Tuition Assistance

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sheriff3

5-Year Member
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Jan 14, 2013
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Congress saves TA for all but Coast Guard
Congress has voted to restore the military's tuition assistance program but has left the Coast Guard behind.

I just found this on AF Times.
 
Let's hope nobody in Congress need a tow when their yacht runs out of fuel.
 
Or when they're stranded on some exotic island, especially in the Carribean.
 
Not to rain on the parade, but just so some posters don't assume it is a done deal.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2...-votes-to-restore-tuition-assistance-032013w/
Sponsored by Sens. James Inhofe, R-Okla., and Kay Hagan, D-N.C., the order is part of the Senate’s version of the 2013 budget. If it becomes law — and that is not yet certain — it would apply only through the end of this fiscal year on Sept. 30.

The amendment, passed by voice vote, does not say how the cost would be covered, only that the Defense Department would have to restore funding.

“Veterans mobilized to reinstate tuition assistance, and today the Senate listened,” said Ryan Gallucci, deputy legislative director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who used tuition assistance when he was a civil affairs specialist to work toward a college degree.

No similar provision is included in the House version of the government funding bill, HR 933, so the fate of tuition assistance rests with negotiations to work out a compromise measure. There is a March 27 deadline for completing the bill because that is when current federal funding expires. Without the extension, a government shutdown is possible.
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Honestly, I am not opposed to TA, but I side with other posters when we are discussing the fact the we are BROKE.

For the AF:
We are cutting 203K flight hrs because we can't afford the JP fuel, and the maintenance on the airframes.

We are cutting back on PME, which these airmen need for promotion.

Base hospitals are filled with civilians, they will be furloughed...good luck on getting an appointment, or at least not spending a lot longer waiting for that appointment. Same with sitting in the pharmacy waiting for your script.

We are delaying security clearance re-verifications.


These all are taking a huge hit and that included TA in the cost cutting. Placing it back means that the DoD will have to take it from somewhere else. Remember their hands are tied regarding where they can and where they can't take it from.

I understand the Army because I believe it impacts the SMP students, but I can't understand it for the AF, especially the officer side of the house. Master degrees are masked until their O5 board. Honestly, if you are an O4 up for an O5 just doing it now, that is insane. I also have no pity if you are an O4, because you are making O4 pay, same with any O5. I get the enlisted side of the house because that is a hefty chunk that many cannot afford.

JMPO, maybe the Hill should spend more time fixing the budget, than doing piece meal with issues that will now impact the DoD even more.

Let's also remember ROTC and the SAs are furloughing those civilian attached to their organizations. What if the DoD comes back and says fine now to put TA back in the mix, all GSs will be furloughed 28 days instead of 22. Or maybe they cancel all summer training for cadets and mids.

There will be an impact somewhere else, the question is where? The Hill is not giving them anymore money, they are now forcing them to put TA back in the budget. As I said they are tieing the DoD's hands, and than coming back and saying, we don't like it, do something else. What will happen when they hit something else and there is a large out cry, will they do it again, and say you can't hit that either? Will they keep doing it until there is only one thing left, if so, why not just do the DoD's job and hand them a line budget.
 
Tuition assistance has been restored for all 5 branches of the military.

http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/1732873

U.S. Coast Guard to reinstate Tuition Assistance

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Coast Guard joins the Department of Defense in reinstating tuition assistance in response to an amendment that was inserted into the General Provisions of the 2013 Appropriations Bill.

The amendment to the Appropriations Bill submitted by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), directs the U.S. Coast Guard, a component of Department of Homeland Security, placed under the category of "other departments or agencies" to restore funding for Tuition Assistance set aside under Sequestration.

The U.S. Coast Guard has averaged nearly 10,000 enrollees a year for the last three years and expected around the same number this year. To date 7,000 members have participated.
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I'm sure I'm going to get raked over the coals for this one.

With the current budget restrictions on the military does it make sense to cut back training schedules, limit flight time, cut training slots, slow down procurement of needed supplies, just to make sure Johnny gets to take an online English 101 class. Before you all jump too quick, I understand the argument for education and promotion rates and that some use TA for graduate degrees, but still, if TA is cut across the board for now everyone would be in the same boat so to speak. The GI Bill was still intact, granted it pays more once your out of the service with the Post 9/11 GI Bill, but it's still there if they need it to take classes.

If Congress inability to come up with a budget caused all these cuts, it seems counter productive for Congress to start controlling how the cuts are made, I believe the Military has a much better sense for how to spend what they now don't have then Congress does.
 
Jcleppe said:
I'm sure I'm going to get raked over the coals for this one.

With the current budget restrictions on the military does it make sense to cut back training schedules, limit flight time, cut training slots, slow down procurement of needed supplies, just to make sure Johnny gets to take an online English 101 class. Before you all jump too quick, I understand the argument for education and promotion rates and that some use TA for graduate degrees, but still, if TA is cut across the board for now everyone would be in the same boat so to speak. The GI Bill was still intact, granted it pays more once your out of the service with the Post 9/11 GI Bill, but it's still there if they need it to take classes.

If Congress inability to come up with a budget caused all these cuts, it seems counter productive for Congress to start controlling how the cuts are made, I believe the Military has a much better sense for how to spend what they now don't have then Congress does.
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I don't think I really disagree with you but at the same time I expect one to keep their word. I can hear the recruiter (an agent of the DoD) saying sign on the dotted line and you will get TA.

Of course, this is how we get into these so called entiltlement messes.
 
Packer said:
I don't think I really disagree with you but at the same time I expect one to keep their word. I can hear the recruiter (an agent of the DoD) saying sign on the dotted line and you will get TA.

Of course, this is how we get into these so called entiltlement messes.
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I completely agree.

The recruitment flyers are filled with references to TA and I'm sure recruiters have pushed this as one of their tools. I would be the first in line to complain that I was promised something I was now not getting.

I think you said it best in a previous post, Government contracts are pretty one sided when it comes to enlisting. Even the AROTC Scholarship Contract states that the Army can cancel the contract and scholarship at any time.

I don't think the recruiters take as much time explaining to the soon to be enlistees that all these programs are at the discretion of the Military, and the enlistees don't take the time to read the fine print.

It's a tough situation all the way around.
 
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