On June 22, 1944, then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemembers' Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the GI Bill®. Although it has been lauded as one of the most significant pieces of legislature in our nation’s history, it was highly controversial at the time. Many questioned how a weekly unemployment stipend would affect service member motivation to obtain gainful employment. In addition, the provision allocated funds for military members to attend institutions of higher learning. This opportunity had previously been reserved for those in the upper class of American society. The GI Bill® has been revised several times since its inception (Montgomery GI Bill®, Post-9/11 GI Bill®, and Forever GI Bill®). Many individuals without any military affiliation often tend to equate military educational benefits strictly with the GI Bill®, but there is another widely utilized means of educational funding for those on active-duty.

Tuition Assistance
Military Tuition Assistance is a program whereby Congress allows the services to fund up to 100% of tuition for members of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Space Force, and Coast Guard. Each service has specific stipulations as to who is entitled to utilize the program and the service obligation associated with program enrollment. Military.com has a detailed explanation of benefits by service component. Payment to the designated school is a rule that is universally applied across the services, so for academic institutions, payment rules are consistent. Although the total amount for the fiscal year varies based on the service component, the entitlement is capped at $250 per semester hour or $166 per quarter hour. Colleges and universities could increase military-affiliated graduate enrollment by offering reduced costs to meet this military TA cap. Some institutions have already employed this approach in assisting military service members, and a few are listed below:

Troy University – offers a Military and Family Scholarship that lowers tuition to $250 a credit at the undergraduate or graduate level. Active-duty and reserves, as well as spouses and dependent children, qualify.

Bethune-Cookman University – offers active-duty military members a rate of $250 per credit at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Western Kentucky University – offers a military tuition rate of $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and graduate courses to all service members currently on active-duty, serving in a Reserve unit (excluding those on Individual Ready Reserve), or in a component of the National Guard. Service members can only take advantage of this rate reduction when using military TA.

The University of Louisville – offers active-duty service members and Coast Guard members a reduced tuition rate of $250 per credit hour for most online undergraduate and graduate programs. Reservists and National Guardsmen may also qualify for the reduced rate if eligible for Title X tuition assistance programs.

Why Use TA Instead of the GI Bill®
Each year that a service member is eligible for TA and does not use it, they have essentially thrown money down the drain. Many of those serving have educational aspirations that go beyond obtaining a master's degree, so using TA to fund associate’s, bachelor's, and master’s degrees allows them to allocate their GI Bill® to fund their terminal degrees. Additionally, as you can see, there are specific tuition benefits that are devoted strictly to the use of TA. If they do not use the proper funding source, they cannot capitalize on those offerings.

Upon transition from the military, many individuals focus on obtaining employment to maintain their standard of living. This may mean that they work longer hours or even two jobs instead of the one that they were accustomed to during active-duty. While military life does involve some long hours, constant, permanent changes of station moves, and trips to the field, there are some periods of downtime that can be used to complete classes. Also, some individuals seek to attain their degrees before departure from the service to land higher-paying careers.

What Does This Mean for You?
Ensure that the marketing campaign at your institution incorporates targeting active-duty service members instead of solely concentrating on veterans. In dealing with these service members, administrators and instructors may run across issues that they never encountered. They can familiarize themselves with military culture through Green Zone trainings to better connect with their active-duty students and resolve potential problems expeditiously. One impactful interaction with an active-duty member can result in your institution gaining a reputation for excellent service in dealing with those currently donning the uniform. This can lead to features in publications catered to the military and possibly more military-affiliated students.

Article Topics

Military Educational Benefits Military Friendly Institutions Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success

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