The Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAP) is a partnership between the Army Recruiting Command and more than 1,950 participating colleges. Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) assists with implementation and management, and serves as liaison between Army recruiters, ConAP colleges, Army education centers, and the higher education community. ConAP is designed to assist new soldiers and reservists in formulating a plan to attend college. ConAP goals include: increasing enlistment of college-capable active duty and reserve Soldiers; increasing the number of Army Soldiers, Veterans, and reservists enrolled in college; and increasing use of GI Bill education benefits.
All Army and Army Reserve enlistees are eligible for ConAP. National Guard Soldiers are not eligible. Your recruiter will help you fill out the College Referral and Intent to Enroll form during your enlistment process.
There are various programs you can use to pay for college courses.
- Tuition assistance (TA). If you are serving on active duty or in an Army Reserve unit, your best option is to use TA. The Army will pay 75 percent of the cost of tuition or expenses up to a maximum of $187.50 per credit hour, whichever is less (100% in contingency areas). Total amount per servicemember not to exceed $4,500 during one fiscal year. To begin payment, active duty soldiers see a counselor at their Army Education Center. Army Reserve soldiers see their unit administrator. TA applies to undergraduate and graduate courses.
- GI Bill/Student Loan Repayment Program: Army Reserve soldiers can use their GI Bill benefits and, if applicable to them, the Student Loan Repayment Program. Active duty soldiers can use GI Bill benefits after completing at least two years of service. TA and MGIB benefits can be used at the same time but not for the same course.