Military Tuition Assistance (TA)

The Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance (TA) program provides financial assistance to Service members for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of professional and personal self-development goals. TA is available for courses that are offered in the classroom or by distance learning and are part of an approved academic degree or certificate program. The courses must be offered by schools that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and are signatories to the current DoD Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (DOD MOU).

Service-Specific TA Policies and Procedures

In general, eligible active duty Service members can receive TA at a rate of $250 per semester hour cap with an annual ceiling of $4,500. The Services are authorized to establish Service specific eligibility criteria to manage TA funds. For Service specific TA policies and procedures, visit their voluntary education websites below:

Army TA

Army National Guard TA

Marine Corps TA

Navy TA

Air Force TA

Coast Guard TA

TA / MGIB-SR for Guard/Reserve Members

The Department of Defense approved the use of concurrent receipt for Federal Tuition Assistance (TA) and the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve Education Benefit (MGIB-SR). Reserve Component service members are authorized to receive both TA and MGIB-SR benefits concurrently when enrolled in a program of education that is half-time or more. Concurrent use is not authorized when enrolled less than half-time. Click here for more information.

In-State Tuition Policies

As a member of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) who has been on active duty for a period of more than 30 days, you, your spouse, and dependent children are eligible to receive in-state tuition at public colleges and universities in the state where you reside or are permanently stationed.

Once you or your family member is enrolled and paying in-state tuition, you will continue to pay the in-state tuition rate as long as you remain continuously enrolled at the institution, even if you are reassigned outside the state.

The Department of Education has worked with the institutions of higher education and they are aware of the changes in the law and are fully implementing the policy. However, there is always the chance that an institution did not receive the information. If this happens, you should contact the financial aid or registrar's office at the institution. You can also contact the Veterans Affairs office at the institution.

Even though you are active duty, these offices should be able to assist you. In the rare cases where these steps don't resolve the situation, please contact the Department of Education's Ombudsman's office (toll-free at 877.557.2575) or via the internet at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/redirects/ombudsman-ed-gov.

Tuition Assistance (TA) Top Up

Using Top-Up benefits may be an option if you plan to use tuition assistance (TA) to complete a degree program while on active duty, and don't plan to continue your education after service. Top-up can also be helpful for just taking a few courses with TA while on active duty; then you can save most of your GI Bill benefits for after service to complete your education program.

To learn more about TA Top Up, visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/tuition_assistance.asp