Changes to voluntary education programs for FY15

  • Published
  • By Airman Cory W. Bush
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Incirlik Air Base, Turkey --  Airmen at Incirlik who want to take advantage of military assistance programs for voluntary education in the coming academic year will experience several changes that began Oct. 1.

Air Force Credentialing Opportunities Online, or AF COOL, will take the place of the military tuition assistance, or MilTA, certification program for enlisted and total-force Airmen seeking education and certifications.

"Education is what keeps our Airmen and our Air Force at the leading edge of change," said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody. "This is a valuable benefit that Airmen have a responsibility to manage, whether it's keeping their grade point average up or meeting all the deadlines for applications."

Airmen who are currently enrolled in a certification program funded through MilTA will have one year to complete their program. Enlisted Airmen submitting new applications through AF COOL will be able to apply for certifications based on their duty Air Force specialty code, with a lifetime cap of $4,500. Senior NCOs are also eligible for leadership and management credentialing programs within the lifetime cap. Funding for the program is currently scheduled to begin in January 2015. However, the website is now fully functional as of Oct. 1.

"The AF COOL program is a great opportunity for members who have certifications in their current Air Force specialty code and they want to keep them current," said Evans Ramsey, 39th Force Support Squadron chief of education and training. "Instead of a one-time use, members can now use the $4,500 for recertifications, applications and administrative fees, saving their GIBill."

This is effective with all term start dates on or after Oct. 1, 2014. If, after six semester hours at the graduate level or 15 semester hours at the undergraduate level, students cannot maintain the requisite GPA, they will no longer be eligible to receive MilTA until they have raised their GPA. In addition, the DOD instruction no longer allows for MilTA to pay for fees.

The new changes are good; you can't go wrong maintaining a high GPA and the new requirements will motivate Airmen to maintain and focus their efforts towards their school work, explained Ramsey.

Eligibility requirements for MilTA will remain the same, except for students with active suspenses such as incompletes or other pending reimbursement actions, will be ineligible until those suspenses are closed. Airmen who are approved to receive MilTA may still receive up to $4,500 per fiscal year and a maximum of $250 per semester hour, but will now have a cap of up to 124 semester hours allowed for undergraduate program and 42 semester hours for graduate level courses (some restrictions apply for the undergraduate and graduate caps). This change affects all current and future MilTA users.

The window for MilTA requests will be limited to no earlier than 45 and no later than seven days prior to the start of the academic term. Additionally, Airmen must obtain approval for their educational goals from their academic institution.

"We have the best educated enlisted force in the world thanks to education financial assistance programs like this," said Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Simpson, 39th Mission Support Group superintendent. "It's important for our Airmen to comprehend these new changes to MilTA and understand the new criteria in order to stay eligible."

(Information courtesy of the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Office)