Tuition Assistance (TA)
Tuition Assistance (TA) is a government benefit offered to service members of all branches of the Armed Forces to assist with the cost of tuition. Some Department of Defense employees and military spouses may also be eligible to receive a form of Tuition Assistance.
Here you will find information on the general processes to request TA as well as policies for utilizing Military Tuition Assistance. Click your branch of the military below for more specific information relevant to the type of Tuition Assistance you will be using.
How to Request Tuition Assistance
The general process for requesting Tuition Assistance is the same for all branches of the military (with Virginia National Guard State TA as an exception), and is outlined in the steps below. Please also see the branch sections below for specific information regarding the type of military Tuition Assistance you are using.
- Speak with your local Education Office to ensure your eligibility for Tuition Assistance.
- Follow their instructions for how to request Tuition Assistance for your course(s). Take note of the timeframe in which you are able to request your TA indicated in the section below.
- The military approves your TA request.
- Submit your Tuition Assistance form to the Office of Military Affairs for processing via the Student Checklist*.
- The Office of Military Affairs posts the TA credit to your account within 3-5 business days of receiving your form and you complete Financial Check-In.
*Learn more about the Student Checklist
Branch Specific Policies and Procedures
Select your branch below to learn more!
Benefit Summary
Below is a snapshot of what Air Force and Space Force Tuition Assistance will cover. To determine your eligibility for this benefit, you may review the information on the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) portal, or contact your Education Office directly.
- May cover up to $250 per credit hour
- Fiscal year cap of $4,500.
- Maximum of 18 credit hours may be covered per fiscal year.
- Airmen and Guardians are limited to 124 credit hours to complete one undergraduate program and 42 credit hours to complete one graduate program (Some restrictions may apply).
- TA request timeframe:
- Start: 45 days before term starts
- End: 7 day before term starts
What You Need to Know
If you have not used Tuition Assistance before, your first step is to contact your Education Office for assistance with getting started. You will need to make sure your Air Force and Space Force TA account is updated with the degree you will be pursuing at Liberty University. You can visit the Air Force Virtual Education Center to get started.
We’ve outlined a few items below we want you to be aware of as you utilize your Tuition Assistance at Liberty University:
- The Air Force and Space Force require you to request Tuition Assistance 7-45 days prior to the start date of the course.
- Liberty University loads all available courses into the Air Force Virtual Education Center. If you cannot find a course in the portal, please email LUMilitary@liberty.edu to let us know.
- Your TA authorization form must have all the correct course information to be accepted, including the course dates associated with your term of enrollment. It must also bear your electronic signature.
- Once your TA has been approved, you must submit the signed authorization form directly in your Student Checklist. Please be sure you submit this form by the TA form deadline associated with your term of enrollment. **The last four digits of your social security number may be visible on your TA form. You may black out this information and replace it with your Liberty ID before you submit your form to us.
- Liberty University automatically submits grades to the Air Force and Space Force for TA courses within 30 days of the term end date. However, it is your responsibility to make sure the Air Force and Space Force receive your grade information. Please let us know if you have any concerns about your grades being submitted on time.
Benefit Summary
Below is a snapshot of what Army Tuition Assistance (ArmyIgnitED) will cover. To determine your eligibility, please check out the full eligibility requirements posted on the ArmyIgnitED website or contact your Education Services Officer (ESO) directly.
- May cover up to $250 per credit hour
- Fiscal year cap of $4,000.
- Maximum of 16 credit hours may be covered per fiscal year.
- Soldiers are limited to 130 credit hours to complete one Bachelor’s Degree and 39 credit hours to complete one Master’s Degree. Post-Graduate degrees and certificates typically do not qualify for Army Tuition Assistance. One Certificate program at the Undergraduate or Graduate level may be approved for Army Tuition Assistance.
- Important note about registration: Army students should make all enrollment changes with Liberty University directly.
- TA request timeframe
- Start: 60 days before term starts
- End: 7 days before term starts
How to Request Army Tuition Assistance in ArmyIgnitED
If you have not yet set up an account with the new ArmyIgnited, please take the following steps. For further assistance, please contact your Army Education Office.
- Set up your ArmyIgnitED Account. You can visit the new ArmyIgnitED website at armyignited.army.mil and click “Login.” This will register your CAC to the upgraded ArmyIgnitED. You will only need the URL and your CAC. Please visit or contact your local Education Center if you need assistance.
- Retrieve Your Degree Completion Plan. Army TA students can access their degree plan in the Course Registration Tool. Under the Degree Completion section, type Ctrl P to save your degree plan as a PDF. Please note: Students are required to be accepted to their program and submit all official transcripts before an official degree plan can be generated.
- Submit an Education Goal. Once you have set up an ArmyIgnitED account, please follow the below steps to submit an Education Goal.
- Click on “Education Goals” on the left side menu or “Create New Goal” near the bottom of the homepage.
- Select your education goal type. If you see N/A by the goal you are trying to create that means you are ineligible for that degree level. Soldiers can hover over the goal and they will see the reason why they are ineligible. If this is in error, please contact your S1 to get your civilian education level updated in your record. In the meantime, Soldiers could contact their Education Center, provide correct documentation (transcript), and request that an Education Counselor do a one-day update of the civilian education level.
- Select Liberty University as your Academic Institution. Enter Liberty University’s name and select from the drop-down list. You can also enter your LU ID. Click “Next”.
- Select a Degree Program. Liberty University has uploaded all degree programs we offer. There is a keyword search to help find your degree program. If you do not see the degree program you are pursuing, please email ArmyTA@liberty.edu to have the degree program loaded to the portal. Select the Degree Program from the drop-down list, click “Next”.
- Upload your Evaluated Degree Plan. You can access your Degree Completion Plan in the Course Registration Tool. Under the Degree Completion section, type Ctrl P to save your degree plan as a PDF.
- Enter total required credits for your degree level if not already loaded. Liberty University has already loaded the number of credits required for the degree. If you are uploading an Evaluated Degree Plan, you can update the transferred credits in the “Previous Credits” field. If the credits you enter are in Quarter Hours, check the “Yes” box. Click “Submit Goal”.
- Review & Approval/Disapproval. Once you submit your education goal, it is sent to your Education Center for review. Once approved or disapproved, you will receive a message in your student message section. Once your education goal is approved, you may apply for tuition assistance.
What You Need to Know
We’ve outlined a few items below we want you to be aware of as you utilize your Army Tuition Assistance at Liberty University:
- The Army requires you to request Tuition Assistance 7-60 days prior to the start date of the course.
- Liberty University loads all available courses into the ArmyIgnited Portal. If you cannot find a course in the portal, please email ArmyTA@liberty.edu to let us know.
- Your TA authorization form must have all the correct course information to be accepted, including the course dates associated with your term of enrollment.
- Once your TA has been approved by the Army, you must submit the signed authorization form directly in your Student Checklist. Please be sure you submit his form by the TA form deadline associated with your term of enrollment. **The last four digits of your social security number may be visible on your TA form. You may black out this information and replace it with your Liberty ID before you submit your form to us.
Benefit Summary
Below is a snapshot of what Coast Guard Tuition Assistance will cover. To determine your eligibility for this benefit, you may review the information on the Coast Guard’s TA Policies web page, or contact your Education Office directly.
- Active Duty or Reservists on long term orders (180 days+) are eligible
- Covers up to $250.00 per credit hour
- Fiscal year cap of $4,500
- TA request timeframe
- Start: 90 days before term starts
- End: 16 days before term starts
What You Need to Know
If you have not used Coast Guard Tuition Assistance before, your first step is to contact your Education Office for assistance with getting started. You will need to make sure your military TA account is updated with the degree you will be pursuing at Liberty University and you are aware of all of the Coast Guard’s requirements and regulations for using military TA.
We’ve outlined a few items below to be aware of as you utilize your Tuition Assistance at Liberty University:
- The Coast Guard requires you to request TA within 90-16 days prior to the start date of the course. Funding requests cannot be approved on or after the course start date.
- You will manually enter the course information on your TA request. Make sure you have all the correct information before you submit your request. The information needed includes:
- The course subject code and number (ex: ENGL 100)
- The course title (ex: Basic Composition)
- The course dates (ex: Spring B term, 1/13/20 – 3/6/20)
- The number of credit hours (semester hours)
- Your TA authorization must be signed by you and your Education Office in order for us to process the form.
- Once your TA has been approved by the Coast Guard, you must submit the signed authorization form directly in your Student Checklist. Please be sure you submit this form by the TA form deadline associated with your term of enrollment. **The last four digits of your social security number may be visible on your TA form. You may black out this information and replace it with your Liberty ID before you submit your form to us.
- We will automatically submit your grades to the military for TA courses within 30 days of the course end date. However, it is your responsibility to make sure this information is received. Please let us know if you have any concerns about your grades being submitted on time.
Benefit Summary
Below is a snapshot of what DoD Tuition Assistance may cover. To determine your eligibility, please contact your Human Resources Office or Office Supervisor directly.
- Must be an employee of the U.S. Department of Defense
- May cover up to $250 per credit hour
- Fiscal year cap of $4,500
- May cover up to 18 credit hours per military fiscal year
What You Need to Know
Please note if you have not used DoD Tuition Assistance before, your first step is to contact your Human Resources Office or Office Supervisor for assistance with getting started. We’ve outlined a few items below we want you to be aware of as you utilize your Tuition Assistance at Liberty University.
- Your Tuition Assistance form is sometimes referred to as an SF-182 form, a DD1155 or a TA Authorization Letter.
- You will need to make sure the correct course information is included on your TA Authorization letter. Forms with incorrect information cannot be accepted. The information needed includes:
- Identifying student information (your form may include the last four digits of your social security number. You may black out this information and replace it with your Student ID.)
- The course subject code and number (ex: ENGL 100)
- The course title (ex: Basic Composition)
- The course dates (ex: Spring B term, 1/13/20 – 3/6/20)
- The number of credit hours (semester hours) and cost per credit hour
- The approved amount per course
- Invoicing Instructions and/or Invoicing POC and email address
- You must submit your approved TA Authorization Letter to the Office of Military Affairs by the TA Form deadline and complete Financial Check-In by the deadline corresponding to your sub-term of enrollment. See our Dates and Deadlines and Financial Check-In Guide for more information.
- The authorized funds will be applied to your student account based on the amount of tuition and/or class fees indicated on your TA Authorization Letter.
- The Office of Military Affairs will invoice your DoD employer directly. Invoices are submitted to DoD employers after the add/drop date for each sub-term per the provided invoicing instructions on your DoD TA document. Your DoD employer will pay Liberty University directly based on the invoice(s) submitted.
- Book Voucher Advances may be applied to your student account if you are approved for books/material stipends on your DoD TA document. These vouchers must be used through Liberty’s online bookstore Barnes & Noble College. Book Voucher advance requests and book stipend reimbursement requests can be sent via email to the Military Affairs Office.
- We typically do not submit your grades to the DoD for TA courses (unless this is required by your employer during the invoicing process). Most typically, you will be responsible for submitting this information to your employer directly if it is needed. You may be able to access a free unofficial transcript through your ASIST account to meet this requirement.
- TA Authorization documents should include militarypay@liberty.edu as the vendor email address and 434-592-5004 as the vendor phone number.
Army Civilian Instructions
Army civilians must generate their DoD tuition assistance (TA) through ArmyIgnitED. Once the SF-182 has been created in ArmyIgnitED, the SF-182 can be submitted directly in your Student Checklist. If these document requirements are not listed on your Student Checklist, you may submit documents to the Office of Military Affairs via email to LUMilitary@liberty.edu.
ArmyIgnitED – Create SF-182
- Log into ArmyIgnitED and click Careerist Path.
- Click Create SF 182.
- Fill out the requested fields and click Next.
- Fill out your student information and click Next. You can download an instruction manual by clicking SF182 Instruction Manual.
- Fill out the training information and click Next.
- Fill out your Training Funding and Costs information then click Next.
- Review your SF-182 Summary and click on a prior step to update any incorrect information by clicking the icon associated with each section of your application.
- Click View Continued Service Agreement then click the checkbox next to the agreement statement.
- Click Submit for Approval.
- Your SF 182 will be reviewed for final approval and funding
- Your SF 182 will be reviewed by your Immediate Supervisor. Once reviewed, you will receive a notification via email and ArmyIgnitED messages. For a rejected SF 182, you may be asked to correct your SF 182 and re-submit.
- Next, your SF 182 will be submitted to your Career Program Manager for approval. Once reviewed, you will receive a notification via email and ArmyIgnitED messages. For a rejected SD 182, you may be asked to correct your SF 182 and re-submit.
- Next, your SF 182 will be submitted to your HQ ACCMA for approval. Once reviewed, you will receive a notification via email and ArmyIgnitED messages.
Benefits Summary
Below is a snapshot of what Marine Corps Tuition Assistance will cover. To determine your eligibility for this benefit, you may review the information at U.S. Marine Corps Tuition Assistance, or contact your Education Office directly.
- Must be on Active Duty or “Activated Reservist” status to be eligible. Marines in an awaiting training (MAT) status are eligible as well.
- May cover up to $250 per credit hour.
- Fiscal year cap of $4,500.
- Maximum of 18 credit hours may be covered per fiscal year.
- TA cannot be approved for more than two TA-funded classes simultaneously.
- TA request timeframe:
- Start: 60 days before term starts
- End: 1 day before term starts
What You Need to Know
If you have not used Marine Corps Tuition Assistance before, your first step is to contact your Education Office for assistance with getting started. You will need to make sure your TA account through your Education Office is updated with the degree you will be pursuing at Liberty University and you are aware of all of the Marine Corps’ requirements and regulations for using military TA.
We’ve outlined a few items below we want you to be aware of as you utilize your Tuition Assistance at Liberty University:
- The Marine Corps requires you to request TA within the 60 days prior to the start date of the course. Funding requests cannot be approved on or after the course start date.
- You will manually enter the course information on your TA request. Make sure you have all the correct information before you submit your request. The information needed includes:
- The course subject code and number (ex: ENGL 100)
- The course title (ex: Basic Composition)
- The course dates (ex: Spring B term, 1/13/20 – 3/6/20)
- The number of credit hours (semester hours)
- Your TA authorization must be signed by you and your Education Office in order for us to process the form.
- Once your TA has been approved by the Marine Corps, you must submit the signed authorization form directly in your Student Checklist. Please be sure you submit this form by the TA form deadline associated with your term of enrollment. **The last four digits of your social security number may be visible on your TA form. You may black out this information and replace it with your Liberty ID before you submit your form to us.
- We will automatically submit your grades to the military for TA courses within 30 days of the course end date. However, it is your responsibility to make sure this information is received. Please let us know if you have any concerns about your grades being submitted on time.
Benefit Summary
Below is a snapshot of what My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Tuition Assistance will cover for eligible military spouses. Please review the MyCAA website to determine your eligibility, and contact a MyCAA Counselor directly at (800) 342-9647.
- Spouses of Active Duty or activated National Guard/Reserve members (pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2) in the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Navy may qualify. The Coast Guard does not participate in the program at this time.
- Must be seeking an Associate’s degree, certification, or licensure to qualify
- May pay $2000 per year, up to $4,000 total
- MyCAA does not cover any fees (ex: class fees, books, etc…).
- TA request timeframe
- Start: 60 days before term starts
- End: 1 day before term starts
What You Need to Know
If you have not used MyCAA Tuition Assistance before, your first step is to contact a MyCAA Counselor at (800) 342-9647 for assistance with getting started. You will need to make sure your MyCAA account is up-to-date and that you are aware of all the requirements and regulations for you to use MyCAA funding.
We’ve outlined a few items below we want you to be aware of as you utilize your Tuition Assistance at Liberty University:
- MyCAA will only cover an Associate’s degree, certificate, or licensure program that expands employment and career opportunities (excluding General Studies, Liberal Arts, and Interdisciplinary Studies that do not have a concentration). If you would like to speak with a MyCAA counselor regarding their eligibility requirements, you may call (800) 324-9647.
- MyCAA requests must be submitted and approved by MyCAA between 1 and 60 days prior to the start date of the course. Funding requests cannot be approved outside of this window of time.
- You will manually enter the course information on your funding request. Make sure you have all the correct information before you submit your request. The information needed includes:
- The course subject code and number (ex: ENGL 100)
- The course title (ex: Basic Composition)
- The course dates (ex: Summer B term, 5/11/20 – 7/3/20)
- The cost per course (ex: undergraduate cost is $250 per credit hour)
- MyCAA requires all students submit an Education and Training Plan prior to any MyCAA funds being approved for courses. Please email LUMilitary@liberty.edu to request a personalized Education and Training plan. Read more about Education and Training Plans below.
- The GI Bill® (all chapters including Ch. 33 and 35), most outside scholarships, and MyCAA funding are not refundable to the student and therefore may need to be adjusted based on your eligibility. If a student is planning on using a combination of these benefits within the same semester, please email LUMilitary@liberty.edu to verify if these types of aid can be combined.
- We will automatically submit your grades to MyCAA within 30 days of the course end date. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that MyCAA receives this information. Please let us know if you have any concerns about your grades being submitted on time.
What is an Education and Training Plan (ETP)?
Prior to requesting MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA), military spouses are required to work with their school to develop an Education and Training Plan. Before any funding can be approved by MyCAA, this plan must be uploaded by the spouse to their MyCAA Account for review and acceptance.
Your Education and Training Plan will include the following information:
- Student’s Name
- School’s contact information
- Degree Program and Level
- Detail of all required education
- Program Duration (estimated start and end date of program)
- Any transfer credit applied to the degree
- Estimated cost of program
Please email LUMilitary@liberty.edu to request a personalized Education and Training plan. Liberty University is unable to create official degree plan documentation until after you are officially accepted to your program. If you have any questions about what is next in the admissions process, you may call a(n):
-
- Online Admissions Counselor: (800) 424-9595
- Resident Admissions Counselor: (800) 543-5317
We are required to verify the cost of your attendance on your MyCAA Education and Training Plan. Because of this, if you are planning to utilize the discounted military tuition rate and other military benefits available for online military spouses (as defined by Liberty University), you will want to ensure your military documentation has been submitted and approved prior to requesting your Education and Training Plan. If you have any questions about what is needed, you may contact us for more information.
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 Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Benefit Summary
Below is a snapshot of what Navy Tuition Assistance will cover. To determine your eligibility for this benefit, you may review the information on the U.S. Navy College website, or contact your Education Office directly.
- Must be on Active Duty or “Activated Reserve” status
- May cover up to $250 per credit hour
- Fiscal year cap of $4,500, or 18 credit hours (Effective Oct 1, 2021)
- Must have 3 years minimum service to be eligible (Effective Oct 1, 2021)
- TA request timeframe:
- Start: 120 days before term starts
- End: 7 days before term starts
What You Need to Know
If you have not used Navy Tuition Assistance (TA) before, your first step is to contact your Education Office for assistance with getting started. You will need to make sure your TA account through the Navy College is updated with the degree you will be pursuing at Liberty University and you are aware of all of the Navy’s requirements and regulations for using military TA.
We’ve outlined a few items below we want you to be aware of as you utilize your Tuition Assistance at Liberty University.
- The Navy requires you to request TA and receive approval within 120 and 7 days prior to the start date of the course. Funding requests cannot be approved on or after the course start date.
- You will manually enter the course information on your TA request. Make sure you have all the correct information before you submit your request. The information needed includes:
- The course subject code and number (ex: ENGL 100)
- The course title (ex: Basic Composition)
- The course dates (ex: Spring B term, 1/13/20 – 3/6/20)
- The number of credit hours (semester hours)
- Your TA authorization must be signed by you and your Education Office in order for us to process the form.
- Once your TA has been approved by the Navy, you must submit the signed authorization form directly in your Student Checklist. Please be sure you submit this form by the TA form deadline associated with your term of enrollment. **The last four digits of your social security number may be visible on your TA form. You may black out this information and replace it with your Liberty ID before you submit your form to us.
- Sailors can only use TA to fund two courses during each quarter of the fiscal year (Effective Oct 1, 2021)
- We will automatically submit your grades to the Navy College for TA courses within 30 days of the course end date. However, it is your responsibility to make sure the Navy receives this information. Please let us know if you have any concerns about your grades being submitted on time.
Benefit Summary
Military students serving in the Virginia Army or Air National Guard may be eligible to receive State Tuition Assistance. Please visit the Virginia National Guard website or contact Fort Barfoot directly to determine your eligibility.
- The Virginia National Guard will determine the amount of Tuition Assistance available each year. Tuition amounts and coverable fees are at the discretion of Fort Barfoot and are subject to change each year.
- Students must be part of the Virginia Army or Air National Guard to be eligible.
What You Need to Know
Your first step is to contact Fort Barfoot for assistance with getting started. You will need to make sure you are aware of all requirements and regulations for using State Tuition Assistance. You can visit the Virginia National Guard website to get started.
We’ve outlined a few items below we want you to be aware of as you utilize your State Tuition Assistance at Liberty University:
- State TA is paid to the student directly by the Virginia National Guard as a reimbursement after the end of the semester.
- The deadlines to request State TA for each semester are determined by the Virginia National Guard and are listed below. You may Request State TA only during active application periods. State TA availability is subject to change.
- Request window for Fall semester: May 15th – July 1st
- Request window for Spring semester: September 15th – November 1st
- Request window for Summer semester: February 15th – April 1st
- After your request has been submitted to the Virginia National Guard, you will receive a Reimbursement Request Registration Package. Submit a copy of this document via email to LUMilitary@liberty.edu or via fax to (434) 455-1287 to notify the Office of Military Affairs that you have applied for State TA reimbursement.
- Once the Office of Military Affairs receives and processes this documentation, students will be notified by email and will be given the State TA deferred payment plan option in Financial Check-in.
- Within 30 days after the semester ends, you will be required to submit a signed promissory note, a tuition bill and a final grade report to the Virginia National Guard. For further information regarding these document requirements, please reference your Reimbursement Request Registration Package or contact the Virginia National Guard.
State TA Deferred Payment Plan
Liberty University offers a deferred payment plan option for online and residential students utilizing the State TA reimbursement program through the Virginia National Guard. This payment plan option will allow you to make a 1% payment upfront with the remaining 99% being drafted in one payment 60 days after the end of the semester. In order to receive this payment plan option, you must submit your Reimbursement Request Registration Package to the Office of Military Affairs. Once the Office of Military Affairs receives and processes this paperwork, you will be notified via email and will be given the State TA deferred payment plan option in Financial Check-in once enrolled in courses.
Please note: The State TA deferred payment plan agreement completed through Financial Check-In is a binding contract. Payment will be drafted on the date(s) specified in the plan regardless of whether payment has been issued to the student from the Virginia National Guard. If you do not receive a payment as expected and need adjustments made to your draft amounts, you may contact our office to discuss your options.
Tuition Assistance Policies
Click below to learn more about various Tuition Assistance policies and procedures.
Class Fees
Course Dates
Degree Completion Plans
Financial Check-In
GI Bill® Benefits and Tuition Assistance
Grades
TA Form Deadline
TA Refunds
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 Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.