Tuition Assistance

Tuition Assistance (T.A.)

Students who are eligible for Tuition Assistance should contact their appropriate Educational Officer for their branch of service to receive the Tuition Assistance (T.A.) form. Once the student has the completed form, this information should be brought directly to the Cashier’s Office located in the CAR building on the Lincroft Campus. This information should not be provided to the VA Certifying Official.

Once you have completed courses, if you need to have your grades verified, you should bring the grade/end of semester verification forms to the VA Certifying Official to be processed. Your forms cannot be emailed, but can be faxed to the phone number and contact name you provide to the office.

Military Tuition Assistance (TA) Return of Funds Refund Policy

Under the Department of War (DoW) policy, unearned Military Tuition Assistance (TA) funds are returned directly to the service branch on a proportional, prorated basis through at least the 60% point of an enrollment period.

How TA Funds Are Earned

• Proportional Calculation of Earned Funds: TA funds are earned on a day-by-day basis by the student based on attendance. If a service member withdraws before completing 60% of the course, a portion of the tuition is unearned and must be returned/refunded back to the TA.
• The 60% Threshold: Once a student completes more than 60% of the course or term, 100% of the TA funds are considered fully earned, and no funds are returned to the military branch.
• Return Timeline: Schools must return unearned funds directly to the appropriate military service (not to the service member) within 45 days of determining an official withdrawal.
• Potential Out-of-Pocket Debt: Keep in mind that a school’s internal institutional refund policy differs from the DoW’s return policy. If the school returns 50% of your TA money to the government during Week 5, but their standard student policy says you still owe 100% of the tuition and fees; the College will bill you directly for the remaining balance.
• Personal Financial Liability: If you withdraw after the school’s institutional add/drop period, the college may still charge you for a portion of the tuition, even though they are legally required to return the TA funds to the military. This can leave you with an outstanding balance out-of-pocket to the school.
• Below is a summary of the TA Funds Earned and Returned information based on Term Length: