Active Duty (DOD) Tuition Assistance

Information for Students

University of Colorado Colorado Springs follows all requirements of the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding.  Each individual military service branch manages military Tuition Assistance (TA) guidelines. Students wishing to use military TA should contact their military service first to determine both eligibility and availability of military TA funds.

2024-2025 DOD MOU Program Rates

Resources

• U.S. Army https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/Federal-Benefits/Tuition-Assistance-(TA)
• U.S. Navy https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/
• U.S. Air Force https://www.afpc.af.mil/benefits-and-entitlements/military-tuition-assistance-program/
• U.S. Marine Corps  http://www.usmc-mccs.org/services/education/voluntary-education/

**Once approved by your military service, please complete the Sponsor Billing Request form under the Student Financials menu in your student portal. This must be submitted every semester.**

Per DoD MOU, paragraph 4.d.(1), “If an eligible Service member decides to use Tuition Assistance (TA), educational institutions will enroll him or her only after the TA is approved by the individual’s Service.”  Service members can register for classes prior to securing military TA however they will be solely responsible for all tuition costs until their military services approves their request and the appropriate documents are submitted to the university.  The service member’s evaluated education plan approved for military TA will only cover $250 per credit hour for courses listed under the plan.

Tuition Assistance Caps

Each military branch has their own yearly caps and eligibility requirements. Please contact your branch directly for more information.

Army: $250 per credit hour, $4000 per fiscal year 

Air Force: $250 per credit hour, $4500 per fiscal year 

Navy: $250 per credit hour, $4500 per fiscal year

Marine Corps: $250 per credit hour, $4500 per fiscal year

Unearned TA policy

In accordance with DoDI 1322.25 (April 2, 2020), University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) will return any unearned TA program funds on a proportional basis through the 60 percent course completion period for which the TA funds were provided for. Unearned TA program funds will be returned directly to the military department, not the service member.

The University defines withdrawing as a termination of all your enrollment for the term and a drop is defined as the termination of enrollment in one specific course. If a student drops or withdraws from a TA funded course during the enrollment period, the following will occur:

• The student drops or withdraws from the TA funded course prior to the scheduled census date of the course the student will receive a 100% tuition refund (less any non-refundable fees) and 100% return of TA program funds to the government.
• Students that drop or withdraw from all classes on or after the first day of classes and before or on the census date of the course will have 100% of TA program funds returned to the government or course cost dropped to zero during the billing process. 
• The Return to TA Program Funds calculation will be performed on federal TA program funds that have been billed and paid by the military program for any course drop or withdraw after the scheduled census date for the course.  Approved courses that have been dropped prior to billing will be appropriately prorated during the billing process.

Return of TA Program Funds Calculation:

The government is entitled to a return of the amount of TA program funds up through the students 60% course completion. To calculate the amount of earned military TA, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs will divide the number of calendar days the student attended classes by the total number of calendar days in the semester (scheduled breaks of 5 days or more will be deducted out of the equation). The resulting percentage is then multiplied by the total amount of military TA funds that were approved by the military service prior to the beginning of the term.  The result of this calculation determines the amount of military TA earned by the student.  Any amount exceeding the earned calculation amount must be returned to the military service.  3^rd Party Billing office will notify and instruct any students who owe money because the university has returned the appropriate amount to the military service.  Funds returned to the military service may result in a balance on your account, which you are then responsible for paying in accordance with the UCCS refund policy.

Schedule of Return

16 week semester/118 days

Day                       % of TA to Return

1-18                     100% return (census period)

19                         44%      return

20                         43%      return

21                         42%      return

22                         41%      return

23                         41%      return

24                         40%      return

25                         39%      return

26                         38%      return

27                         37%      return

28                         36%      return

29                         35%      return

30                         35%      return

31                         34%      return

32                         33%      return

33                         32%      return

34                         31%      return

35                         30%      return

36                         29%      return

37                         29%      return

38                         28%      return

39                         27%      return

40                         26%      return

41                         25%      return

42                         24%      return

43                         24%      return

44                         23%      return

45                         22%      return

46                         21%      return

47                         20%      return

48                         19%      return

49                         18%      return

50                         18%      return

51                         17%      return

52                         16%      return

53                         15%      return

54                         14%      return

55                         13%      return

56                         13%      return

57                         12%      return

58                         11%      return

59                         10%      return

60                         9%         return

61                         8%         return

62                         7%         return

63                         7%         return

64                         6%         return

65                         5%         return

66                         4%         return

67                         3%         return

68                         2%         return

69                         2%         return

70                         1%         return (60% course completed at day 70.8)

71-118 0%         return (more than 60% of the course is completed)

•8 week semester/54 days

Day                       % of TA to Return

1-7                        100% return (census period)

8                            45%      return

9                            43%      return

10                         41%      return

11                         40%      return

12                         38%      return

13                         36%      return

14                         34%      return

15                         32%      return

16                         30%      return

17                         29%      return

18                         27%      return

19                         25%      return

20                         23%      return

21                         21%      return

22                         19%      return

23                         17%      return

24                         16%      return

25                         14%      return

26                         12%      return

27                         10%      return

28                         8%         return

29                         6%         return

30                         4%         return

31                         3%         return

32                         1%         return (60% course completion at day 32.4)

33-54    0%         return

For additional assistance regarding 3^rd Party sponsored student billing please contact 3^rd Party Billing at 719-255-3423 or via email tuitasst@uccs.edu.