Politics & Government

Despite Cuts To Military Tuition Assistance Program, College Is Possible For Soldiers, Pierce College Says

The college in Lakewood and Puyallup wants to spread the word: Soldiers can cover tuition using the GI Bill, federal financial aid and other alternatives to the popular military program.

Pierce College officials are spreading the word to soldiers: Paying for college is possible despite federal budget cuts to a military tuition assistance program. 

Soldiers can cover tuition using the GI Bill, federal financial aid and other alternatives to the popular military program.

The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps recently announced they are suspending the tuition assistance program that helped thousands of active-duty soldiers take college courses. The suspensions were the result of automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration, that began nationwide March 1. 

Find out what's happening in Lakewood-JBLMwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted to require the Pentagon to reinstate the tuition assistance program, according to several news reports. However, the House would have to approve the plan before it could become signed into law. 

Meanwhile, Pierce College officials want to remind military personnel that alternatives exist to pay for tuition and fees. The options are explained in detail at http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/military/affordability/funding. They include: 

Find out what's happening in Lakewood-JBLMwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • GI Bill. Although most of these benefits are designed for veterans, service members can activate this program while on active duty. 
  • Federal Student Aid, including grants, loans and work-study programs. This program is open to civilians and military personnel alike based on financial need, tuition and other factors. Soldiers may apply, even if receiving GI Bill benefits. 
  • Scholarships. A wide variety are available nationally and locally. Most applications are due in spring for the upcoming school year; others are available for the spring and summer terms. The Pierce College Foundation, for instance, offers the Horst and Carol Marschall Scholarship for an active-duty member of any service branch. The deadline has been extended to April 1, 2013. 
  • Self-pay installment plans. Pierce College allows soldiers to divide tuition into three payments throughout the quarter. 
  • College credit through testing. Soldiers who pass college-level mastery tests can get college credit without taking new courses. The Pierce College Military Program is a National Testing Center, allowing active-duty personnel to take a variety of the tests for free at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). 

In addition, JBLM Army Education Services will hold briefings on Tuesday, March 26, to help soldiers understand the funding alternatives to the military’s tuition assistance program. The briefings are at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the David L. Stone Army Education Center on JBLM. 

Until the recent suspension, Pierce College typically enrolled about 2,500 active-duty military personnel a year – many through the military tuition assistance program. The popular program allowed soldiers to spend up to $4,500 a year on tuition and expenses. 

The program suspension doesn’t affect soldiers whose tuition assistance benefits had already been approved before the suspension, nor veterans’ education benefits. 

GI Jobs Magazine designated Pierce College as a 2013 Military Friendly School, stating on the award that Pierce College is in the top 15 percent of schools nationwide that deliver the best experience for military students. 

Pierce College offers classes for active-duty service members, spouses and veterans at JBLM and online in 45 states and worldwide as well as services to help veterans plan their education, access Veterans Administration educational benefits and transition to civilian life. The Veterans Resource Center on the Fort Steilacoom campus provides a space to meet other veterans, connect with community and campus resources and develop academic skills. 

For more information on funding options to the military tuition assistance program:

-Pierce College


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Lakewood-JBLM