Army Voluntary Education Support Programs

• TA must be used toward courses that count toward a filed educational goal
• Funds may not be used to take courses that are at a level equal to or lower than a degree already attained

For example, if a soldier already has a bachelor's degree, working towards a master's degree is permitted, but not towards a second bachelor's. Tuition Assistance is available to all active duty soldiers and many members of the Reserves and National Guard. The Education Center can provide more detailed information.

Tuition Assistance Top-Up

Even if the tuition costs and fees for courses are greater than what is provided by tuition assistance, there are additional Army voluntary education support programs available which may cover expenses that exceed TA benefits. The Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty or the Post-9/11 GI Bill may allow, through the Tuition Assistance "Top-Up" program, access to GI Bill benefits to pay for any tuition and fees over and above what TA covers. This amounts to a smaller monetary benefit over the long run than otherwise available from the GI Bill, but may allow a soldier to finish the degree while still in the military, thereby providing an immediate stepping stone into the civilian job market at the time of discharge.

Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserves

Members of the Army Reserves or Army National Guard, and who elected the Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserves option when enlisting, must be on an active drilling status to take advantage of that benefit. This means a soldier must use the GI Bill benefit or risk losing it, if it hasn't been used by the time of being discharged. The MGIB-SR provides very helpful, payment each month while taking qualifying courses. While it is less likely than the Active Duty GI Bill to fully cover a degree, it is substantial.

Army Continuing Education Service (ACES)

The Army Continuing Education Service (or ACES) is a part of the administration of the Army Education Centers wherever a soldier is in his or her career. ACES offers a host of educational assistance, including educational counseling, CLEP tests for free college credit, and an official transcript that translates military training into equivalent civilian education courses for transfer to colleges.

Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support

Another part of the Army educational administration, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (or DANTES) supports online and distance learning by offering assistance in finding college courses and entire degree programs that can be completed by mail, or online. The DANTES catalogs list hundreds of colleges and educational programs to choose from.

Getting Started

Because of the variety of Army voluntary education support programs available, the best way to approach getting a college degree while in the military is for a soldier to first select what kind of degree to pursue. Although some degrees can be more difficult than others for soldiers (for example, it can be very hard to get laboratory courses that are scheduled for off-duty hours), the question isn't whether it's possible to get a degree: the questions are which one, and how to go about it.