Important new changes to Tuition Assistance

  • Published
  • By Lanette Hetrick
  • 341st Force Support Squadron education services specialist
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  There have been several important changes to Tuition Assistance with the updated release of Department of Defense Instruction 1322.25, Voluntary Education Programs, which need to be addressed. In an effort to keep TA available, the DoD has decided the following changes will help allow TA to continue at 100 percent and at the same $4,500 per fiscal year benefit. Effective July 21, the Air Force no longer allows any fees to be paid with TA. Previously, TA covered lab fees, distance learning fees and shop fees. The only covered charge paid now is tuition.

The following changes begin Oct. 1:

Educational institutions that bundle tuition, fees, or books into a consolidated cost must detail the charges of fees and books separately for those participating in the TA program. Fees include any charge not directly related to course instruction including, but not limited to, costs associated with room, board, distance learning, equipment, supplies, books/materials, exams, insurance, parking, transportation, admissions, registration, or fines. These fees add up quickly, but students will now be responsible to pay them. Unfortunately, TA Top-up cannot pay for any cost not authorized by TA; in other words, your GI Bill will not be able to pay the difference for fees if using TA Top-up. If you use your Montgomery GI Bill or Post 9/11 GI Bill instead of using TA, your fees may be covered. Please attend the GI Bill briefing we offer monthly, on every first Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Education and Training Center, to determine which GI Bill would be best to use if you choose to do so.

Reimbursement will be required from the service member if a successful course completion is not obtained. For the purpose of reimbursement, a successful course completion is now defined as a grade of "C" or higher for undergraduate courses, a "B" or higher for graduate courses, and a "Pass" for "Pass/Fail" grades. Please note, if you are having problems in a class and it may be impossible for you to earn a successful grade, I recommend you ask your instructor for an incomplete "I", which can give you extra time to finish your class successfully. Your instructor can give you anywhere from a couple of weeks to four months to complete your course. If your instructor will not grant you an incomplete, I recommend you completely withdraw from your class. Although you may have to pay back some or even the entire cost of the course, a "W" will not affect your GPA. If you receive either an "I" or a "W", you will need to provide documentation with this information to the Education Center or to education@malmstrom.af.mil so we can update your record. Always get everything in writing.

Students with a suspense, such as an Incomplete, Withdrawal, Missing Grade or Reimbursement Action will not be able to apply for TA until the suspense is cleared. This means, when Central Office notifies you of any of the above action, you must make arrangements as quickly as possible to clear the suspense in order to use TA. For instance, if there is a reimbursement action, as soon as the arrangements have been made with CO, such as a six-month payroll deduction, they will clear your suspense and you can then apply for TA. The deduction does not necessarily need to be paid for, just the arrangements made with CO.

Then next change lessens the amount of time you have to apply for TA. In past, you had 60 days from the start date to apply for TA. Now, you can apply no earlier than 45 days and no later than seven days prior to the class start date. If you try to apply six days or less prior to the start date of your class, TA will not allow you to and the Education Center is unable to override this. There are no longer "Late TA Request" available.

Another change concerns lateral and lower degrees. Although TA never allowed lateral or lower degrees, the Community College of the Air Force Associate of Applied Science degree was not included in this stipulation. Enlisted members could pursue one civilian Associate of Art or Science Degree of their choice and as many CCAF degrees as long as they held a five-level if they didn't enter the Air Force with an AA/AS degree. However, the new change has determined TA is primarily intended to raise the academic degree level of the Service member, which now includes CCAF degrees. The new change states that if a member earns a CCAF degree before starting or completing a civilian AA/AS degree of their choice, they will not be allowed to pursue a civilian AA/AS degree. However, if you are pursuing a CCAF degree and would like to pursue a civilian AA/AS as well and haven't yet earned your CCAF degree, we can make your CCAF degree 'obsolete' in order for you to pursue a civilian AA/AS degree. Once you complete your civilian AA/AS degree, you can then pursue your CCAF degree.

Lastly, GPA for Graduate programs is established at six semester hours. Undergraduate established GPA remains the same at 15 SH.

If you have any questions on these changes, please call the Education and Training Center at 731-3531.