The Tuition Assistance (TA) Program provides financial assistance for voluntary off-duty civilian education programs in support of a Soldier's professional and personal self-development goals. TA is a Public Law that is implemented by Department of Defense (DoD) Directive and DoD Instruction, and all Soldiers (officers, warrant officers, enlisted) on active duty, Army National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers on active duty (pursuant to U.S. Code Title 10 or Title 32), and TPU Soldiers are authorized to participate in the TA program.

Army National Guard Soldiers on drill status are eligible for Tuition Assistance.

In FY99, the DoD implemented a uniform TA fiscal policy across the military services. The Army will pay all or a portion of the charges of an educational institution for the tuition of its Soldiers for postsecondary education during off-duty periods. %Soldiers assigned to an installation that is host to another Service will be referred by the local education center to the closest servicing center. Before obtaining TA, Soldiers must contact their Education Services Specialist or visit an Education Center to declare an educational goal and create an educational plan.

Army policy is reviewed annually and subject to change.  Check with your local Education Support Team for current semester hour caps and annual ceilings.  TA is limited to 130 semester hours of undergraduate credit or baccalaureate degree, whichever comes first and 39 semester hours of graduate credit or master's degree whichever comes first. The 39-semester hour limit applies to all credits taken after completion of a baccalaureate degree. When an educational institution's tuition is within the per semester hour (or equivalent) limit, the Army will pay 100% of the amount charged by the institution for up to 16 semester hours of TA funded courses per fiscal year. When an institution's tuition and fees exceed the per semester hour limit, the Army will only pay the per semester hour limit per (or equivalent) semester hour.

By law, officers who use TA incur a service obligation. Active Duty officers incur an Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) of two years, and Reserve Component officers incur a Reserve Duty Service Obligation (RDSO) of four years. The ADSO/RDSO is calculated from the date of completion of the last course for which TA was used.

Education Programs at a Distance: TA is available for courses that are offered online, by correspondence, or through other non-traditional means. The courses must be offered by colleges that are accredited by accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. There are Education Centers in Germany, Korea, Honduras, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, and Poland. Soldiers deployed to those areas should contact the Education Center in their area for assistance. Active duty Soldiers who are deployed to an area with no local Education Center should contact the Education Center at the installation where they were stationed prior to deployment. U.S. Code 2007, Title 10, mandates commissioned officers who use TA incur a two-year Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) upon completion of the education program. Only the Army Human Resources Command Commanding General has the authority to waive the TA active duty service obligation (ADSO).

For more information, please visit the Army TA webpage at:
https://www.armyignited.army.mil/student/public/welcome

Army Regulation 621-5:
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN40054-AR_621-5-001-WEB-3.pdf