introductory courses.
- The chosen school must hold accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and sign the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding.
Related: Ultimate GI Bill Guide
What to Know About Military Tuition Assistance
The military pays tuition assistance funds to the school, not to the student. Service members must obtain approval from the command and education center before registering for classes. You must repay tuition assistance funds to your branch if any of the following occur:
- You separate from the military before the course ends;
- You drop a course for reasons other than official military duty, reassignment, or illness;
- You receive a non-passing grade (a grade lower than C for undergraduate courses, or lower than B for graduate courses).
Tuition assistance does not fund lateral degrees at the same academic level (such as a second bachelor’s degree) or lower-level coursework than you already hold. When military duties or medical emergencies force you to drop a class, you can submit a waiver request through your chain of command to avoid recoupment of the tuition funds.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
