ALCOAST 340/23 - SEP 2023 FY24 COAST GUARD TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA) POLICY

R 201640Z SEP 23 MID120000459058U
FM COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 340/23
SSIC 1500
SUBJ: FY24 COAST GUARD TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA) POLICY
A. Reserve Duty Status and Participation Manual, COMDTINST M1001.2
B. Voluntary Education Programs, DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1322.25D
C. COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 071216Z OCT 22/ALCOAST 384/22
D. Performance, Training, and Education Manual (PTEM),
COMDTINST 1500.10C
1. This ALCOAST announces the FY24 TA policy, effective 01 OCT 2023.
The policies outlined in this message are contingent upon expected
FY24 TA funding levels.
2. Tuition Assistance (TA) is authorized for Active and Selected
Reserve (SELRES) military members, and permanent full time and
part time Government Service (GS) and Wage Grade (WG) civilian
personnel.
3. Eligibility Criteria:
    a. COs, OICs, or first O-6/GS-15 in the chain-of-command must
ensure Active Duty and SELRES members meet all required eligibility
criteria. These criteria are:
      (1) Satisfactory progress toward completion of unit
qualifications,
      (2) Satisfactory progress toward watch station qualifications,
      (3) Satisfactory proficiency of craft,
      (4) Satisfactory conduct during the six months prior to the
class start date, and
      (5) Satisfactory progress towards reserve participation standards
if the member is affiliated with the SELRES.
    b. In accordance with REF (A), members of SELRES must be drilling
reservists with satisfactory progress in the current anniversary
year and have met the participation standards for the previous
anniversary year. The exception is first-year reservists, who can
participate in the TA program so as long as they are making
satisfactory progress in the current year as evidenced by an
uploaded point statement. A point statement in PDF format is
required to be uploaded in MyCG Ed with the TA application.
    c. Active duty officers will incur a 2 year service obligation
following the completion of the course. Officers agree to not
request release, separation, or retirement for 24 months following
the course completion date of the last course funded through the
TA program. SELRES Officers must agree to remain a member of the
Selected Reserve for at least 4 years after the completion of the
education or training for which the tuition was paid.
      (1) If an Active Duty Officer affiliates with the SELRES, the
obligated service requirement will run concurrently in the SELRES
based upon the initial obligation incurred.
      (2) If a SELRES member integrates into Active Duty, the
obligated service requirement will run concurrently while on
Active Duty based upon the initial obligation incurred.
      (3) If an officer accepts a permanent full-time or part-time
Government Service (GS) or Wage Grade (WG) and there is no break
between the military service and civilian hiring, the obligated
service requirement will run concurrently.
    d. Civilian tuition assistance exists to offset costs for courses
that contribute to occupational and institutional competencies,
special interest needs, and readiness by supporting the current and
future needs of the Coast Guard. This includes courses that will
provide employees breadth of knowledge and problem-solving tools
that aid in critical thinking, allowing individuals to address a
wide range of problems and assess alternative solutions. TA for
civilian employees is only authorized for courses that are related
to the employee's current position and the anticipated needs of the
Coast Guard. Additionally, civilians must meet the following
criteria:
      (1) Have at least 90 days of prior, continuous Coast Guard
service.
      (2) Received "Achieved Expectations" or higher rating on
their most recent annual appraisal or interim rating.
      (3) Received supervisor approval to participate in the TA
program.
      (4) Civilian members of the Selected Reserve (SELRES), in any
service must meet participation standards within REF (A). The
combined total of civilian TA and reservist TA shall not exceed
Coast Guard's $4,500 annual cap.
      (5) Civilian members are obligated to remain employed with the
Coast Guard one full month for each course credit hour upon the
completion date of the course. For example, a civilian who
completes a course worth 3 credit hours on 26 July is obligated to
serve until 26 Oct and complete the full pay period.
4. Policy.
    a. The Tuition Assistance Program will fund tuition costs, not to
exceed $250.00 per semester hour, $166.67 per quarter hour, or
$16.67 per clock hour, up to an annual cap of $4,500.00 per member
per FY. However, lifetime credit hour limits for TA are currently
lifted.
    b. TA is authorized for courses leading to a first and or second
academic certificate, a first and or second associate degree, and
a first and or second bachelor's degree, and a first master's
degree. TA is not authorized for any degree above a master's degree.
including Juris Doctor (JD) or doctoral degrees (PhD),
and similar terminal degrees.
    c. TA will fund associates to master's degree bridge programs.
    d. To receive TA, students must maintain a 3.0 grade point
average (GPA) for graduate degree programs and 2.0 GPA for
undergraduate degree programs based upon a 4.0 scale.
    e. Members may use TA to pursue two cultural immersion or
language classes when assigned OCONUS, regardless of current
degrees held.
    f. TA is not authorized for any course fees beyond tuition
expenses. All college expenses not listed as tuition are considered
to be a fee (e.g., technology fees, labs, graduation, internet
usage, etc.). For eligible members, fees may be able to be
reimbursed under the Supplemental Education Grants (SEG) program,
available through the Coast Guard's Mutual Assistance program. The
process to apply for these grants can be found at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://www.cgmahq.org/programs/seg.html

    g. Other Coast Guard sources of funding and reimbursement
programs for education expenses can be found on the Education
and Training Quota Management Command (ETQC) public-facing website:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

http://www.forcecom.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/FORCECOM-UNITS/ETQC/

    h. Non-Coast Guard (federal and state) sources for need-based or
merit-based financial aid can be found at:
(Copy and paste URL below into browser)

https://studentaid.gov/

    i. Federal student aid loans obtained by Coast Guard members for
the purpose of funding their education will not be considered as a
duplicate benefit and not subtracted when calculating the use of TA.
5. Application Procedure.
    a. Establish a plan for completing your certificate or degree
program. It is highly recommended to engage with your local
Education Services Officer (ESO) to assist with this plan. Mandatory
degree plans are required before requesting TA to fund a second
course. Academic certificate plans are required before enrolling in
and attending the first course funded by TA. The degree or
certificate plan shall list the academic institution, member's name,
degree or certificate level, and all courses required to complete
the program and shall be in PDF format. TA will not cover courses
that do not appear on the degree plan, unless a policy waiver is
otherwise approved by ETQC. ESOs must validate all degree plans
before approving the TA application. Degree or certificate plans are
typically found on the member's student portal page. See the ETQC
SharePoint page for specific instructions on uploading degree plans:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/forcecom_spo/ETQC/SitePages/
Tuition-Assistance-%26-Grants.aspx

Additionally, members are encouraged to submit their Joint Service
Transcript to their Academic Institution to see how your military
experience and training may translate into college/certification
credits. A copy of your JST can be submitted electronically to your
institution by visiting:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://jst.doded.mil

    b. Select a school to attend that has a signed MOU with the DoD.
Schools authorized to receive TA funding must participate and have a
signed MOU with the DoD. The authorized school list can be found at
the following website:
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https://www.dodmou.com/

    c. Submit your completed TA application. One TA application must
be submitted per course, and must be received by ETQC NO LESS than
7 days before the class start date. Do not include the submission
date to ETQC or the class start date within the 7-day calculation.
This timeline is necessary to ensure members receive an approved
TA authorization before the start of a course as required by REF (B)
and to ensure schools meet the intent of Presidential Executive
Order 13607. If extenuating circumstances exist that may prevent the
timely completion of the TA application, waivers to this policy may
be submitted, though approval is not guaranteed. If students
self-identify as eligible for TA and begin a class without an
approved TA authorization from ETQC, the student is solely
responsible for all costs incurred for the course(s).
    d. After completion of a degree or certificate program, members
shall ensure an official copy of their college transcript is sent to
ETQC. Official transcripts must list the type of degree, the date of
degree/certificate, and the date of completion/conferment. Paper
copies must be sent in a sealed envelope by the degree granting
academic institution to: USCG ETQC Registrar's Office, 300 E. Main
Street, STE 1201, Norfolk, VA 23510 or transmitted securely to
ETQC-SMB-RO@uscg.mil.
6. Unit Responsibilities:
    a. Units are strongly encouraged to build sufficient timelines to
ensure applications are completed, degree or certificate plans are
uploaded, and member receives command approval well in advance of
the class start date.
    b. Units are strongly encouraged to have at least one alternate
ESO, designated in writing, to ensure no single point of failure
exists which could prevent the timely approval of TA applications at
the unit level.
7. For additional information to include a list of Frequently Asked
Questions, please visit ETQC's SharePoint page:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/forcecom_spo/ETQC/SitePages/
Tuition-Assistance-%26-Grants.aspx

8. For policy related questions, please email ETQC-SMB-TAG@uscg.mil.
9. RDML J. K. Randall, Commander, Force Readiness Command (FC-C),
sends.
10. Internet release is authorized.