All branches of the United States military offer tuition assistance. Each service has its own rules as to which members are eligible. In the Air Force, both active duty and reserves are eligible. In the Army, active duty and reserve are eligible. Army National Guard are eligible when called to active duty. Active duty Marines are eligible, while Marine Corps Reserve members are not. The United States Navy permits all active duty members, along with reserves who are called to active duty to participate. The Coast Guard permits active duty, reserve and civilian employees of the Coast Guard to participate.
Service members must take courses from colleges that have approved accounts with their particular branch of the military. The colleges must also be accredited by agencies that are recognized by the United States Department of Education. These colleges may provide traditional classroom instruction or distance learning. Service members who wish to take courses at a college not already approved must submit a request for tuition assistance manually to an education counselor. This counselor will review the request and approve or deny it. This process may take some time, so applicants should allow at least 90 days for a request to be reviewed.
Tuition assistance may be used to pay for degrees up to and including a masters degree. It may not be used to pay for degrees that are the same or lower than the highest degree already earned. For example, if a soldier has already earned an associate's degree, she must pursue a bachelor's degree or higher. Tuition assistance may not be used to pursue more than one degree simultaneously. A degree plan must be on file with the education counselor, and courses will be verified to be sure they are a part of the degree plan before authorization for payment will be made.
All branches of service have adopted a uniform policy concerning the amount of tuition assistance available to service members. There is also a uniform policy on the amount per semester hour allowed. Tuition assistance will pay 100 percent of tuition up to the maximum allowable ceiling per fiscal year. Service members will be able to take around 18 credit hours of college course work per fiscal year, which runs from October 1 through September 30. Any tuition assistance not used in one year may not be rolled over to the next. Tuition assistance does not affect eligibility for the GI Bill or college scholarships.