The Marine Corps tuition assistance program, which has twice been suspended due to sequestration cuts and the government shutdown, is facing additional restrictions.
A recent Corps announcement made clear fewer Marines will be eligible for TA.
Applicants will no longer be considered for tuition assistance funds if they are in their first two years of service, are ineligible for promotion or if they have yet to complete certain military training courses.
The reason for the new limits? In a word, funding. Lead education specialist at Naval Base Hawaii, Craig Lockwood, said earlier this summer:
“The major challenge is having less money. I have been here for seven years and we never had a cap on spending. Now every base has a cap, and each base has to stay under that cap. Now more then ever, Marines need to be very serious with their education.”
However, it's not just a decline in funding that prompted the new restrictions, according to a statement by Marine and Family Programs Division spokesman Shawn Conlon. The increasing number of Marines taking advantage of tuition assistance also played a part.
“These eligibility changes may impact TA spending, but were not implemented solely as a budget reduction technique.”
