Air Force Tuition Assistance

In a silhouette appearing mostly black and gray, an airman walks away from the camera while tossing a wrench in the air.

The Air Force's Military Tuition Assistance (TA) program pays for up to 100% of college courses that members of the service take while on active duty.

Payment

Air Force TA will cover up to 100% of your tuition, not to exceed:

$250 per semester credit hour
$166.67 per quarter hour
$4,500 maximum per fiscal year

Application Process

Members of the Air Force must apply for TA online via the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC).

Air Force policy requires members to create a goal and upload a degree plan via the AFVEC website prior to requesting TA (use Tutorials on the AFVEC site). A generic degree/academic plan may be used for up to six semester hours until an evaluated degree plan is in place. Here's how to apply:

You must request TA before class starts, no more than 45 days prior to and less than seven days prior to the class start date.
Your supervisor must electronically approve all TA requests before the course start date and can deny the request if they believe circumstances would impede successful course completion (allow time for this).
If you withdraw from a course, you must notify the school and the Education Center immediately.
Reimbursement is required for unsatisfactory or missing grades. Unsatisfactory grades are D or below in an undergraduate course; or C or below in a graduate course.
If military duties prevent you from attending class you can apply for a waiver of reimbursement only if you withdraw from the course.
You must submit a letter explaining the reasons for withdrawing from the course(s) signed by your squadron commander/director/first sergeant, along with any supporting documentation.
You are responsible for ensuring that your education record reflects your official grade within 60 days after the class ends.
You are allowed 15 semester hours (five classes) to establish a grade-point average (GPA); you must maintain 2.0 for undergraduate degrees, 3.0 for graduate degrees, to continue using TA.
TA is not authorized for courses leading to a lateral or lower-level degree than you already possess (for example, a second associate or bachelor's degree).
Officers who have completed an AF-sponsored master’s degree cannot use TA.

CCAF Exception to Pursuing a Lateral Degree

Enlisted personnel can pursue one civilian associate degree after completion of a Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Associate of Applied Science degree.
Enlisted personnel with an associate degree or higher can pursue an initial and subsequent CCAF Associate of Applied Science degree.

Additional Information

TA users who have to pay back any money due to a failing grade can initiate a reimbursement for a lump-sum repayment; or payroll deduction over a maximum of six months.

In the case of a grade of incomplete, Air Force TA users have as much time as the school allows them to clear the incomplete or 120 days from the end of the course, whichever comes first, to clear the incomplete. Failing to provide a grade that clears the incomplete by that time requires the TA recipient to pay back any tuition assistance to the Air Force.

Air Force TA doesn't cover books or non-reimbursable fees.

Keep Up With Your Education Benefits

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Related Topics: Tuition Assistance Air Force Topics Benefits

Jim Absher

Jim Absher is Military.com's former benefits editor and columnist. He joined the Navy to see the world and later realized the world is two-thirds water. He also worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in field offices and Washington, D.C. before coming to Military.com in 2015. Read Full Bio

Amanda Miller

Amanda Miller is an editor and writer for Military.com specializing in coverage of military and veteran pay and benefits. She became a journalist in the 1990s, began covering the military in 2007 for Military Times, and has since contributed to a number of military-oriented publications including Military Officer Magazine, The War Horse, and Air & Space Forces Magazine. Read Full Bio

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