Funding for tuition assistance ceased March 8 and Soldiers cannot submit new requests, according to Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg, deputy chief of staff, Department of the Army G-1.
Approval for the tuition assistance, also known as TA, stoppage came from Secretary of the Army John McHugh, and affects Soldiers from both the active and reserve components.
Those currently enrolled in courses approved for TA are not impacted and will be allowed to complete their funded coursework.
Soldiers are encouraged to contact their local education centers with any question they may have regarding their education needs and planning, according to officials from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs/Army G-1. Also, updates on any changes to the TA funding will be posted to www.goarmyed.com.
This suspension in funding “is necessary given the significant budget execution challenges caused by the combined effects of a possible year-long continuing resolution and sequestration,” the Department of the Army G-1 public affairs office wrote in a released statement March 8.
The suspension “will remain in effect until the fiscal situation matures,” Bromberg said in the statement. “The Army understands the impacts of this action and will re-evaluate should the budgetary situation improve,” he added.
TA funding, derived from the Army’s budget, is the only education funding affected at this time. Soldiers can continue their education using alternate methods.
GI Bill funding, which is derived from the Department of Veterans Affairs, is available and Soldiers can continue their education using this benefit. The funding includes the Montgomery GI Bill, Post–9/11 GI Bill and several other education programs listed on their website: http://www.gibill.va.gov/benefits/index.html
Also, National Guard Soldiers may be eligible for state-funded TA benefits. Federal loans or grants are another option for all Soldiers, as well as their families.