The Coast Guard has announced that tuition assistance has been reinstated for the remainder of fiscal year 2013 but with revised eligibility requirements.
The eligibility requirements have been revised in order to ensure that the $4.6 million set aside for the program is enough to sustain it to the end of the fiscal year.
The new requirements include that the member must be on active duty at the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class or below and pursuing undergraduate courses only.
Reservist members on extended active duty also qualify.
For eligible members, benefits are restored to pre-suspension levels of $250 per individual credit hour and an annual cap of $4500.
The Coast Guard joins the other military services in reinstating tuition assistance after an amendment to the Appropriations Bill directed all military services to do so. The initial decision to suspend tuition assistance was a result of the service’s attempt to meet the provisions of the Budget Control Act.
