There are a lot of advanced to getting an education while on Active Duty. In fact, many service members take advantage of educational benefits offered by the military to help pay for college or further their education while still serving. Active-duty service members are eligible for Military Tuition Assistance. Military Tuition Assistance is a benefit paid to eligible service members for the military forces. Congress has given each service the ability to pau up to 100% for the tuition expenses of its members says miltary.com. Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application process’ and restrictions. The money is usually paid directly to the institution by the individual services. TA is not a loan and should be viewed as money you have earned just like your base pay.
Additionally active-duty members may elect to use the GI Bill Top-Up program. This is an addition to their service provided TA to cover high-cost courses. Top Up is a program that allows GI Bill participants to use their GI Bill to supplement the tuition and fees now covered by tuition assistance. The amount of the benefit can be equal to the difference between the total cost of a college course and the amount of Tuition Assistance that is paid by the military for the courses. It is important to note that anyone using the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve program can not use Top-Up. To apply for this benefit, you first must be approved for federal Tuition Assistance by your command and also be eligible for the GI Bill benefits.
Before deciding to pursue education while on active duty, it is important to consider your military responsibilities and workload, as well as the demands of your coursework. Many service members find it challenging to balance their military duties with their academic responsibilities. With careful planning and time management, it is definitely possible to succeed.
