Active duty service members and National Guard
As an eligible member of the U.S. Armed Forces, you are able to take advantage of a program which allows you to have military pay to further your civilian education.
For all branches of service (Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard), you may receive:
- 100% tuition not to exceed $250 per semester credit hour, $166 per quarter credit hour, or $4500 per fiscal year
For this program the service member should coordinate with education advisors, Education Service Officers (ESOs) or installation commanders to ensure that they are eligible to receive Tuition Assistance.
Service members using tuition assistance must apply through the AI Portal and then apply again through the UAF Admissions application.
To use TA, you should:
- Register for classes at UAonline and
- Request TA through ArmyIgnitED.
You must register your classes in ArmyIgnitED before classes begin. If you have any problems setting up or registering for classes with ArmyIgnitED, please visit UAF’s Education Center on Ft. Wainwright.
Service members using tuition assistance should talk to their supervisors to fill out any necessary paperwork before applying through the UAF Admissions Application.
Service members using tuition assistance should talk to their supervisors to fill out any necessary paperwork before applying through the UAF Admissions Application.
If you are a member of the United States Armed Forces and are scheduled to deploy, please make sure you take the appropriate steps to either drop your classes or arrange to finish them by distance delivery.
Follow there instructions to drop your classes before the scheduled 100% refund date:
- Log onto UAOnline
- Select the "Student Services & Account Information" tab
- Click on "Registration"
- Then click "Register/add/drop classes".
If you need assistance with this process or need to withdraw after the 100% refund date, you should contact the Office of the Registrar.
If you are already taking a class when you get your orders, the instructor can help you decide whether it is better to withdraw from the course, continue the course via distance delivery, complete the course at an accelerated pace before you leave, or take an incomplete in the course and finish it upon your return.
If you are trying to plan for new classes to take during a deployment or trying to get one term of classes done before you deploy, your advisor can help you determine which courses, and how many of them would be a good fit. If you are not sure who your advisor is, you may contact the Academic Advising Center or Scott Culberston, Academic Advisor at the UAF Community and Technical College.
Finally, consider the limitations of your deployment location and mission. Some students may find they are able to get more course work done when they are deployed while others may not. You may experience poor internet connections that affect your course work and long workdays that may limit the amount of time you have for school.
It is difficult to know exactly how much time you will have or how reliable your computer access will be, but talking to other troops about their experience may be very helpful. Always ask troops returning from deployments to explain what experiences were like in certain locations.
- Inform your instructors. If possible, make a copy of your orders for your instructors.
- Inform your advisor and/or academic department. Ask if they require any leave-of-absence paperwork.
- If you qualify for financial aid, check with the Financial Aid Office to see how stopping your classes will affect any funds you have received.
- Contact the Office of the Registrar if you choose to withdraw or take an incomplete for your courses AND complete the required paperwork.
- Contact your VA Coordinator with the Department of Veterans Affairs to see how stopping your classes will affect any VA benefits you receive.
- Check with the Office of the Registrar to see if you must reapply for admission to UAF.
- Have official transcripts for any college credits you earned from another school while deployed submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
- Contact your advisor and/or academic department to help determine which courses you need to register for to complete your program. Make sure to notify them of any additional college credits you may have received while deployed.
- If you plan to utilize financial aid, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form for the applicable academic year.
- Contact your VA Coordinator with the Department of Veterans Affairs to find out how to reactivate your military benefits.
There are two types of Tuition Assistance (TA): federal and state. The Alaska Army National Guard and the Alaska Air National Guard have different requirements and processes.
Active members of the Alaska Army National Guard can take advantage of both federal and state Tuition Assistance (TA), which pays up to $250 per credit hour toward tuition (TA cannot pay for fees). In order to receive federal or state TA, you must remain in good standing in the Alaska National Guard and follow these steps:
You should work with an academic advisor and refer to Degree Works to confirm that classes are required for your program.
Useful links:
- Course Schedule
- Course Catalog
* Register for classes as early as possible.
You must register your classes in ArmyIgnitED before classes begin. If you have any problems setting up your ArmyIgnitED account or registering your classes, please visit your Post Education Center or contact the DMVS at uaf-veterans@alaska.edu or 907-474-7400.
Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers must apply to use federal TA first, in order to be eligible to apply for state TA. Apply for state TA with your education representative, and manage your TA at ArmyIgnitED. For more information, see the Army National Guard TA handout (PDF).
If you have exhausted your federal TA, contact the State Education Specialist:
Maria J. Alvarez
SFC, 42A, AKARNG
G1, Education Services Specialist
JFHQ, Education NCO
email: maria.j.alvarez10.mil@mail.mil
(w): 907-428-6477
The VA does not pay for on campus housing. You are responsible to pay for any meal or housing plans on the standard residence life timeline.
Connect to us on Facebook or Veteran Services on Blackboard. Come visit us any time! The DMVS is located in 401 Rasmuson Library on the UAF Fairbanks campus. You can reach us over the phone at 907-474-7400 or email uaf-veterans@alaska.edu.
You should work with an academic advisor and refer to Degree Works to confirm that classes are required for your program.
Useful links:
- Course Schedule
- Course Catalog
* Register for classes as early as possible.
As an Alaska Air National Guard member you can take advantage of state Tuition Assistance (TA). After you finish Tech School, you are authorized to receive TA for up to 12 credit hours per semester towards tuition only (TA does not cover fees.). Your TA will cover 100% of tuition for those 12 hours and is subject to funding availability.
If you are pursuing a master’s degree, you can also use TA; however, you will be paid after those who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees, and your TA will be subject to available funding.
If you aren’t sure which degree you want to pursue, you’re allowed to take 12 hours in a non-degree program, but you must choose a degree program to continue to receive TA after that.
Members of the Alaska Air National Guard should go directly to SMSgt Denise Wagenman to determine individual eligibility and documents required. Her contact information is DSN 317-377-8795/Comm 907-377-8795 or denise.r.wagenman.mil@mail.mil.
You must submit all documents to SMSgt Wagenman by the following dates:
- Fall semester: 1 Jun-15 Aug
- Spring semester: 1 Nov-31 Dec
- Summer semester: 1 Mar-30 Apr
Submit a DD214 or show your military ID to Admissions when you submit your Application for Resident Tuition Assessment in order to ensure you receive in-state tuition as a military/veteran student.
Maximize all sources of funding by completing a FAFSA application and UAF Scholarship application. Don't forget to check out the scholarships you might be eligible for on our Military and Veteran Services scholarship page as well.
The VA does not pay for on campus housing. You are responsible to pay for any meal or housing plans on the standard residence life timeline.
Connect to us on Facebook or Veteran Services on Blackboard. Come visit us any time! The DMVS is located in 401 Rasmuson Library on the UAF Fairbanks campus. You can reach us over the phone at 907-474-7400 or email uaf-veterans@alaska.edu.
UAF Tuition Assistance Specialist