The Navy has an official tuition program called Navy Tuition Assistance. It provides active duty personnel with 100 percent funding for certain courses taken during off duty hours. TA is capped at about $250 dollars per credit hour, and at $4,500 dollars per year, so it is a good idea early to know what the requirements and costs of tuition are. All courses that are paid for using Navy TA education assistance must be taken at accredited schools, either nationally or regionally. If in doubt you can check with your command to see if a school you are interested in applying for TA with is approved.
Many people are under the impression that TA only pays for classes taken in person. This is not true, TA pays for independent study and online courses provided an accredited institution offers them. There are limits to what TA pays for, but for active duty Navy personnel, and Naval Reservists activated for longer than 120 days continuous active duty it is a good way to pay for some parts of your collect career. For Navy Reserve Officers on active duty you have to be activated for a period of 24 months continuous or longer. The basic qualifications are simple enough:
-Be and remain on active duty for the length of the course.
-Be a recognized accredited institution by the Navy College Office.
Also if you are an officer, either Reserve or Active duty, and you otherwise qualify, you have to agree to stay in the service for at least two years after the end of the course.
Previously the Navy was not always willing to fund courses longer than 24 weeks. But there were changes instituted, and now the Navy TA program will fund courses of any length providing it qualifies under the other requirements. Fees that are a requirement of the course may be included with tuition on the request for TA funding, and are also covered. The fees that the Navy will pay are those that are mandatory, published and required for the course enrollment.
Sailors that are on active duty service in the Navy are encouraged to take courses using the TA tuition funding program, as it builds the Service readiness by having sailors that are better educated and ready to serve on missions that the Navy needs them for. Up Front TA funds are not provided if registration is after the normal add drop period of the course has already expired.
