Coast Guard Tuition Assistance
The Coast Guard offers several programs to support your education goals including 100% Tuition Assistance for college courses taken during off-duty hours.
Be sure to take advantage of the services provided by your Career Development Advisor or Education Services Officer. They can help you make the most of your education benefits.
Coast Guard Tuition Assitance assists eligible personnel - active duty, reserve and civilian employees - in their professional development by providing funding for off-duty voluntary education courses to broaden their academic or Coast Guard technical background.
Payment
The maximum amount paid for tuition assistance: 100% Tuition
Not to exceed:
- $250 @ Semester Credit Hour, or
- $166 @ Quarter Credit Hour, and
- $4500 @ Fiscal Year
Application Process
The management of TA is centralized at the USCG Institute through a consolidated tuition assistance processing system managed by the U.S. Naval Education and Training Professional Development and Technology Center (NETPDTC) in Pensacola, Florida.
The Coast Guard Institute approves the TA Application (CG-4147) , inputs data into the Navy's computer database, and issues the TA Authorization form (CGI-1560).
The applicant then takes the CGI-1560 to the academic institution during registration; the institution bills the Navy (NETPDTC) for payment of the government's share of tuition assistance.
The Fine Print
- Tuition assistance is not authorized for use to meet unit specific operational training requirements.
- Eligibility and benefits are standardized service wide for Coast Guard active duty, civilian employees, select drilling reserve members (SELRES), and Public Health Service officers working with the Coast Guard.
- TA will be authorized "up-front" for traditional college coursework for courses less than 18 weeks in length. Courses may be resident or remote.
- There is no limitation on the use of TA when a member is receiving "financial aide" such as a student loan, Sallie Mae, Stafford loan, etc.
- All courses must be taken from a nationally or regionally accredited institution, resulting in college credit or accredited clock or contact hours.
- TA is not authorized for reimbursement for books.
- Developmental courses may be authorized if required by the institution prior to taking a freshman level course. Many colleges require a developmental course in Math, English and reading if the applicant has been out of school for several years. Applicants should note that these courses (usually numbered starting with zero "0" as the first digit) are not transferable.
TA does not cover the following expenses:
- Application, entrance or enrollment fees
- Record-maintenance fees
- Student activity fees/ Student ID
- Course registration fees
- Textbooks, manuals
- Non-consumable materials
- Assembled items available commercially such as computers, televisions, robots
- Fees for flight time, flying lessons, or noncredit aviation classes
- Parking fee
- Cost of tools, protective or other equipment that becomes the property of the student
- Certification courses and tests, or licenses.
Additional Information
Enlisted Members: Must complete the TA authorized course(s) on or prior to RELAD, discharge, or retirement.
Note: If member is going to RELAD and provides documentation showing that he/she will be in the SELRES, then TA authorized course(s) may begin in active duty status and be completed in SELRES status.
Officers: Must complete one-year service upon completion of the course. Officers who use CG Tuition Assistance incur obligated service in exchange for their participation in the program. Specifically, officers agree not to request release, separation, retirement or termination off SELRES status for 12 months following the course completion date of the last course funded by TA. This service obligation is no different than that incurred for Advanced Education, Senior Service School, PCS Orders, Promotion, Aircraft Transition, etc. (Visit the Coast Guard Institute website for a further list limitations).
SELRES members must maintain at least "minimum drill attendance", maintaining "satisfactory participation."
Civilian employees with at least 90 days of prior, continuous Coast Guard service agree to retain employment with the Coast Guard of at least one month for each credit hour upon completion of a course(s). "Temporary" civilian employees must have 12 months previous Coast Guard service and must have remaining contract with the Coast Guard for 1 month for each credit hour upon completion of a course(s). Non-appropriated funded personnel (NAFA) and contractors are not eligible for TA.
Expenses Covered: Direct expenses for instruction such as laboratory, studio, and shop fees may be included in the computation of education expenses covered by the 100% limitation for off-duty education. Provided, these costs are based on specific fees or charges customarily levied by educational Institutions and are directly tied to the course for which the fee is required. TA will not cover the cost of tools, protective or other equipment, manuals or textbooks, which become the property of the student. In cases where flat fees are charged, which include non-consumable items, the Institution must furnish an itemized cost breakdown of the total cost of the course. Only that portion of the fee that meets the use and consumable criteria will be eligible for TA.
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