R 112308Z SEP 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
MARADMIN 456/13
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MF(UC)/F002//
SUBJ/TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA) GUIDELINES UPDATE//
REF/A/MSGID:DOC/CMC MR/YMD:20100901//
REF/B/MSGID:DOC/CMC MM/YMD:20120614//
NARR/REF A IS MCO 1560.25, MARINE CORPS LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM (SHORT TITLE:  LL PROGRAM), REF B IS MCO P1400.32D CH2, MARINE CORPS PROMOTION MANUAL, VOLUME 2, ENLISTED PROMOTIONS (SHORT TITLE; MARCORPROMAN, VOL2, ENLPROM//
POC/SHAWN CONLON/CIV/UNIT:MFR/-/TEL:703-784-9550//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  IN CONJUNCTION WITH REF A, THIS MARADMIN PROVIDES ADDITIONAL TUITION ASSISTANCE UTILIZATION (TA) REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SAFEGUARDING OF FUNDS.  THE CONTENTS OF THIS MARADMIN WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE UPCOMING REVISION OF REF A.
2.  ADDITIONAL TA ELIBILITY CRITERIA.  TA IS DISCRETIONARY.  AN EDUCATION SERVICE OFFICER (ESO) AND EDUCATION SUPPORT PERSONNEL ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL INSTALLATIONS TO ASSIST MARINES IN DEVELOPING PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION PLANS AND TO MAKE INFORMED ACADEMIC INSTITUTION SELECTIONS THAT SUPPORT THEIR EDUCATION GOALS.  COMMAND APPROVAL OF TA IS CONTINGENT UPON THE COMMAND'S ANTICIPATED MISSION REQUIREMENTS.  MARINES SHALL MEET APPROPRIATE STANDARDS AND ELIGIBILITY CRITIERA, CONTAINED HEREIN AND REF A AND B, PRIOR TO AUTHORIZATION OF TA:
(A)  FIRST TIME ACTIVE DUTY TA APPLICANTS SHALL HAVE A MINIMUM TIME IN SERVICE OF 24 MONTHS.
(B)  ALL MARINES SHALL BE ELIGIBILE FOR PROMOTION PER REF B.
(C)  PRIOR TO TA APPROVAL, FIRST-TIME TA APPLICANTS SHALL COMPLETE THE MARINE CORPS INSTITUTE "LEADERSHIP" (COURSE ID 8012B) AND PERSONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (COURSE ID 3420F).
(D) TA SHALL BE AUTHORIZED FOR FIRST-TIME TA APPLICANTS FOR ONLY ONE COURSE, UNLESS DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED THAT THE MARINE HAS AT LEAST AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE OR AT LEAST SIXTY (60) ACADEMIC CREDITS AND A MINIMUM GPA OF 2.5.
(E) TA SHALL NOT BE AUTHORIZED FOR CLASSES THAT BEGIN PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF A PREVIOUSLY APPROVED COURSE.
(F)  TA FUNDS FOR APPROVED INVOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL WAIVERS AND FAILED COURSES WILL COUNT TOWARD THE INDIVIDUAL FISCAL YEAR CEILINGS.
(G)  TA SHALL BE AUTHORIZED FOR ONLY ONE COURSE IN THE SUCCEEDING ACADEMIC TERM IN THE EVENT THAT, (1) OVERALL GPA FALLS BELOW 2.5, (2) A "D" IS RECEIVED IN ANY COURSE DURING THE PREVIOUS TERM, OR (3) A VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL OCCURS FROM ANY COURSES THAT OCCURED DURING THE PREVIOUS TERM.
(H)  FIRST-TIME TA USERS WITH A GENERAL TECHNICAL SCORE OF LESS THAN 100 SHALL BE REQUIRED TO TAKE THE TEST OF ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AND EARN AN EXAMINATION SCORE OF AT LEAST 10.2.
(I) TA SHALL NOT BE APPROVED RETROACTIVELY.  TA APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED AND COMMAND APPROVED PRIOR TO THE REQUESTED COURSE START DATE.
(J) COURSE WORK WITH A START DATE BETWEEN 15 AND 30 SEPTEMBER MUST BE COMMAND APPROVED BY 12 SEPTEMBER 2014.
(K) CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS MUST BE ACCREDITED BY AN ACCREDITING BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, BE APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN'S ADMINISTRATION, AND HAVE A SIGNED DOD MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING IN ORDER TO RECEIVE TUITION ASSISTANCE.
(L) TA SHALL NOT BE AUTHORIZED FOR DUPLICATE DEGREES (E.G., SECOND ASSOCIATE DEGREE) OR DOUBLE MAJORS.
(M) OPEN ISSUES IN MARINE TA ACCOUNTS, INCLUDING INCOMPLETE COURSES, REIMBURSEMENT ISSUES, AND WAIVERS, MUST BE RESOLVED AND POSTED TO THE STUDENT RECORD PRIOR TO APPROVAL OF FUTURE TA REQUESTS.
(N) TA CANNOT BE UTILIZED FOR FEES RELATED TO CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSE EXAMS, OR CREDENTIALS.
(O)  IN ADDITION TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICERS IN REFERENCE A, RESERVE COMPONENT OFFICERS ON ACTIVE DUTY ORDERS/MOBILIZATION MUST HAVE AN END OF ACTIVE DUTY STATUS (EAS) DATE OF TWO YEARS BEYOND THE COMPLETION DATE OF THE REQUESTED CLASS IN ORDER TO BE APPROVED FOR TA.
(P)  ENLISTED MARINES MUST HAVE AN EAS OF 60 DAYS BEYOND THE COMPLETION DATE OF THE COURSE IN ORDER TO BE APPROVED FOR TA.
(Q) TA SHALL NOT BE AUTHORIZED FOR NON-CREDIT COURSES, TRAINING PROGRAMS OR PROGRAMS UNDER CONTINUING EDUCATION OR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.  MARINES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO UTILIZE TA FOR MOS REQUIRED TRAINING, AND MARINES SHALL NOT BE APPROVED FOR TA WHILE IN A TRAINING STATUS.
(R)  MARINES ATTENDING VOCATIONAL/TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS WITH MORE THAN ONE CLASS OR MODULE WILL ONLY BE APPROVED TA FOR TWO CLASSES OR MODULES AT A TIME.
3.  TA FUNDING MANAGEMENT.  AS OF 1 OCTOBER 2013, THE MARINE CORPS TA FUNDING BUDGET WILL BE DIVIDED INTO FISCAL QUARTERS.  ONCE QUARTERLY FUNDS ARE EXHAUSTED, TA APPROVALS WILL BE DEFERRED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.   WHEN TA FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, APPROVALS WILL BE CONTINGENT UPON THE MARINE MEETING ALL ELIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND WILL BE LIMITED TO CLASSES THAT BEGIN DURING THAT QUARTER.  FOR EXAMPLE, A CLASS THAT BEGINS ON 15 JANUARY 2014 WILL NOT BE APPROVED FOR TA UNTIL 1 JANUARY 2014 AND WILL BE FUNDED WITH AVAILABLE FY14 SECOND QUARTER FUNDS.  TA REQUESTS CAN ONLY BE SUBMITTED WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE START DATE OF THE CLASS.
4.  MARINES ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL APPROPRIATE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
(A) UNITED STATES MILITARY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
(B) COLLEGE LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM/DANTES SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TESTS/CREDIT-BY-EXAM AS APPROPRIATE.
(C) NO-COST FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) CLASSES AS FOUND AT HTTP:(SLASHSLASH)TRAINING.FEMA.GOV(SLASH)IS(SLASH)CRSLIST.ASP, AND HTTP:(SLASHSLASH)TRAINING.FEMA.GOV(SLASH)EMIWEB(SLASH)DOWNLOADS(SLASH)TRANRQUST1.PDF.
5.  MARINES ARE ENCOURAGED TO SELECT SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN: SERVICEMEMBERS OPPORTUNITY COLLEGES CONSORTIUM, DEGREE NETWORK SYSTEM, OR THE MARINE CORPS CAREER COLLEGE PROGRAM.  INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT HTTP:(SLASHSLASH)WWW.SOC.AASCU.ORG(SLASH)SOCMAR(SLASH)MCCCP.HTML.
6.  RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY BGEN R. A. SANBORN, DIRECTOR, MARINE AND FAMILY PROGRAMS DIVISION.//