Military Tuition Assistance (TA)

What is Military Tuition Assistance (TA)? Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force and Coast Guard and can only be used while the student is in the service. TA is not the same as the GI Bill. The GI Bill is for Veterans and their dependents and is administered from the Veterans Administration.

What Will Military Tuition Assistance Cover? Congress has given each service the ability to pay the cost of the tuition expense, up to $250 per semester hour, not to exceed $4,500 per fiscal year (October 1 – September 30th). Please note: The total amount of student TA cannot exceed the total amount of tuition. This money is usually paid directly to the institution by the individual services. TA may be used for fall and spring semesters only. You may not use TA at WCSU for summer or winter sessions. This policy only applies to this type of educational benefit and does not apply to Veterans or those using Veteran benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill ®.

How Do I Use My Military Tuition Assistance? Prior to registering for classes at WCSU, you should consult with your unit or base Educational Services Office (ESO) in order to receive firsthand guidance and information regarding your service’s TA requirements. TA is administered and paid from each service’s own funds. The eligibility requirements, application steps, and processing procedures vary from branch to branch. Your unit or ESO will confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements and will review your branch’s application procedures. You must have the required authorization from your branch before you can use your TA education benefit. Please note: It is the service member’s responsibility to complete and submit TA applications no later than 14 days prior to the start of the semester. Once you have arranged for your TA with your unit or ESO, you may enroll in a course.

For your information and convenience, please find below each service’s TA website: 

• Army
• Navy
• Air Force
• Marines
• Coast Guard

Return of Unearned Military Tuition Assistance (TA): Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, they may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally approved. To comply with the Department of Defense (DoD) policy, Western Connecticut State University will return any unearned TA funds on a prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were approved. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. All unearned TA funds will be returned directly to the Military Agency of the DoD and not the service member. After 60% of the semester has passed, TA will not be evaluated for a return to the DoD.

The return of TA funds may result in a balance due on the student account. However, in instances where a Service member stops attending due to a verifiable military service obligation, Western Connecticut State University will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion.

Institution’s Schedule for Return of Unearned TA
60% completion point is shown in bold print

For courses that have durations differing from those listed above: Unearned TA funds will be returned on a prorated basis, depending on the length of the course. To determine the amount of TA that needs to be returned, the institution will determine the date the withdrawal was submitted, and then divide that by the number of days in the term to determine the percentage of TA that was earned by the student.

Example:  The student enrolled in a course that’s duration is 30 days. The withdrawal was submitted on the 14th day. The institution would perform the calculation to determine how much TA was earned by the student’s attendance (14 divided by 30 equals 46.6%. 47% of the TA authorized was earned by the student, which means 53% of what was authorized will be returned to the DoD).