VI - 99.08

UMB Policy Requiring Service Branch Approval for Military Service Student Tuition Assistance

Administration   |   Approved January 25, 2023

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Responsible VP/AVP

Susan C. Buskirk, DM, MS

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Purpose

UMB complies with the Department of Defense (DoD) requires military service members to obtain approval from the individual’s Service Branch prior to enrollment if using Tuition Assistance in the DoD Memorandum of Understanding paragraph 4.d.(1).  Approved December 24, 2019.

Policy Statement

UMB requires eligible Military Service Members to obtain approval from the Individual’s Service Branch for Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance prior to enrollment.  This includes banning   high-pressure recruitment tactics such as multiple unsolicited contacts (3 or more), including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, and engaging in same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing Service member enrollments.

To obtain approval, Military Service Members must meet the qualifications and apply through the Military Service Member’s branch of service. Access to the qualification and application processes for each branch of service is maintained by the Department of Defense’s Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) found at https://www.dantes.doded.mil/FinancialAid/MilitaryTuitionAssistance.html.

Military Service Members using Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance may be liable for a portion of their tuition should they withdraw from a course prior to completing sixty (60%) of the course.

Reserve Component Service Members may be authorized to receive both Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance and Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve Education Benefit (MGIB-SR) benefits concurrently when enrolled in a program of education that is half-time or more.

Definitions

Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance: Financial assistance to Service members for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of professional and personal self-development goals. TA is available for courses that are offered in the classroom or by distance learning and are part of an approved academic degree or certificate program. The courses must be offered by schools that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and are signatories to the current DoD Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (DOD MOU).

Military Service Member: Active member of the “uniformed services,” consisting of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard), the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Services.

Reserve Component Service Members: Active member of the United States Armed Forces whose members generally perform a minimum of thirty-nine (39) days of military duty per year and who augment the active-duty military when necessary. The Reserve Components of the armed forces are: (1) The Army National Guard of the United States; (2) The Army Reserve; (3) The Navy Reserve; (4) The Marine Corps Reserve; (5) The Air National Guard of the United States; (6) The Air Force Reserve; and (7) The Coast Guard Reserve.

Scope and Exceptions

This policy applies to all Military Service Members and Reserve Component Service Members seeking to attend UMB using in whole or in part U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance.