March 19, 2014, WASHINGTON (NNS) – The Tuition Assistance (TA) program will continue to pay 100 percent of Sailors’ tuition and enrollment fees in fiscal year 15 (FY15), as announced by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert, during an All Hands Call in Mayport, Fla., March 18.
This decision modifies a proposal for FY15, which originally included a payment split for TA where the program would pay 75 percent of tuition costs and 25 percent of that would be the responsibility of the Sailor.
“This is important to me because I want an educated Sailor, and I want you to leave with all the certifications you can, so you can get a good job when you leave the Navy and fall right into a career,” said Greenert. “We’ve accelerated your life, as we like to say.”
The CNO added that he is focusing on a way to ensure that Sailors using tuition assistance take courses that will benefit both the Navy and the Sailor and lead to a marketable degree in the civilian sector.
The split-pay proposal was designed primarily to improve the effectiveness of the program by increasing Sailors’ investment in their education. Usage analysis of Tuition Assistance suggests that when Sailors weigh personal cost as a factor, course completion rates increase.
“Eventually, we may have to ask you to put a little skin in the game, as they say, but again I wanted FY15 to be at 100 percent,” said Greenert.
TA was created after the switch from a draft military to an all-volunteer military. It provided an incentive for people to volunteer, and operated as a cost share program for more than 30 years.
In 2002, in response to retention and recruiting challenges, the TA reimbursement rate was increased from 75 percent to a full 100 percent.
The current tuition assistance policy pays up front the tuition and fees for course enrollments. There is an FY credit limit of 16 Semester Hours, 24 Quarter Hours, or 240 clock hours per individual per fiscal year. Payments for tuition/fees will not exceed:
a. $250.00 per Semester Hour
b. $166.67 per Quarter Hour
c. $16.67 per Clock Hour
If you are considering taking courses, now is the best time to submit your TA application.
The Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) recently announced that the expenditure rate for TA funding is currently below normal levels. Usage is trending upward, and it’s expected to increase to normal levels over the next few month, but currently, there’s more funding available than usual at this time of the year.