Welcome to Arkansas State University!

Federal Tuition Assistance (TA)

The Federal Tuition Assistance Program pays up to $250 per credit hour of tuition expenses for semester credit hours costing. 

Classes must be from an accredited two- or four-year institution on or off the installation, or by distance learning. The service branch will pay the school directly. Service members can find out more information from their service branch: 

TA can be requested 45-to-7 days before the first day of the class/term. If you miss this window, you will need to contact your branch’s education office to see if you can request a late or historical TA. 

**If you are a reservist and receiving Military TA through your employer, you may have other guidelines as directed by your employer/third-party servicer. You will still need to complete our Third Party Authorization form which can be found below. 

What you need to do: 

Apply for Tuition Assistance – Contact your Education Center 

  • Active-Duty/Reserve Service Members can go here to find out how to apply under your branch of service. You can also contact your branch’s Education Center for more information. Additional information here. 
  • Civilians with a federal job can contact their branch’s Education Center and/or Career Field Manager for information on how to apply for TA. 

Register for Courses – We suggest registering for courses before you request your TA. This is to ensure that you will be registered for the same courses on your TA and that you know the correct term dates. If this information does not match, we will not be able to accept your TA. 

Request TA- Using your branch of services TA portal, get a TA request for the courses you will be taking during the upcoming term and select the correct term date information. If the courses and dates are not correct, we cannot accept the TA, and you will have to contact your branch's education office to get a new one. 

Complete the Third Party Billing Authorization - Once you have an approved TA request with the correct information, complete the Third Party Billing Authorization steps. 

Apply for the Military Scholarship – A-State's Military Scholarship is for Active, Reserve, and Guard service members who are using TA. The scholarship will reduce the cost of tuition to the Military TA cap of $250 per credit hour. Any other fees such as course materials are not covered by your TA or the scholarship. Please refer to the scholarship's webpage for more details. 

When Will TA/Scholarship be Added to My Account? Once the authorization steps are completed, your name will be added to the list of students receiving third-party funding. This is so we can ensure that you are not dropped for non-payment on the deadline because the school will not receive payment from the military until later. If you are accepted for the scholarship, it will be added to your account at the same time your TA funding is applied. 

Tuition Assistance and VA Education Benefits 

Chapter 30 Recipients 

Active-Duty Service members and National Guard and Reserve AGRs are ineligible to receive standard Chapter 30 benefits for courses covered by military TA, except for instances of Top-up.  If a student enrolls in multiple courses, they cannot receive Chapter 30 benefits for those already covered by TA.  However, they remain eligible for Chapter 30 benefits for courses not included under TA coverage. Chapter 30 cannot be used with the Military Scholarship. 

Chapter 33 Recipients 

Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve Service members are eligible to receive Chapter 33 benefits for courses covered by military TA.  Depending on their mobilization duration, National Guard and Reserve Service members may receive Chapter 33 benefits ranging from 50 to 100%.  The university will be required to subtract TA benefits from the total tuition and fees reported to the VA, and Chapter 33 benefits are then applied towards any remaining out-of-pocket expenses. Chapter 33 cannot be used with the Military Scholarship. 

Chapter 1606 Recipients 

Effective May 17, 2021, restrictions have been lifted and reset for concurrent use of Federal Tuition Assistance and MGIB-SR (chapter 1606).  All eligible Selected Reserve Service members are permitted to utilize both TA and MGIB-SR benefits concurrently if enrolled in an educational program at least half-time.  However, concurrent usage is not authorized when enrolled less than half-time. Chapter 1606 can be used with the Military Scholarship, but not while you are also using TA. You can either use Ch 1606 with TA, use Ch 1606 with the scholarship, or use TA with the scholarship. 

Dropping a Course While Using TA 

If you drop a course that you are receiving TA for, TA funds will be returned to the respective branch of service in accordance with DoD MoU, paragraph 4.f.(2)(d). 

All students need to contact thirdparty@astate.edu to notify the office that they have dropped courses, and TA will need to be returned to the military. For assistance with your A-State bill if you drop courses due to military orders or other extenuating circumstances: 

Contact Information 

Assistance Requesting TA 

  • If you cannot find your degree program or your courses and credit hours, please use the appropriate contact below. If you cannot view term dates, please make sure you are within the 45-to-7 day window before courses begin before reaching out. Term dates are not visible to students outside of the TA request window. If your TA portal/website is not working, you will need to contact your branch of service’s education office for assistance. 
  • Online Students contact Brooke Hazelwood @militaryonline@astate.edu or call 870-680-4840  
  • On-Campus Tradition Students contact DJ Basham @dbashamjr@astate.edu or call 870-972-3023 

Send TA Request Forms 

Assistance with the Military Scholarship 

  • Online Students contact Brooke Hazelwood @militaryonline@astate.edu or call 870-680-4840  
  • On-Campus Tradition Students contact DJ Basham @dbashamjr@astate.edu or call 870-972-3023 
Federal Tuition Assistance (TA)