Navy Tuition Assistance: What You Need to Know
Navy Tuition Assistance Program
All military branches offer Tuition Assistance (TA), but the programs can differ and have their own service-specific criteria. If you serve in the US Navy and want to go to college, the Navy Tuition Assistance (TA) program is an essential option for funding school without using your GI Bill. The program pays up to 100 percent of tuition costs for courses taken during off-duty hours.
Look up over 2,100 schools that accept Tuition Assistance in the CollegeRecon School Search Tool.
Who is Eligible for Navy Tuition Assistance
Qualifying active duty sailors and Naval Reservists on continuous active duty are eligible. Enlisted Naval Reservists must be ordered to active duty for 120 days or more. Naval Reserve officers must be ordered to active duty for two years beyond the term end date.
Current policy requires all sailors to have a minimum of three years in service before becoming eligible to use TA. Per NAVADMIN 112/23, enlisted sailors with fewer than 16 years of service must have at least 6 months remaining on their current enlistment or extension from the start date of the course.
Look up over 2,100 schools that accept Tuition Assistance in the CollegeRecon School Search Tool.
Ways You Can Use Navy Tuition Assistance
The Navy authorizes TA for classroom, independent study, and distance learning. You can use it for associate, bachelor’s, and master’s level courses. Certificate programs also qualify if they are in clock hours and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
TA covers high school diploma completion or equivalency certificates as well as vocational and technical programs. TA will not cover books, materials, academic institution fees, or retakes of the same course. You must pay back funds if you leave service before a course ends or fail to meet grade requirements. This includes receiving a D or lower in undergraduate courses or a C or lower in graduate courses.
Look up over 2,100 schools that accept Tuition Assistance in the CollegeRecon School Search Tool.
How Do I Request Navy Tuition Assistance?
- Inform your command of your intent to use TA.
- Complete required training, including Navy Tuition Assistance training and Navy Virtual Counseling 101, via the My Education module.
- Receive education counseling and establish an education plan with a Navy College Education counselor.
- Upload your education plan to My Education and review it with a counselor.
- Submit your WebTA application. Current rules require your application to be submitted and command approved no later than seven days before your term start date. You may submit applications up to 120 days in advance.
- Generate your voucher from the My Education module and send it to your educational institution.
The program has a fiscal-year cap of $4,500 per individual. Funding is limited to 250 dollars per semester hour, 166.67 dollars per quarter hour, and 16.67 dollars per clock hour. Sailors are restricted to 18 semester hours (or the quarter-hour equivalent) per fiscal year.
Per NAVADMIN 112/23, sailors may be enrolled in up to two courses that run concurrently. The previous restriction limiting sailors to two courses per fiscal quarter is rescinded. The Navy enforces a lifetime limit of 120 semester hours per sailor.
What Do I Need to Know About TA Eligibility in the Navy?
You must remain on active duty for the duration of the course term. All participants must have individual trait marks of 3.0 or higher on their most recent evaluation or fitness report. You cannot have any non-judicial punishment or courts-martial within the 12 months preceding your application.
The institution you attend must be accredited by an agency recognized by the Department of Education. If you are an officer, you must remain on active duty for at least two years after completing the course term to fulfill your service obligation.
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