"Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears and never regrets."     -Leonardo de Vinci

 

Are You Tracking?   

📣 New: Five New Qualifying Periods of Service for the Post-9/11 GI Bill

Members of the Texas Army National Guard and Texas Air National Guard who served on full-time National Guard Duty under 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) in support of the following missions may now include that service as eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill:

  1. National Guard Support to Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Interior Enforcement and
  2. National Guard Support on the Southern Border
    • Statute Code: 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) — Q & N
    • Description: Southern Border Operations
    • Begin Date: January 20, 2025
  3. DC Safe and Beautiful
    • Statute Code: 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) — Q & N
    • Begin Date: August 25, 2025
  4. Memphis Safe Task Force
    • Statute Code: 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) — Q & N
    • Begin Date: September 15, 2025
  5. New Orleans Special Safety Mission
    • Statute Code: 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) — Q & N
    • Begin Date: December 22, 2025

Read the memorandum here: Secretary of War Memorandum — Five New Missions for GI Bill Eligibility

📣 NEW: Available: Virtual Education Counseling Appointments on MS Teams! 

Registration for Fall 2026 is right around the corner.  Soldiers across the Texas Army National Guard are encouraged to take advantage of available virtual education counseling appointments designed to help Service Members learn about their military education benefits, new policy updates, new application procedures and more.  Virtual appointments provide a convenient and flexible opportunity to receive one-on-one guidance without the need to travel.  The earlier you apply for your federal and state tuition assistance, the better! 

To schedule an appointment,  email yvette.e.gonzalez2.civ@army.mil   On the Subject line, "Request for Virtual Ed Counseling Appt."

📣 NEW: Update to Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) and Credentialing Assistance (CA), Implementation of Wave 2 Policy Changes

Description:  Effective 19 March 2026, the updated Army Regulation (AR) 621-5, Army Continuing Education System, implements the Wave 2 FTA/CA policy changes that will impact eligibility and application procedures. 

Summary of changes: 

1. All FTA/CA Requests will be routed through Commander or Supervisor for approval/disapproval. 

  • Soldiers will enter Commander/Supervisor’s email in Army IgnitED. It is the Soldier's responsibility to communicate with Commander/Supervisor and submit the TA and CA requests in a timely manner.
  • Commanders/Supervisors are not required to have an Army IgnitED account.
  • Commanders/Supervisors must have a CAC.
  • Commander/Supervisor will receive an email with URL to Army IgnitED/direct link to approve/disapprove page.
  • Commanders/Supervisors must action FTA Request NLT 5 days prior to course start date.
  • If Commander/Supervisor does not approve TA or CA request within the required timeframe and misses the 5-day window, the FTA/CA request will be automatically deleted from the system.   

You can find FAQs here.

 

📣 NEW: Update to GI Bill: Impact of Rudisill & Perkins Supreme Court Decision on Veterans' Education Benefits

Description: You may be eligible for additional benefits if you waived all or part of your MGIB CH 30 benefits so you could use PGIB benefits. You will not be required to request a review to find out if you're eligible for additional benefits as a result of the Rudisill or Perkins decisions. VA will automatically evaluate your file and inform you if additional action is required.

By law, PGIB and MGIB eligibility is limited to a maximum of 48 months of combined benefits. Federal law prohibits the use of these benefits at the same time. There is no deadline to apply. The VA is updating their systems to automate eligibility reviews and issue determinations.

Impact

1. BEFORE:

  • Veterans eligible for both MGIB and PGIB were required to waive MGIB eligibility to begin using PGIB benefits.

NOW:

  • Veterans impacted by either Rudisill or Perkins are no longer required to waive MGIB eligibility to use PGIB benefits when applying.

2. BEFORE:

  • PGIB entitlement was limited to the amount of remaining MGIB entitlement.

NOW:

  • PGIB entitlement is no longer limited to the remaining MGIB entitlement, but Veterans are still subject to the 48-month limit of combined benefits under multiple programs.

3. BEFORE:

  • Previous elections to waive MGIB could not be revoked.

NOW:

  • Previous elections to waive MGIB in order to use PGIB can be revoked.

For more information and answers to your questions, visit: Ask VA OR VA GI Bill

📣 Update to Credentialing Assistance (CA)

Description: Pursuant to ALARACT 102/2025, Changes to Voluntary Education Policy, please note the following updates to the Department of Army's Credentialing Assistance Program:

1) CA is capped at $2,000 and 1 credential per fiscal year;

2) Soldiers who receive CA funding for training must take and pass the examination associated with the training or face recoupment charges;

3) CA is capped at 3 credentials per 10 years of service. This is retroactive to the Soldier's Basic Active Service date. Previously funded credentials will be included in the cap;

4) Soldiers must complete the Army IgnitED training and MilGears Decision Support Tool (upload results into Army IgnitED) prior to requesting CA for the first time.

For more information visit the link below:

Army Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL)

📣 Get College Credit for your Military Training or Occupation (MOS)

Description: A Military Evaluation can provide college credit for military training and/or experience. A review translates training, MOS, and experience into academic credit recommendations. These evaluations could save you time and money by applying credit to your degrees and reducing your tuition cost. There are two types of military reviews:

1) Military Course Review

2) Military Occupation Review

For more information visit the link below:

ACE Military Evaluations

📣 Attention: New Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) Users!

Description: New Requirements

1) Mandatory Training: First-time FTA/CA users must complete the Army IgnitED 101 Training before requesting funding. Soldiers who have previously used ArmyIgnitED to receive FTA are exempt from this requirement.

2) Decision Tool: Users must utilize the Career Path Decide decision support tool prior to submitting a request.

Submission Timeline: TA requests must be submitted no later than 7 days before the course start date.

Watch the training on Army SharePoint (CAC required):

ArmyIgnitED 101 Training Link

📣 Financial Aid Deadlines

Applications for the upcoming school year open October 1 every year. Financial aid, determined by your college campus, is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA), State financial aid priority deadline: January 15. For more information, visit:

TASFA

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Federal financial aid deadline: June 30.

FAFSA

Don’t delay, visit your campus Financial Aid Office today!

📣 2026–27 FAFSA® Form Now Available!

Date/Time: Spring 26

Description: Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for financial aid for college, career school, or graduate school.

For more information, visit: studentaid.gov FAFSA

Education, the Force Multiplier

Education is much more than earning a degree, a credential, or learning a new skill set. It’s the foundation for readiness and resilience, strengthening critical thinking and problem-solving, gaining new perspectives, and finding your community and support network. —E I OIC, LTC Sheri Glenn

“Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men."      -Horace Mann

"The value of higher education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think." —Albert Einstein

Does a bachelor’s degree provide a strong Return on Investment (ROI) in today’s job market? The overwhelming evidence says YES! Prime-age workers with a Bachelor’s degree earn 70% more at the median than workers with a high school diploma alone. Additionally, those with a bachelor’s degree face much lower unemployment rates.

Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

Texas Military Department education photo 1
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Let's Talk Numbers

State Tuition Assistance Impact

$14.8M

Amount of State TA funds reinvested in Texas colleges & universities over the past 5 years.

89%

Increase in the number of requests for State Tuition Assistance from FY 2023 to FY 2025.

16%

Increase in the number of members that extend their TMD service to retain the State TA benefit for educational, professional and career advancement.

6,525

Total number of requests for State Tuition Assistance from FY 24–26.

3,941

Total number of TMD Service Members who received State Tuition Assistance in FY 24–25.

$4,001

Average Award Amount of State TA in FY 26.

Best Practices for Successful TA Applications

Education benefits represent one of the most valuable investments available to our TMD Service Members.  Whether applying for Federal Tuition Assistance, State Tuition Assistance or the GI Bill, navigating these separate application processes can be overwhelming.  Most of the application issues are preventable. By following these Best Practices, you can improve the chances of maximizing your education benefits, staying informed of program updates and policies and making informed decisions:

 

STEP 1: PLAN EARLY​

  • Meet w/your Academic Advisor at least 2-3 months before early registration and select your classes for the upcoming semester. Sign-up/register for classes during Early Registration. ​

  • Email or schedule appt w/Readiness NCO to verify your eligibility data is updated in IPPS-A.  The 4 most common reasons for application denials are inaccurate and outdated records on the following: 1) Missing date of IADT completion, 2) your current status 3) your education level and 4) satisfactory unit participation (no flags). Keep in mind, the IPPS-A system can take up to 10 days to update the data in Army IgnItED.  

  • Bookmark the TMD Education, Army IgnItED and State TA websites for faster access to the application. ​ 

  • Set reminders in your phone to include application windows and deadlines. 

  • Complete all the Steps required in Army IgnItED (view Army IgnItED 101, Career Decide, select an education goal, upload your degree plan.) 

​STEP 2: APPLY EARLY​

  • Apply for Federal TA (FTA) first! (This step is now required for State TA application –whether eligible or not and Army IgnItED has specific timelines for submitting requests that must be followed or the TA Request will be denied.)​

  • Submit your FTA request 30-45 days before the 1st day of class. Waiting until the week before class doesn’t leave time to resolve holds, or have degree audits or goals approved in time.  These last minute requests almost always result in a denial.​

  • State TA-After submitting the online application, be sure to go back and email the State TA Office all required supporting documentation to include the 1)Statement of Understanding, 2)Authorized Release and the 3)FTA letter. Incomplete applications are a leading cause for denials.

STEP 3: COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE​!

  • Communicate with your Commander, Supervisor, Readiness NCO, TXARNG Education Office, Army IgnItED Help Desk, your campus VA and Financial Aid Office.  Taking the time to stay engaged with these offices could save you alot of time, stress and money.   

  • Confirm your Commander's correct email address (civilian and military).  BEFORE submitting your FTA requests, let your Commander know that you're enrolling in school and will soon be submitting FTA requests for her/his approval.  A heads up is always appreciated and will keep your Commander looking out for your TA Requests from Army IgnItED.

  • Army IgnItED – check/read your emails from Army IgnItED. Notify Army IgnItED and our TMD/TXARNG Education Office of schedule changes. Consult with us before dropping classes to ensure you are informed of financial implications and about debt recoupment.

  • Ask, don't assume.  Assuming can be expensive!  If you are unsure about a program update, visit the TMD Education Office website or send us an email to confirm.  Also, don't assume a program will reimburse you if you pay out of pocket at the beginning of the semester.  This could be prohibited by federal law or local policy. 

  • If you have any questions, send us an email: ng.tx.txarng.mbx.education@army.mil . We’d love to hear from you!

 Written by:  Yvette Gonzalez, Education Branch Manager, TMD/TXARNG Education & Incentives Office

 

Ethical Enigmas & Curious Contradictions

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the higher education experience for administration, faculty and especially for students. Students receive accelerated answers, detailed outlines, a writing editor and helpful study aids with its ability to anticipate possible test questions. This rapid ascent of the paradoxical AI creates awe and apprehension, invoking anxieties about the security or insecurity of personal data, the cognitive decline from the dependence on technology and the incessant drive for efficiency over ethical concerns. Professors are faced with an alarming rate of students dismissing academic honesty, integrity and originality for the sake of convenience and efficiency. What are we willing to give up in exchange for this compelling convenience? While indisputable that AI is a valuable tool of learning and discovery, if we outsource our education to AI, then how will students develop critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills? Humans are still the source of creativity and innovation that drive progress. It’s the human experience, not AI, that teaches the essential life lessons of discipline and discernment which grow from the ashes of pain, struggle and hardship. What does this algorithm-driven tool, dependent on patterns of data instead of true understanding, know about humility, compassion, selfless service and resilience? AI lacks moral reasoning, empathy, a conscience and essentially human emotion. AI-coded responses can validate fed assumptions, convincingly, but what can AI teach us about hope or the human condition, both vital concepts in leading ethical progress? AI has no “skin in the game,” and faces no real-world accountability for its errors. While students’ mastery of AI can certainly help them become employable and efficient subject matter experts in their field, it is a moral imperative to connect that learning with purpose and our individual and collective values that strengthen humanity. Humanity is at the very core of public service, partnerships and taking care of our people. Ultimately, AI remains a tool to support and enhance human potential, not replace it. As we navigate through these evolving complexities, let us proceed with cautious and mindful optimism as active participants, rather than witnesses, in shaping the future we wish to inhabit and leave our children.

Here are 6 books on Artificial Intelligence to educate yourself about the new tech sector:

  1. "AI 2041: 10 Visions for Our Future," Authors: Chen Qiufan, Kai-Fu Lee
  2. "A World Without Work: Technology, Automation and How We Should Respond in 2020," Author: Daniel Susskind
  3. "The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values," Author: Brian Christian
  4. "2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity," Author: John Lennox
  5. "A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: What It Is, Where We Are and Where We Are Going," Author: Michael Wooldridge
  6. "Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World," Author: Meredith Broussard

Written by: Yvette Gonzalez, Education Branch Manager, TMD/TXARNG Education and Incentives Office and Orrin Spence, Webmaster, TMD Public Affairs Office

Any opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and are not intended to represent the views or positions of the agency.

 

"When you know your WHY, your WHAT has purpose."   Dr. Kenneth Hardy

 

Research Fuels Readiness

70% of recent public university graduates began to see a positive return on their college investment within the first 10 years after graduation. Strada Education Foundation, October 2025

Education Benefits are a primary driver for joining the military. 48% of youth ages 16–21 join the military to pay for future education. JAMRS Youth Poll, July 2025

By 2030, more than 62% of all jobs in Texas will require education beyond high school.
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

Events & Deadlines

june
  • 10- AFCT Testing
  • 10- VA- GI Bill 101 Webinar
  • 24- DLPT/DLAB Testing
JUly
  • 8- AFCT Testing
  • 22- DLPT/DLAB Testing
August
  • 12- AFCT Testing
  • 26-DLPT/DLAB Testing
  • 29- Yellow Ribbon

Contact Us

Education & Incentives Office

Texas Military Department Education & Incentives Office
2200 West 35th Street, Building 15
Camp Mabry, Austin, TX 78763-5218
Main: (512) 782-5515
Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Education and Incentives Office, Building 15 at Camp Mabry

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