Many soldiers enlist in the Armed Forces with the expressed knowledge that they would receive a certain veterans benefits package for life after service. Some soldiers seek pension payments to sustain their quality of life once they leave active duty, while others seek financial help from the military for other endeavors.
One of those endeavors is tuition assistance for continuing education credits. According to Stars and Stripes, despite discussions to reduce or even eliminate the Navy's budget to provide financial assistance to soldiers who are interested in furthering their education, a top official announced that the Navy would not be cutting the level of support from its current 100 percent mark.
Cutting back on budget cuts
The announcement that the Navy would not be scaling back it's tuition assistance program came March 18 at a forum in Mayport, Fla., that was broadcasted to sailors across the globe via the Internet. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert told soldiers that while the possibility of a shared assistance program that would split costs 75-25 may be implemented someday, the Navy would continue to provide full coverage for the time being.
"I want educated sailors; I want you to leave with all the certifications you can so that you can get a job immediately," Greenert told the assembled soldiers, according to Stars and Stripes.
The Navy last operated their tuition assistance program at a 75-25 split in 2002, when officials decided to increase financial support to a full 100 percent. Critics speculated that the discussions surrounding the cuts may be related to the budget reduction mandated by the Pentagon and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in recent months.
Paying for a Naval education
For any sailor interested in taking advantage of the Navy's full tuition assistance program before any future drawbacks are instituted, Military.com outlined the financial and eligibility details of the program. Sailors on active duty and reservists ordered to 120 days active service or reservist officers to 2 or more years of service are immediately eligible for tuition assistance.
For financial support, the Navy pays a maximum of $250 per credit hour or $166 per quarter hour, depending on the academic system employed by the chosen institution. No program is to exceed 16 semester hours, 24 quarter hours or 240 clock hours over the course of a fiscal year.
Sailors interested in taking advantage of these military benefits should contact their nearest Navy College Office.