AMU Careers & Learning Military Online Learning Tuition Assistance

Federal Sequester Halts New Military Tuition Assistance Enrollments

By Jim Sweizer
Vice President, Military Relations at American Military University

UPDATE: The Army, Air Force and Marines have reinstated tuition assistance at pre-termination levels for the remainder of the fiscal year (30 Sept. 2013).

The U.S. Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps have canceled military tuition assistance (TA) programs as a result of the federal sequestration and a recent memo sent to each branch by the DoD comptroller suggesting significant reductions be made to their respective TA programs. Navy continues to process TA requests as normal.

Many service members today use TA to pay for college courses as a means to enhance their job performance and prepare for the transition to civilian careers. An interruption of benefits may affect their ability to continue education in the near-term. If you’re a service member, it’s important that you know all your options.

What this Means for You  

Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps will process all tuition forms awaiting approval in their respective portals (AFVEC, GAE, NCMIS) that were submitted prior to the announced cut-off dates by each branch. Service members negatively impacted by this recent change in policy will need to seek alternative methods of funding if they wish to continue their educational pursuits.

Alternative Options

At American Military University,  we understand the vital role TA plays in helping our military men and women reach their educational and career development goals. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they happen. Meanwhile, we’ve put together this helpful video, Military Tuition Assistance Update – American Public University System, that discusses various options for continuing your education.

If your educational plans are impacted, I highly recommend that you stay current regarding sequestration developments so that if budgetary issues are resolved near-term, you’re able to immediately resume your studies with minimal disruption.

If you have other questions or concerns, I encourage you to contact an AMU representative in your area, the AMU Financial Aid Help Desk at 877-372-3535, or an education services officer at your local military installation.

 

About the Author:
Jim Sweizer joined the staff of American Military University in 2005 after serving 33 years with the Air Force. He is a former AF Guidance Counselor, Education Services Officer, and served as Chief of the Air Force’s Voluntary Education Program from 1999-2005.

Comments are closed.