Student aid options available in suspended TA world

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Nathan Gallahan
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Base officials are working hard to ensure Airmen are aware of the education options available to them to pursue their higher education goals in the wake of tuition assistance being suspended.

The Air Force announced March 11, it was suspending military TA, a voluntary education program that has long been a popular option for students pursuing degrees.

"There are a lot of resources available to fund higher education," said Dawn Hemming-Rich, 28th Force Support Squadron Education Office education and training section chief. "To help students make informed decisions, the base education office has two, full-time academic advisors to assist Ellsworth personnel in reaching their academic goals."

Hemming-Rich encouraged Airmen to not panic and take out a student loan before doing some research and considering all available avenues of financial aid for education.

One option is a Federal Pell Grant (http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html). It doesn't have to be paid back and the maximum distribution for the 2011, 2012 award year was $5,550. To apply, students must complete the free application for federal student aid. The distribution amount is dependent upon a student's need, their student status and school plans, among other considerations.

Another option is scholarships. Scholarships come in many shapes and sizes, with millions of dollars available to students willing to put in the time and effort to compete for them. The submission criteria vary greatly, ranging from students being required to write an essay to simply the luck of the draw. The challenge lies in discovering where the scholarships are available.

"One of my favorite ways to find scholarships and grants is Fastweb," Hemming-Rich said. "This database contains more than $3 billion in scholarships. Once you build your profile, you are automatically notified when a new scholarship matching your profile is added."

There are also many other websites available to help students find aid. By simply searching the internet for "where to find scholarships" yields a laundry list of sites.

Military students can also utilize their GI Bill benefits, designed to help service members and eligible veterans cover the costs associated with getting an education or training. The GI Bill has several programs and each is administrated differently -- depending on a person's eligibility and duty status. Applications are available online at www.gibill.va.gov. It can take up to 35 days for members to receive their certificates of eligibility.

"Understand with the suspension of TA, there are over 435,000 active-duty personnel and only four VA processing centers," Hemming-Rich said. "Please plan ahead."

One more option would be to take College Level Examination Program or Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support tests to knock out required courses. CLEP and DANTES tests are free of charge, and the on-base test center is managed by National American University. The tests are administered Monday through Thursday at various times. To schedule a test, call (605) 718-6546.

"One bit of advice is to review the study guides available in the Air Force Virtual Education Center, and register at Department of Defense Libraries to take the practice exams," Hemming-Rich said. "The policy was changed a few years ago where you can take an exam and if you fail, you have to pay to retake that same exam."

While the loss of TA is being felt across the Air Force, with a bit of determination and perseverance, students can still find ways to secure aid to attend college.

"Students should do their research to find the school or program they're interested in, and remember we are here to assist everyone in pursuing their education endeavors/goals," Hemming-Rich concluded.

Note: The 28th Force Support Squadron Education Office will conduct VA Education Benefits briefings every Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Room 1000 of the Rushmore Center.