Virginia Beach, Va. – Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Scott Van Buskirk said Tuesday that the Navy is the only branch that plans to keep the college tuition assistance program in place for active duty service members.
Almost two weeks ago the Army, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard announced they would suspend their tuition assistance programs for soldiers due to sequestration cuts.
Van Buskirk said that the program will definitely not be cut this fiscal year, which ends in October. Sailors enrolling in the program in the future may be asked to pay a 25 percent tuition match as was the policy a decade ago. No decision has been made yet though.
Army suspending tuition assistance program due to budget cuts
Air Force suspends tuition assistance for active duty members
“We value it, and that’s why we’re going to continue it give it,” Van Buskirk said.
Buskirk also noted that the Army spends about $300 million on tuition assistance programs a year, versus the Navy, which spends about $84 million and has more stringent enrollment requirements.
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