STATE TUITION ASSISTANCE

Funded by Texas for Texans

PLAN FOR SPRING 2025

Our Spring 2025 Application will open 01 Nov 2024 at 12:00 a.m.
Closes 03 Jan 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
 

The application process includes three forms:

1. The Online Application (under The Basics - Applying for Aid button)
2. Statement of Understanding (SOU)
3. Authorization Release Form (third-party release)

The Application will be available online approximately two months before most schools' payment deadlines. 

to e-sign forms, download, sign, and return to ng.tx.txarng.mbx.trp@army.mil

 

 

 

PAO Flyer

 

Funded by the State of Texas, the State TA program is an education benefit that provides money for college to eligible members of the Texas Military Department pursuing their educational and career goals. This benefit is available during Fall and Spring semesters to actively drilling Texas Guard Members of any of the 3 following Texas components:

  • Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG), 
  • Texas Air National Guard (TXANG), 
  • Texas State Guard (TXSG)

Eligible applicants must:

  • Have completed Basic Training (or its equivalent)
  • Attend an accredited Texas college or university
  • Pursue:
    • a trade, vocational, or academic certificate
    • an undergraduate degree (associate or bachelor)
    • a graduate or professional degree (master's, PhD, Doctorate)
  • A State TA application must be submitted each semester that aid is needed 

The linked sections on this page provide details about each of these phases. Read these sections to learn more about the State TA program.

 

Additional Questions?

Send your questions about State TA by email: ng.tx.txarng.mbx.trp@army.mil

 

 

TMD State Tuition Assistance is available to actively drilling Service Members in good standing with the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, and the Texas State Guard.

The three forms that must be submitted to complete the application process are:

1) Application

2) Statement of Understanding

3) the Third Party Agreement. 

Status updates are sent to all applicants throughout the review process. If you submit a request for aid, you should receive at least one status update by the end of the first month of classes. If you do not receive something by the end of the first full month of classes, contact our office to inquire about the status of your application. Our office breaks the review process down into 5 phases:

  • Phase 1 Applying for aid;
  • Phase 2 Determining eligibility;
  • Phase 3 Calculating an award amount;
  • Phase 4 Issuing award payments;
  • Phase 5 Submit transcript.

Our first phase of processing revolves around the application for aid. The process begins when a student submits an application form, the Statement of Understanding, and a Third Pary Release form to request aid. When the form is received in our office, the information is added to our database system and an update message is emailed to the applicant confirming initiation of the review process.

You, the student, must Submit an application form before the beginning of each semester you're planning to attend. Aid does NOT automatically carry over from one semester to the next. See the section on “Due Dates/Deadlines” for specific dates.

The application form is available through MS 365 Forms. CAC Login is NOT required. Texas Service Members can access the online application forms when they become live, approximately two months prior to most school payment deadlines. Not all schools have the same deadlines, so check with your school of choice for their Important Dates. If any member has a problem filling out the form, please email our office for assistance, ng.tx.txarng.mbx.trp@army.mil.

Find the online application form here: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/yJZRW8YCXM

Due Date/Deadline Summary for the 2024-2025 Academic Year:

If you are applying for:

Spring 2025 Semester

 

Fall 2024 Semester

 
1. Application Submission Deadline January 03, 2025 August 16, 2024
2. Supporting Documents Due Date January 03, 2025 August 16, 2024
3. Official Transcript Due Date June 13, 2025 January 06, 2025

** NOTE: If you request State TA for Fall and Spring, you must provide separate supporting documents and an official transcript for each semester, by the due dates listed above for each semester.

  • Applicants will receive multiple email status updates throughout the semester. If you are not receiving status updates, contact the Education Office to ensure that your application was received and is being processed.
  • Transcripts are required to confirm grades.
  • Schedule changes should be reported by submitting an updated course schedule and fee statement to the Education Office.
  • By Texas State law, this program is only authorized to issue payments directly to a college or university in Texas. We cannot issue payments to out-of-state institutions or individual persons.
  • State TA is a third-party sponsor. Schools will credit eligible STA Service Member student accounts for up to 12 hours + mandatory fees to secure classes. After the Add/Drop deadline, the school will invoice STA for the tuition and mandatory fees due. STA processes the invoices and sends payments directly to the school. 
  • Payments are sent as a bulk payment that includes all awards for all approved recipients at a given school. Schools may take days or weeks from the date the payment is received in their accounting system before processing the payment. Follow up with your school for final payment. 
  • If the STATE TA payment creates a positive balance on the student’s account, then the school may issue a refund of the appropriate amount. The school may offer other options to handle the positive account balance.

MISSION:

In alignment with the TMD Strategic Plan, The State Tuition Assistance Program supports TMD’s overarching goals of Retention, Building Resiliency and enhancing Community Support.

GOALS

  • Recruitment and Retention of highly qualified Soldiers, Airmen and State Guard Members.
  • Increase the number of TMD Members who complete an undergraduate degree.
  • Promote postsecondary education which accelerates military readiness and resiliency as well as personal and professional development.
  • Improve and expand upon the quality of services offered to the state’s workforce and community.
  • Increase representation in the STEM disciplines such as cyber space security, computer science, natural or biological sciences, education, engineering, mathematics, physics, public health and the sciences.
  • Develop a cadre of future leaders for Texas and America by facilitating the completion of higher education.


VALUES

  • Military Service
  • Scholastic Eligibility
  • Successful completion of classes
  • STEM Degrees that increase employee knowledge and skills that contribute to the TMD Agency and Mission.

STA pays tuition and mandatory fees for accredited, not-for-profit schools based in Texas.

Mandatory fees may include:

  • Athletics Fee
  • Building Fees
  • Institutional Services Fee 
  • Laboratory Fee
  • Library Fee
  • Medical Services Fee
  • Recreational Sports Fee
  • School Shuttle Fee
  • Student Center Fee
  • Student Service Fee
  • Transcript Fee

Fees that are NOT mandatory which STA won’t cover may include:

  • Credit Card Processing Fee
  • Housing Fee
  • Learning Materials Fee
  • Meal Plan Fee
  • Parking Fee

STA Process Map

FAQs

  • Actively drilling members in “Good Standing” with TXARNG, TXANG, or TXSG.

  • AGRs are now eligible. 

  • Eligible ranks are: Enlisted (E1-E9), Officers (O1-O5), and Warrant Officers (W1-W3).

  • Applicants must be accepted and registered in a Texas-qualifying college or university. Part-time or full-time students are eligible.

  • Applicants must have completed Basic Training prior to the start of the semester. TXSG must complete BOT, RBOT, or AIT.

  • Members must continue to serve in their component through the end of the semester. The Service Member’s Expiration of Term of Service (ETS) or Mandatory Retirement Date (MRD) must be a date after the official last day of class. State Guard Members do not have a contract ETS date but must serve through the end of the semester to receive the award payment.

  • ROTC (GRFD and DANG) Cadets utilizing the Room & Board scholarship option or non-scholarship contracts are eligible.

  • Applicant must attend a public or private college or university with headquarters in Texas as defined in Texas Education Code Section 61.003. For-profit schools are not eligible.

  • Must have and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.

  • STA is currently only available for Fall and Spring academic semesters only. 

  • Awards are available for up to 12 credit hours, 10 semesters, or five years, for tuition and mandatory fees.

  • The maximum award available is up to $10,000 per semester.

  • State Tuition Assistance can be combined with Federal Tuition Assistance; we encourage you to start with STA first. 

  • Yes, State TA can be used or “stacked” with other federal tuition assistance or state programs to cover up to 100% of tuition and eligible fees.

  • If other programs are covering 100% of the tuition and eligible fees, then there is no remaining amount that qualifies for a State TA award. State TA will not be awarded in this circumstance.

  • State TA can be awarded for the tuition and fee charges not paid by other military sources of tuition aid.

  • Yes, however, your Pell, SEOG, grants and/or scholarships will be included when calculating your eligible award amount. Grants and Scholarships may reduce the amount of qualifying charges that State TA can pay. If there is any doubt, go ahead and apply for State TA. We will review your information during our normal processing and let you know if you have any remaining charges that qualify for a State TA award.

  • Loans will not be included in the calculation of eligible award amount. In other words, if you accept student loans to pay your tuition, State TA can still be approved to cover those tuition charges, as long as there are no other grants or scholarships paying your tuition. 

  • State TA is NOT a student loan repayment program. State TA cannot be used to directly pay off student loans. Accepting student loans does not by itself qualify a person to be approved for State TA aid. 

  • If we do not receive information on all the financial aid you are awarded, then our calculation for a State TA award may exceed the maximum amount of aid that your school is allowed to apply to your account. In this case, your school may not accept all or part of your State TA award payment based on the total amount in financial aid that you have been awarded. Additionally, intentional failure to disclose other financial aid, grants or scholarships may be grounds for denial, permanent disqualification from the program as well as prosecution under the Texas Military Code of Justice.

  • When the Texas Legislature established this program, the statute included a limit of 30 awards for Texas State Guard members each semester. It’s a statutory requirement that can only be changed by the Texas Legislature. 

  • The statute does grant authority to the TAG to waive this limit in any given semester, to allow additional Texas State Guard Members to receive aid.

  • The most common reason that applicants are not approved for a State TA award is failure to meet financial eligibility. This happens when other aid has paid all the qualifying tuition and fee charges.
  • Some common sources of aid that get applied to tuition charges before State TA include Pell Grants, Federal TA, tuition payments from Post 9-11 GI Bill, Hazlewood, and other sources of tuition assistance. 
  • A less frequently occurring reason to not be approved for aid is not submitting required documents. Multiple attempts are made to reach applicants when information is needed before cancelling out a request. If no response is received back, eventually the request is cancelled out. It is important to monitor your email inbox for messages from our office.

The Texas Comptroller has partnered with The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation to provide a list of Texas colleges and universities. The link is below:

https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/education/msp/schools/list/

There is no minimum time to serve within a TMD component to be eligible for State Tuition Assistance. 

No, STA has transitioned to a third-party sponsorship program, meaning schools provide a credit to the eligible TMD Service Member/student's account, for up to 12 hours and mandatory fees, to secure the selected class schedule for the semester. After the school's add/drop deadline, the school will invoice STA with the amount due. Our office then processes the invoices and sends the school payment in one bulk payment for all SM/students enrolled in the college. 

After the school's final add/drop date, the school will send the invoice for the enrolled Service Members. STA pays the school in a single, bulk payment for all enrolled SMs/students.