Financial assistance for education

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AFB, Alaska --  Each year, the General Henry H. Arnold Grant awards $2,000 to the families of active duty, retired, Title Ten Air National Guard and deceased military members. This is only one of a dozen programs available to family members seeking to further their education.

"The purpose of these programs is to try to open opportunities to military family members to be able to have the chance to further their education by eliminating financial burden," said Don Murray, a community readiness technician from the 354th Force Support Squadron's Airman and Family Readiness Center.

Applications may be submitted starting in November and ending March 12, 2010. No extensions are granted so it is very important that the form is completed correctly and received on time, otherwise the application will be dismissed by the grant committee who approve all applicants.

Mr. Murray suggested that in order to make sure the forms are received by the deadline people should mail their forms early. After the final decision is made, the applicants will be notified of their selection in June 2010.

Before applying, the applicant must have the school of their choice pre-selected. There are no restrictions as to which institutions may be attended to receive the grant, but if the student changes schools, the application will have to be re-evaluated. When the money is sent to the chosen institution the amount is determined by the number of terms.

For example, if awarded a $2,000 grant, $1,000 would be sent approximately in August and the remaining amount would be sent to the school in December, said Murray.

To be considered for the General Henry H. Arnold grant the minimum grade point average is a 2.0 and if the classes are being applied to a master's degree the minimum GPA is 3.0.

There are also two other main financial help options provided to service members and their families. My Career Advancement Account is a Department of Defense program that gives $6,000 to spouses looking for a certificate, license or basic education degree plan. Spouses' Tuition Assistance Program is another. It and General Harry H. Arnold Grant are both Air Force Aid Society programs.

Through STAP, AF aid will pay $1,500 or 50 percent of the cost per year for those authorized to use the program. For instance, a recipient taking three or four classes with five terms a year would receive $300 a term, and for two terms a year they would receive $750 a term.

If the candidate is accepted for MyCAA and they also have STAP, MyCAA must be used first. If the awarded $6,000 from MyCAA is depleted, then the money from STAP will come into use. For example, for a four year degree program, the student might get through the first two-thirds of their program. After that, STAP can be used to get the student through the rest, explained Murray. STAP will not pay for classes towards earning a doctorate.

It is a common misconception that only lower ranked enlisted members are able to apply for financial assistance, said Trish Ward, an education specialist from the 354th Force Support Squadron's Education Center. This is not true because last year Eielson Air Force Base applied for seven grants and received four. Those awarded were both officers and enlisted members, which demonstrates, the grant is not confined to one rank structure, it is based on financial standings.

Mrs. Ward said, "Before people listen to the rumors, they need to make sure they talk to someone from the education office and get clarification so they do not miss out on possible benefits."

For more information on these programs, visit the Air Force Aid Society website at www.afas.org or contact the base education office at 377-5106.