Why did the TA get changed for a Master Degree, especially when each school level will not depend on you?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:48:45 -0400

This was the last message from GoArmyEd.
“Effective 5 August 2018, Soldiers must meet specific military education and training requirements to receive tuition assistance (TA). According to your Army personnel record you do not currently meet one of the following TA eligibility requirements: enlisted Soldiers must have completed Advanced Leaders Course; warrant officers must have completed the Warrant Officer Advanced Course; and commissioned officers must be graduates of the Captain Career Course. Please contact your Personnel Administration Center (PAC)/S1/BCT, or Unit Administrator, as appropriate, if you believe this hold is in error”

In my case is been a year since BLC and is more people that got a lot of time waiting on slot for ALC. Even if I change from green to gold I’ll have to wait too.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2019 8:56 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:56:34 -0400

To save money and help retention.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2019 9:47 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:47:25 -0400

Needs and wants. You might want to pursue a Masters as an E5 without having all the newly mandated Army education under your belt. However, the Army doesn’t need Junior NCOs with higher civilian education.

The needs of the Army just about always win over the wants of the Soldier.

Best of luck.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2019 10:10 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 22:10:22 -0400

Having Soldiers at lower ranks gain higher and higher levels of civilian education on the Army's dime makes it harder to keep them. Once they are higher rank, they are more committed (and making more money), so they are more likely to use that higher education at the benefit of the Army, as opposed to getting out and getting a higher paying job in the civilian sector. Studies have been done on this to prove it so the military is just trying to regulate it better without getting rid of the incentive.

Response by SGT Terrell Houston made Mar 20 at 2019 11:36 PM

SGT Terrell Houston — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 23:36:21 -0400

Yea I thought about obtaining another Masters at some point but I was having issues. So here I sit, an E-5 Sgt with an MBA and working on a Doctorate.

Response by SFC Jeff Kinsley made Mar 21 at 2019 6:17 AM

SFC Jeff Kinsley — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 06:17:06 -0400

This is what I believe helped make the change. So many Soldiers used FTA, which is fine, to get their degree but the problem consists of this. I was a Readiness NCO and I had a couple of soldiers that abused it by getting into trouble which would have stopped their eligibility to get FTA and we’re supposed to pay it back. That was good to make them but it’s was hard to get the money back. Also the ARMY spent a lot of money to Soldiers that just got it and hit out of the Army, which is a waste of money to the Army because they got nothing back from it. The ARMY requires a least a 6 year obligation but the TA and now FTA requires a commitment that’s all

Response by SSG(P) Dan Keene made Mar 21 at 2019 9:29 PM

SSG(P) Dan Keene — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 21:29:29 -0400

I thought they cut it out all together. Maybe they brought it back with new restrictions.