1. What Is It?
FTA is financial assistance provided for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of a Soldier’s professional and personal self-development goals. (Reference: AR 621-5, Army Continuing Education System)
2. How Do I Qualify?
Be currently serving in the Army National Guard, and
- Complete one year of service after completion of AIT, WOBC, or BOLC.
- NOTE! Effective 5 AUG 18, the one year wait is rescinded.
- If you used FTA towards your undergraduate degree (even 1 credit hour) you must complete ten years of service prior to using FTA for a Master’s Degree.
- NOTE! Effective 5 AUG 18, the 10-year service requirement is rescinded; Soldiers who used FTA for an undergraduate degree must complete ALC, CCC or WOAC to use FTA for a Master’s Degree.
Service Requirement/Obligation:
- Have an ETS or MRD after completion of FTA funded course(s).
- Officers and Commissioned Warrant Officers are subject to a four year Reserve Duty Service Obligation (RDSO) OR a two year Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO).
FTA is subject to the following criteria:
- The college is regionally or nationally accredited AND is a participant in GoArmyEd (GAE).
- The funded course(s) meets a requirement listed in your personalized degree plan provided by the school (this can include prerequisite courses).
- You maintain an undergraduate GPA of 2.0 or a graduate GPA of 3.0 for FTA-funded courses.
- You must submit your FTA request at least 5 business days prior to course start date.
- NOTE! FTA is NOT authorized simultaneously with Chapter 1606/MGIB-SR or Chapter 1607/REAP for the SAME course (Ref. DODI 1322.25).
3. What Do I Get?
FTA will pay up to $250 per semester hour and up to 16 SHs per fiscal year.
Lifetime limit of 130 undergraduate semester hours and 39 graduate semester hours.
- Up to 21 additional semester hours for a Transition Certificate not previously received within the past five years. Must apply within three years of anticipated separation.
FTA will pay toward one credential at each of the following levels:
- Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, Master Degree, Undergraduate/Graduate Certificate
- First Professional degrees are NOT eligible (i.e. doctorate degrees, Juris doctorates).
4. Programs NOT Eligible For FTA
Courses leading to a credential that are lower or lateral to the highest credential you have already earned.
- Example: if you have a bachelor’s degree (even if you came in the ARNG with one), you cannot use FTA to pursue a second bachelor’s or associate’s degree.
Any program that bundles tuition and fees together into a lump sum charge.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or courses that do not meet degree requirement.
5. How Do I Apply?
Create a user account in GoArmyEd.com.
- Go to www.goarmyed.com and establish a GAE Federal Tuition Assistance account, by clicking on “New User” button and entering in all required data.
Apply for FTA – few tips to remember:
- Apply for FTA up to 60 days prior to the class start date, but no later than 5 business days prior to the class start date (all FTA MUST be approved prior to the class start date).
- You must submit an FTA request for each individual course that you want FTA to fund.
- If your school charges by quarter hour or clock hour, GAE will automatically convert them into semester hours on the FTA request.
- If your school’s courses are not listed in GAE (i.e. you have to physically enter your courses into each FTA request), then you must upload the following documentation into your GAE “Education Record” eFile:
Cost Verification Statement: individualized document such as a billing statement/invoice specific that breaks out the cost of tuition and fees separately.
Class Schedule: individualized document that shows all courses to include class name, start date, end date, course number, and number of credit hours.
All of these documents MUST have your name and the name of the school on them, and cannot be in an editable format.
- After you complete six semester hours of FTA-funded coursework, you must provide an individualized degree plan/student agreement to GAE.
- This document should list the courses required for completion of your degree, as well as the existing credits already applied toward your degree.
- New FTA users and anyone who changes their degree plan are required to complete VIA (VIA is a planning tool in GAE designed to help Soldiers identify their ‘best fit’ school).
For More Information:
Apply On Line: www.goarmyed.com
Visit us On-Line: www.nationalguard.com/education
Contact their Education Services Office: www.nationalguard.com/contacts/eso