MILITARY TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM APPLICATION PROCESS
Overview
The Military Tuition Assistance Program is available to active duty, National Guard and Reserve Component service members. Tuition Assistance (TA) currently pays up to $250 per credit hour upon approval from their military branch. Per regulations, a TA recipient who is eligible for a Georgia’s Hope/Zell Miller Scholarship must apply his or her state scholarship monies toward tuition and fees before receiving tuition assistance for any remaining balances on tuition. TA funds only cover tuition and not fees. Students whose TA is delayed will need to be prepared to cover their tuition expenses by the payment deadline and be reimbursed when their TA is approved and funds are sent to the school.
Service members using TA need to first check with an education counselor for the specifics involving TA by visiting their local installation education office or by going online to a virtual education center. The education counselor can work with you to evaluate your education goals and ensure your education program and course work qualifies. Approval from a Military Educational Service Officer (ESO) or counselor is needed prior to enrolling at the University of Georgia.
Eligibility
All four service branches and the U.S. Coast Guard offer financial assistance for voluntary, off-duty education programs in support of service members’ personal and professional goals. The program is open to officers, warrant officers and enlisted active-duty service personnel. In addition, members of the National Guard and Reserve Components may be eligible for TA based on their service eligibility.
To be eligible for TA, an enlisted service member must have enough time remaining in service to complete the course for which he or she has applied. After the completion of a course, an officer using TA must fulfill a service obligation that runs parallel with – not in addition to – any existing service obligation.
Coverage amounts and monetary limits
The Tuition Assistance Program may fund up to 100% of your college tuition and certain fees with the following limits,
• Not to exceed $250 per semester credit hour or $166 per quarter credit hour
• Not to exceed $4,500 per fiscal year, Oct. 1 through Sept. 30
Tuition assistance benefits and restrictions
Tuition assistance will cover the following expenses at UGA:
• Tuition
Note: Course and Lab Fees are no longer assessed at UGA thus not a benefit.
Tuition assistance will not cover the following expenses:
• Books and course materials
• Flight training fees
• Taking the same course twice
• Continuing education units, or CEUs
Keep in mind that TA will not fund your college courses, and you will have to reimburse any funds already paid, if any of the following situations occur:
• Leaving the service before the course ends
• Quitting the course for reasons other than personal illness, military transfer or mission requirements
• Failing the course
Application process
Each military branch has its own TA application form and procedures. To find out how
to get started, visit your local installation education center, go online to a virtual
education center or click on the following links for each service branch:
• Army https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/Federal-Benefits/Tuition-Assistance-(TA)
• Marine Corps https://www.marforres.marines.mil/General-Special-Staff/Marine-Corps-Community-Services/Marine-Family-Services/Voluntary-Education-Program/Tuition-Assistance/
• Navy https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/
• Air Force https://www.afpc.af.mil/Career-Management/Military-Tuition-Assistance-Program/
• Coast Guard https://www.afpc.af.mil/Career-Management/Military-Tuition-Assistance-Program/https://www.forcecom.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/FORCECOM-UNITS/ETQC/VOLUNTARY-EDUCATION/Tuition-Assistance/
Prior to your enrollment, you may be required to develop an education plan or complete TA orientation.
Be sure to keep the following important information in mind when you apply:
• Military tuition assistance may only be used to pursue degree programs at colleges and universities in the United States that are regionally or nationally accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S Department of Education. A quick way to check the accreditation of a school is by visiting the Department of Education.
• Your service’s education center must approve your military tuition assistance before you enroll in a course.
Military Student TA Process Summary
1-Student planning to attend the University of Georgia should meet with their Military Educational Service Office (ESO) or Counselor to obtain approval to enroll.
2-Upon receiving approval to enroll, military student can apply to UGA
3-If accepted, student will register for classes and follow their military branch’s process for requesting tuition assistance (TA) per term.
4-Upon receiving TA approval from your military branch, TA student will email their authorization to UGA’s Accounts Receivable (AR) Department, acctrec@uga.edu. (NOTE: If there are changes to a student’s registration, student will need to communicate this change to their military counselor AND the UGA AR Dept.)
5-UGA’s AR Dept. will match the student’s authorization to their actual registration and if all is well, a 3rd party billing arrangement will be established for the awarded funds on their student account for payment towards their student account tuition balance.
6-After drop/add, UGA bills the Military branch for tuition assistance according to the hours/courses approved. (NOTE: Should there be an issue where the Military doesn’t pay, the student is responsible for covering these funds.)
The payment deadline each term is the 1st day of class. Students are expected to pay the balance (net of any TA assistance applied) on their student account by this payment deadline to avoid late fees and schedule cancelation.
For more information regarding the Military Tuition Assistance Program, go to Military’s One Source website. To contact UGA’s Account Receivable’s department, please email acctrec@uga.edu.
