Air Force tuition assistance, military tuition assistance, G.I. Bill, military friendly colleges - Air Force Times

Tuition assistance: Army

Soldiers who plan to get an education by tapping into the Army Tuition Assistance program need only go to one Web site for practically all the information they’ll need on money, schools and setting goals.

The GoArmyEd Web site (https://www.goarmyed.com) is a gateway to the Army Continuing Education System (ACES) which lists and explains all the programs and services available.

The TA program provides funds for off-duty education programs for active duty officers, warrant officers and enlisted soldiers.

Also eligible are Active Guard and Reserve, National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers who have been activated under Titles 10 or 32 of federal law.

Current Tuition Assistance levels are up to $250 per semester hour, with an annual ceiling of $4,500. The Army pays 100 percent of the tuition and authorized fees up to those caps.

Authorized fees are described as those that are mandatory and associated with individual course enrollment.

Soldiers can go online to request financial aid for classroom studies, distance learning or EarmyU online courses.

The format of the GoArmyEd Web site is user-friendly and rich with content, driven by drop menus that outline dozens of Army programs with in-depth explanations and provide information on criteria and eligibility.

Active duty soldiers are required to establish specific education goals (degree or credential), and they must sign a TA Statement of Understanding, have it signed by their commander, then submit it to their local education center for approval.

To gain access to the section of the Web site that spells out these requirements, soldiers must first obtain a login and password at the GoArmyEd portal.

The courses must be offered by colleges that are accredited by accrediting agencies that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A list of approved accrediting agencies may be found at www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg6.html#NationallyRecognized.

TA is also available to soldiers who want to obtain a high school diploma or participate in a skills-certificate program. However, TA is not authorized for programs beyond master’s degrees or for credentials at the same or a lower level than any a soldier already has achieved.