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Steps For Active-Duty Air Force Personnel To File For Tuition Assistance

Last Updated January 22, 2021

Military student in beige uniform smiling while studying

Through the United States Air Force Military Tuition Assistance program (“AFTA”), the Air Force offers active-duty personnel support to further their education by providing funding for education in approved degree programs from accredited schools. As with all military benefits, it’s important to understand the details of AFTA.

Two of the most important details are as follows. First, all Air Force personnel must develop an education plan that is approved by their supervisor. Second, all classes must be taken at a school that has signed what is known as the Department of Defense Memorandum of Understanding (“DOD MOU”). For an institution to receive funds from a Department of Defense tuition assistance program (such as AFTA), it must have signed the DOD MOU. Villanova University is among the colleges and universities that have signed the DOD MOU, and it appears on the list of participating institutions. 

Once you understand these two items, there are other details to consider. While every branch of the military offers tuition assistance, each has different rules. The following focuses on tuition assistance for active members of the U.S. Air Force through AFTA.

Air Force Tuition Assistance

As of October 2020, AFTA covers the cost of college for active-duty personnel who seek a college degree, with the following limits:

  • $166 per quarter hour
  • $250 per semester hour
  • $4,500 maximum per fiscal year (see the Air Force Virtual Education Center for details)
  • No more than 124 semester hours (186 quarter hours) for a bachelor’s degree will be funded
  • No more than 42 semester hours (70 quarter hours) for a graduate degree will be funded (according to the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC)).

AFTA applies to both online and traditional degree programs.

Note: If tuition costs exceed AFTA limits, Air Force personnel may be eligible to use Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits or the Tuition Assistance Top-Up program. Individuals may also qualify for federal student aid, such as a Pell Grant. To learn more about programs other than the AFTA, please visit the pages hyperlinked in this paragraph.

How To Apply For Air Force Tuition Assistance

This is an area where the Air Force has made changes, as the AFPC now asks personnel to “take a more proactive approach to managing their course selections and [AFTA] toward the achievement of specific academic goals.”

According to AFPC, the following steps are required when applying for tuition assistance: 

  • The first step is to create an educational goal, and a plan for achieving it, through the Air Force Virtual Education Center
  • All such plans require supervisor approval
  • Airmen must make AFTA requests during the application window – no earlier than 45 calendar days prior to, and no later than seven calendar days before, the start of the school term
  • Each AFTA request requires airmen to enter the reason for the request, the school name, the term dates, the course information and the registration fees

Those who have been inactive in pursuing their degree must receive follow-up counseling before receiving authorization to use AFTA. Also, personnel cannot seek a degree that is at the same level or below the highest degree they already have earned.

Maintaining Grades 

Personnel who receive AFTA must remain a GPA of at least 2.0 (for undergraduate students) or a 3.0 (for graduate students). Airmen must report their grades within 90 days after completion of the term, according to the AFPC. 

The Air Force will seek reimbursement for unsatisfactory grades (D or F in undergraduate courses; C, D or F in graduate courses). They also will seek reimbursement if airmen do not complete classes or do not report grades. If military duty prevents you from attending class, you can file for a waiver of reimbursement.

Information provided as to the availability and eligibility for military or veteran education assistance programs is for general informational use only. Benefit certification depends upon, among other things, your eligibility, enrollment status, and certified program of study.

AFTA: Visit the Air Force Military Tuition Assistance Program page for more information.  Please check with your local installation education office for eligibility, benefit amount, and application processes specific to your situation.

VA Benefits: Visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Education and Training Benefits page for more information. Also, visit the Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) to view which programs of study or courses are currently certified.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

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