Tuition Assistance still there

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  In an age of budget constraints, Airmen have expressed concerns about the continuation of their Tuition Assistance benefit.

Rodney Jackson, 48th Force Support Squadron Education & Training chief, said Airmen should not give credence to rumors about possible changes to the TA program.

"As of today everything's status quo," Jackson said.

The RAF Lakenheath Education Center will continue to approve tuition assistance requests for fiscal year 2012 as per Air Force Instruction 36-2306, "Voluntary Education Program."

According to AFI 36-2306, the Air Force provides assistance for the combined cost of tuition and authorized fees not to exceed $250 per semester hour credit and $166.67 per quarter hour credit. An annual cap of $4,500 applies to all eligible recipients.

In order to receive assistance, Airmen must have a specific education goal identified by level and title and a plan listing all courses required for program completion. Additionally, Airmen must provide an evaluated degree plan as soon as the school makes the plan available. The plan must be filed into the Air Force Automated Education Management System.

Assistance requests for term start dates in the next fiscal year can be conditionally approved when an Airman is notified by their Education and Training Section that approval is conditional dependent on funds availability.

Assistance may be limited or denied when an Airman is not maintaining acceptable academic progress (usually a 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 grading scale) or is requesting a course load unrealistic as evidenced by past performance. All grades may be considered in this judgment.

Additionally, Airmen should be aware that effective Jan. 1, 2012, the Department of Defense (DoD) will require all academic institutions participating in the Tuition Assistance program to have a memorandum of understanding with the DoD. The policy applies to all institutions, accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and enrolling active-duty military members using TA funds, to assist in the payment of their education. This includes schools operating on and off military bases and institutions delivering courses through various modalities to include classroom instruction and distance education.

"You, as a student, will have to do nothing," said Jackson. "The DoD and the Air Force has made this requirement known to all participating schools. Just be aware your school must have a signed MOU on file before TA can be issued."