Military Tuition Assistance 2026: what each branch pays
Jump to a section 9 sections
- Yearly limits differ by branch
- Your school’s price sets what is left to pay
- Apply in your branch’s portal, one course at a time
- What Tuition Assistance won’t pay for
- A failed or dropped course is paid back
- Officers owe more service time
- Pell and the GI Bill can pay the rest
- Frequently asked questions
- Your next step: check your branch, then the gap
As of October 2026, Military Tuition Assistance pays up to $250 a semester hour in all six services, but the yearly limits differ by branch. 5 services cap it at $4,500 a fiscal year, and the Navy’s public pages state a credit limit but no dollar figure.
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See what Tuition Assistance pays for your branch, credits and school
About a minute, no name, email or phone. Pick your branch and credits, add your school's price if you know it, and see what it pays a year and what's left.
Check my Tuition AssistanceThe service pays your school directly, for tuition (the Marine Corps also covers some tuition fees), while you serve. Source · NAVMC 1560.25
If you don’t want to take out a loan to cover what is left, Pell and the GI Bill can pay tuition Tuition Assistance doesn’t. Source · DoDI 1322.25
The rate and caps are reviewed every year, and fiscal year 2027 began October 1, 2026. The limits below are the service policies we read on October 10, 2026. Our financial aid guides cover the GI Bill and Pell side.
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Yearly limits differ by branch
The rate a semester hour is the same everywhere. What changes is how much a year you can use and how many credits a career. Only the Army and Navy state a credits-a-year limit; the other four services’ pages state none, which is not the same as having no limit.
| Branch | A fiscal year | Credits a year | Lifetime semester hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | $4,500 | 18 | 130 undergraduate, 39 graduate |
| Navy | Not published | 18 | 120 in a career |
| Air Force | $4,500 | None stated | 124 undergraduate, 42 graduate |
| Space Force | $4,500 | None stated | 124 undergraduate, 42 graduate |
| Marine Corps | $4,500 | None stated | 138 undergraduate, 45 graduate |
| Coast Guard | $4,500 | None stated | Lifted (FY26 policy) |
The Navy’s instruction leaves the yearly dollar ceiling to the Navy College and MyNavy Education sites, and those state only the 18-credit limit. Ask your Navy College office for the dollar figure. Source · OPNAVINST 1560.9B
The Army’s figures come from ALARACT 102/2025, effective November 6, 2025, which expires November 13, 2026; the Army says further policy changes will appear in an AR 621-5 update. Source · ALARACT 102/2025
The Coast Guard’s are its FY26 policy, written “contingent upon expected FY2026 funding levels.” Source · ALCOAST 390/25
DoD funds “graduate studies through the master’s degree level.” Source · DoDI 1322.25 Your education center has the final word on this year’s figures.
Your school’s price sets what is left to pay
Tuition Assistance pays the school’s tuition up to the rate a credit, and DoD calls it “tuition-restricted.” Source · DoDI 1322.25
When a school’s tuition is above the rate, the Army “will only pay the per semester hour limit,” and it pays no fees. Source · MyArmyBenefits, Tuition Assistance
Hypothetical example: say your school charges $350 a credit, above the $250 rate. The table uses the same math as our Military Benefits Check, with each branch’s credit limit and yearly cap applied.
| Branch and plan | Tuition Assistance | Tuition | Left to pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army, 12 credits | $3,000 | $4,200 | $1,200 |
| Army, 24 credits (18 funded) | $4,500 | $8,400 | $3,900 |
| Marine Corps, 24 credits | $4,500 | $8,400 | $3,900 |
| Navy, 24 credits (18 funded) | $4,500 | $8,400 | $3,900 |
At 12 credits the rate is the limit: $250 times 12 is $3,000, so $1,200 of $4,200 is yours to cover. At 24 credits the Army pays for 18 of them, and the Marine Corps hits its $4,500 cap. The Navy line is before its own dollar ceiling, which can lower it.
A price at or under the rate leaves no gap until you reach your branch’s yearly limit. Some schools set a military rate a credit; our profile of University of Maryland Global Campus shows its 2026-27 military rate, and our American Public University System profile shows its cost and outcomes.
Apply in your branch’s portal, one course at a time
You request Tuition Assistance for each course, before it starts, through your service’s own system. The four steps below sum up what the branch pages ask. The table gives each branch’s portal, first-time steps and window; not every branch’s page states every step.
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Pick a school that has signed the DoD MOU
Tuition Assistance pays only schools that have signed the DoD Voluntary Education Partnership MOU. Source · DoDI 1322.25
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Set your degree plan with your education center
The Army asks Soldiers to declare an educational goal and create an education plan first; the Navy and Coast Guard ask for a degree or education plan too. Source · MyArmyBenefits, Tuition Assistance Source · Navy College Program Source · ALCOAST 390/25
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Finish your branch's first-time steps
Training, a briefing or a career survey, depending on the branch (the “First time” column below).
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Request each course in time, then check the grade is reported
Use your branch’s window where it states one, and get command or supervisor approval before the class starts. Under the DoD MOU, schools must submit Tuition Assistance grades within 30 days of the course end date. Source · Navy College Program
| Branch | Request it in | First time | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | ArmyIgnitED | ArmyIgnitED training and a decision support tool (Career Path DECIDE) | No window stated; ask your Education Center. Every request needs supervisor or commander representative approval |
| Navy | MyNavy Education | Virtual Learning 101, and an education plan uploaded | Up to 120 days before the term; command approved no later than 7 days before |
| Air Force, Space Force | AFVEC | None stated beyond supervisor approval; ask your Education Center | Supervisor approval 45 to 7 calendar days before the course |
| Marine Corps | Your installation VolEd office | Personal financial management training, the TA Orientation Brief, Career Path Decide surveys and an academic readiness measure; without one, the ESO may fund one course a term until 10 semester hours are passed | No more than 60 days before; command approved no later than 24 hours before |
| Coast Guard | Your ESO, then ETQC | Certificate students: a certificate plan before the first course. Degree students: an evaluated degree plan before the second (your ESO validates it) | Received by ETQC up to 90 and no less than 7 days before the class |
Army: ArmyIgnitED training and the decision support tool come before the first request, and since March 19, 2026 every request needs supervisor or commander representative approval. Source · MyArmyBenefits, Tuition Assistance
Navy: Sailors complete Virtual Learning 101 and upload an education plan in MyNavy Education. Source · Navy College Program
Marine Corps: requests “cannot be authorized retroactively,” and a first-time Marine who doesn’t meet a readiness measure can be funded for one course a term until 10 semester hours are complete. Source · NAVMC 1560.25
Coast Guard: “ESOs must validate all degree plans before approving the TA application.” Source · ALCOAST 390/25
Air Force and Space Force: one Department of the Air Force program covers active-duty Airmen and Guardians, with the same AFVEC window. Source · My Air Force Benefits, MilTA
What Tuition Assistance won’t pay for
- Doctorates. DoD stops at the master’s degree level. The Navy also excludes post-baccalaureate professional degrees, and the Coast Guard names the JD. Source · Navy College Program Source · ALCOAST 390/25
- Fees, books and materials in the Army, Navy and Coast Guard. The Army applies none to fees, the Navy covers no books, materials or school fees, and the Coast Guard pays no “course fees beyond tuition expenses.” Source · MyArmyBenefits, Tuition Assistance Source · ALCOAST 390/25
- Some Marine Corps fees are the exception. Marine Corps Tuition Assistance can cover lab, technology and distance learning fees within the caps, but not books, room, board or exams. Source · NAVMC 1560.25
- A course another federal benefit already pays. DoD won’t authorize Tuition Assistance for a course the GI Bill or a Service-funded program pays when that would duplicate benefits. Federal student aid doesn’t count as a duplicate. Source · DoDI 1322.25
- Repeats. The Navy doesn’t fund retakes of the same course. Source · Navy College Program
A failed or dropped course is paid back
DoD requires you to repay Tuition Assistance when you don’t complete a course successfully: “a grade of ‘C’ or higher for undergraduate courses, a ‘B’ or higher for graduate courses, and a ‘Pass’ for ‘Pass/Fail’ grades.” Source · DoDI 1322.25
An incomplete counts too, if you don’t make it up within the school’s time limit or 6 months after the class, whichever comes first.
Keep a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher after 15 undergraduate semester hours, or 3.0 after 6 graduate hours. Below that, Tuition Assistance stops and you pay with other funds, such as financial aid, until you raise it. Source · DoDI 1322.25
Each branch adds its own rules for drops, waivers and retakes.
| Branch | If you fail, drop or leave |
|---|---|
| Army | Two recoupments in one fiscal year suspend Tuition Assistance and Credentialing Assistance for 12 months (start dates on or after March 19, 2026). You can appeal in ArmyIgnitED. |
| Navy | A voluntary withdrawal after the add/drop period is repaid; a waiver can be asked for operational commitments, temporary assigned duty, or emergency or medical leave. Officers who voluntarily separate, resign or retire before finishing their service obligation repay 100% for those courses. |
| Marine Corps | An involuntary withdrawal for duty, medical, or personal or family emergency reasons can be waived, but the waived funds still count toward your fiscal year ceiling. |
| Coast Guard | One retake is allowed once you have repaid in full. Tell your ESO and ETQC if a class is canceled or dropped, or you withdraw. |
| Air Force, Space Force | No branch rule beyond DoD's in the pages we read; ask your Education Center. |
Army and Navy rules: Source · MyArmyBenefits, Tuition Assistance Source · Navy College Program
Marine Corps and Coast Guard rules: Source · NAVMC 1560.25 Source · ALCOAST 390/25
Officers owe more service time
Officers who use Tuition Assistance agree to serve for a set time after the courses it pays for. Enlisted rules differ by service.
| Branch | What you agree to |
|---|---|
| Army | Active Duty officers owe 2 years of active service; Reserve Component officers owe 4 years. |
| Navy | Active Duty officers stay on active duty 2 years after the last TA course. Officers qualify at promotion to lieutenant, or on commissioning with 8 or more years of prior enlisted service. |
| Air Force | Active Duty officers owe a 2-year commitment; Reserve Component officers 2 years of active duty or a 4-year Reserve commitment. |
| Space Force | Department of the Air Force MilTA rules apply: Active Duty officers owe a 2-year commitment. |
| Marine Corps | Commissioned officers serve 24 months after the last TA course; enlisted Marines 60 days. |
| Coast Guard | Active Duty officers owe 2 years after the course; Selected Reserve officers 4 years; enlisted members owe none but must finish the class before their enlistment ends. |
Under DoD’s rule, an officer who doesn’t fulfill the obligation is “subject to the repayment provisions” of title 37 of the U.S. Code. Source · DoDI 1322.25
Pell and the GI Bill can pay the rest
Tuition Assistance goes on your school account before any Pell Grant. Pell is not tuition-restricted, so it can then pay other charges on your bill. Source · DoDI 1322.25 Our guide to the GI Bill and Pell together shows how the two add up.
With the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty, VA’s Top-Up pays the difference between the course cost and Tuition Assistance, and it uses your Montgomery GI Bill entitlement.
DoD and Top-Up together “can never be more than the total cost of the course.” Source · VA, Tuition Assistance Top-Up
DoD also lets the Post-9/11 GI Bill cover tuition Tuition Assistance doesn’t. Ask VA and your school’s certifying official how they would pay it before you count on it. After you separate, the GI Bill 2026 guide covers what each chapter pays.
If you have GI Bill entitlement, the GI Bill Calculator shows every chapter at the October 2026 VA rates, with the Yellow Ribbon schools, for the program you pick.
Military spouses use a different program: the SpouseWorks Scholarship, formerly MyCAA, pays up to $4,000 toward a license, certification or associate degree. Source · Military OneSource, SpouseWorks
Frequently asked questions
How much does Tuition Assistance pay a year in 2026?
Up to $4,500 a fiscal year in the Army, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, at up to $250 a semester hour. The Navy’s public pages state an 18-credit yearly limit but no dollar figure, so ask your Navy College office.
Does Tuition Assistance pay for a master’s degree?
Yes. DoD funds graduate study through the master’s degree level. The Navy doesn’t fund doctoral or post-baccalaureate professional degrees, and the Coast Guard pays for a first master’s degree, not a JD or doctorate.
Does Tuition Assistance use up my GI Bill?
Your service pays Tuition Assistance; it is not paid from your GI Bill. The Air Force says using it “will not have any effect on the availability of Post-9/11 GI Bill funds.” Top-Up is different: it pays from your Montgomery GI Bill, and VA charges your entitlement for it.
Do I have to use Tuition Assistance before the GI Bill?
No DoD or service rule we read says so. DoD sets an order only between Tuition Assistance and Pell, and it lets active duty members eligible for Top-Up use the Montgomery or Post-9/11 GI Bill with Tuition Assistance for course costs above it. Source · DoDI 1322.25
Reserve members with Post-9/11 entitlement can use both, but VA pays only the tuition Tuition Assistance doesn’t, and together they never pass 100% of tuition.
Can Guard and Reserve members use it?
It depends on your branch and your orders. Army Guard and Reserve Soldiers on active duty and TPU Soldiers can use it; Navy TAR and Selected Reserve members only when ordered to extended active duty. Your education center confirms what applies to you.
Your next step: check your branch, then the gap
The Military Benefits Check shows what Tuition Assistance pays a year for your branch, credits and school price, and what is left. It shows the result before any name, email or phone.
If tuition is left, the aid check estimates your Pell under the rules for the year you start (2026-27 or 2027-28). Pell goes on your bill after Tuition Assistance.
With GI Bill entitlement, run the GI Bill Calculator for your school as well, then ask your certifying official how it would pay alongside Tuition Assistance.
Tuition left after Tuition Assistance? See what Pell could add
About two minutes, no name or email to see your result. It uses the rules for the year you start (2026-27 or 2027-28). Your school sets the final amount.
Check my aidWant your Pell lines by email? Go to the quick check
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- DoD Instruction 1322.25, Voluntary Education Programs (Change 4, 2020)
- Army ALARACT 102/2025: Tuition Assistance cap and semester hour changes
- MyArmyBenefits, Tuition Assistance, Regular Army (reviewed June 26, 2026)
- ArmyIgnitED
- Navy College Program, Tuition Assistance and NCPACE
- OPNAVINST 1560.9B, Navy Voluntary Education (Dec. 28, 2023)
- My Air Force Benefits, Military Tuition Assistance, Regular Air Force (reviewed June 18, 2026)
- U.S. Space Force, Enlisted education
- NAVMC 1560.25, Marine Corps Guidelines for Tuition Assistance (Nov. 5, 2024)
- Coast Guard ALCOAST 390/25, FY26 Tuition Assistance policy
- U.S. Air Force, Education benefits
- VA, Tuition Assistance Top-Up (updated Sept. 3, 2025)
- Military OneSource, SpouseWorks Scholarship
Related Resources
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