ALCOAST 357/24 - SEP 2024 FY25 COAST GUARD TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA) POLICY

R 161436Z SEP 24   MID120001389605U
FM COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 357/24
SSIC 1500
SUBJ: FY25 COAST GUARD TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA) POLICY
A. Reserve Duty Status and Participation, COMDTINST 1001.2A
B. Voluntary Education Programs, DoD Instruction (DoDI) 1322.25D
C. Performance, Training and Education Manual (PTEM),
COMDTINST 1500.10D
1. This ALCOAST announces the FY25 TA policy, effective 01 Oct 2024.
The polices outlined in this message are contingent upon expected
FY2025 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.
    a. COs, OICs, or first O-6/GS-15 in the chain-of-command shall
ensure Active Duty and SELRES members meet all of the following
eligibility criteria:
        (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 participation standards if
member is SELRES.
    b. TA approval authority can be delegated to the local ESO but
must not be delegated below GS-9 or E-7 paygrades.
    c. All ESOs must have a designation memo on file with
ETQC-SMB-CST to approve tuition assistance applications.
    d. 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.
    e. 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.
    f. 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 Coast Guard will fund tuition costs, not to exceed $250.00
per semester hour, $166.67 per quarter hour, or $16.67 per clock
hour. The annual cap for reimbursement of TA is $4,500.00 per member
per FY. Lifetime credit hour limits for TA are 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. Associates to master's degree bridge programs are authorized.
    d. 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. Any other college expense not listed as tuition is
considered 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) through
the Coast Guard's Mutual Assistance Grants.
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://mycgma.org/programs/?cat_id=16

    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:
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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:
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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
duplication of benefit and not subtracted when calculating the use
of TA.
5. Procedure.
    a. It is the member's responsibility to establish a plan for
completing their certificate or degree requirements. Engaging your
local Education Services Officer (ESO) is strongly encouraged to
assist with this plan. Additionally, members are encouraged to
submit their Joint Service Transcript to their Academic Institution.
The Joint Service Transcript (JST) translates your military
experience into academic credits that have the potential to reduce
the number of credits required to complete your certificate or
degree program. 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. 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. A complete TA application submitted per course, must be
received by ETQC NO LESS than 7 days before the class start date
and up to 90 days prior to the course start date. Do not include
the submission date to ETQC or the class start date within the
7-day calculation. It is understood that extenuating circumstances
exist that may prevent the timely completion of the TA application
approval process. As such, waivers to this policy are encouraged,
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). 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.
    d. 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:
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https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/forcecom_spo/ETQC/SitePages
/Tuition-Assistance-&-Grants.aspx

    e. 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. Additionally, units are also 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.
    f. 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.
    g. Reimbursement of TA funds will be required if the student does
not successfully complete the course(s). For the purpose of
reimbursement, a successful course completion is defined as a grade
of a C or higher for undergraduate courses, a B or higher for
graduate courses, and a pass for pass/fail grades.
        (1) Civilian employees utilizing TA must repay via pay.gov.
        (2) Military members may repay via pay.gov or payroll
deduction.
6. Members are strongly encouraged to seek ESO guidance when
deciding which college or university maximizes military training,
credits-by-exam, and provides the best value for tuition dollars.
ESOs can also help identify other sources of funding, if desired.
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://www.dantes.mil/

7. 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, Force Readiness Command (FC-C), sends.
10. Internet release is authorized.