ArmyIgnited – Federal Tuition and Credentialing Assistance

Fed TA (Tuition Assistance)

Provides up to $250 per credit hour (16 semester hours per year)paid toward obtaining their first bachelor’s degree and/or their first master’s degree to eligible Iowa National Guard Soldiers. Apply on ArmyIgnitED.

IMPORTANT STEPS in ArmyIgnitED prior to approved assistance:

1. Upload and receive approval of degree plan.
2. Submit Tuition Assistance Request 60-8 days PRIOR TO CLASS

Fed CA (Credentialing Assistance)

CA provides up to $4,000 per FY to complete credentials and certification to eligible Iowa Army National Guard Soldiers through ArmyIgnitED. Limitations apply toward flight school certification and using Fed TA in the same year. Approved certifications listed on Army COOL and apply on ArmyIgnitED.

Who to contact:

• Current member of the Iowa Army National Guard: help desk in ArmyIgnitED or (515)252-4468 IA.ARNG.ESC@army.mil
• Non-member of Iowa Army National Guard: contact your local recruiter.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Fed TA Flyer

Fed CA Flyer

CA Aviation Funding Policy – 20 Jan 2022

*More details regarding Fed TA and CA policies and procedures can be found on ArmyIgnitedED.

Iowa National Guard Service Scholarship (INGSS)

The State TA (Tuition Assistance) program through INGSS is available for Iowa National Guard Soldiers and Airmen. The State TA can cover tuition costs exceeding the FED TA allowance. As well as be used with the service member’s GI Bill.

Application Open and Dealine

• Oct 1st to July 1st – upcoming school year (fall and spring)
• July 2nd to Dec 1st – spring only

Application Process

Complete following applications, prior to above deadline:

1. Fed TA
2. FAFSA
3. IFAA

Exception to Policy

• Exception to Policy Procedure
• Exception to Policy Template

Who to contact:

• Current member of the Iowa Army National Guard: help desk in ArmyIgnitED or (515)252-4468 IA.ARNG.ESC@army.mil
• Non-member of Iowa Army National Guard: contact your local recruiter.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Program Flyer

Iowa College Aid

Eligible service member: must be resident of Iowa serving in good standing as M-day in Iowa National Guard, satisfactory completion of IET, has not earned a bachelor’s degree, not exceeded State TA usage, properly applied, and maintains attendance and academic progress in an Iowa-based education institution. See current Tag Policy for further details.

G.I. Bill Programs

GI Bill benefits help you pay for college, graduate school, and training programs. Since 1944, the GI Bill has helped qualifying Veterans and their family members get money to cover all or some of the costs for school or training. GI Bills programs have expanded since their inception and making sense of program eligibility can be confusing. Learn more about GI Bill benefits at https://www.va.gov, by viewing our additional information area, or by contacting our office.

MGIB-SR Chapter 1606 (Selective Reserve)

Eligibility

• Six-year enlistment contract or Officer Service Agreement
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Initial Active Duty for Training or Basic Officer Leadership Course

Benefit

• Over $450 a month for fulltime see rates based on partial enrollment
• Can be combined with Fed TA
• Can be used for college or non-college degree plan as well as Apprenticeship/OJT

Apply

• Verify 1606 eligibility, 515-252-4468 or IA.ARNG.ESC@army.mil
• Submit application and receive Certificate of Eligibility
• Deliver Certificate of Eligibility to your school’s VA certifying official
• Each month verify continued enrollment

Post 9/11 Chapter 33 (qualifying Active Duty)

Eligibility

• Aggregate of 90 days active duty see Education Service Office for eligibility

Benefit

• Tuition, books, and supply stipend, and monthly housing allowance. Rates vary based on service status and amount of qualifying service.

Apply

• Apply online www.va.gov and receive Certificate of Eligibility
• Deliver Certificate of Eligibility to your school’s VA certifying official
• Verify monthly continued enrollment, VA Education Call Center 1-888-GI BILL-1

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

PROGRAM FLYERS:

How to Apply for GI Bill Benefits

MGIB-SR Chapter 1606

MGIB-AD Chapter 30

Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)

Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB)

GI Bill Comparison Chart

GI Bill Kicker

Who to contact:

• Current member of the Iowa Army National Guard: (515)252-4468 IA.ARNG.ESC@army.mil
• Non-member of Iowa Army National Guard: 
• Va Education Call Center 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551)

*More details regarding GI Bill programs policies and procedures can be found on Education and Training Home (Va.gov)

Student Loan Repayment

The Iowa Army National Guard offers a variety of incentives designed to attract and retain talented people into our organization. Loan Repayment Programs are among those incentives. Program details and availability are subject to change at any time.

Pre-existing student loans in good standing can be reviewed for inclusion into a loan repayment incentive for qualifying Soldiers, Health Professionals, and Chaplain Candidates.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Please read your contract and understand your requirements as a LRP recipient, and map out when to request your payments.

DD Form 2475, DEC 2017

Obtaining Your Loan Data

Information – Iowa SLRP Tax Exemption

Information – Public Service Loan Forgiveness

WHO TO CONTACT: Considering joining the Iowa Army National Guard? Your local recruiter can assist you!

Current members of the Iowa Army National Guard should contact their unit full time staff or Battalion Retention NCO to learn what incentive options are available. Unit personnel or the Education Services Office Chaplain or Health Professional LRP questions should be directed to the specialty branch NCOIC at (515) 252-4683.

Other Resources

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Joint Services Transcripts

DANTES

Spouse Education Support

Education Programs and Services

Education Support Programs

College Planning and Assistance

Registered Apprenticeship

Scholarships

Financial Aid and Grants

INSTALLATION ACCESS REQUESTS:

Academic Institutions: We’d love for you to visit with our Soldiers and provide an informational brief, but there are certain steps we must take to protect your DoD MOU status.

• The Iowa Army National Guard Education Services Office must verify your status and approve your visit to any Iowa Army National Guard assembly.
• Approval to attend by the unit or event coordinator does not imply Education Services Office approval. They can occur in any order, but the installation access request must be specific to the date/time/location of the event/unit activity.
• Please call with questions! We appreciate your desire to speak with our Soldiers and want to make this process easy for you!
• Installation Access Request Form

Testing Center

Army Personnel Testing (APT) Testing Site 1123

The program is a testing system encompassing standardized tests to determine the eligibility for specialized training and to support the Army’s personnel selection and classification process, including language proficiency testing and flight aptitude.

Testing Application Process

1. Soldier requests test through their Commander.
2. Commander forwards request with appropriate DA 4187 to test site.
3. Once all requirements are met, testing site schedules soldier.

Types of Tests:

Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT)

• Taken to increase line scores.
• can be taken a maximum of every 6 months without a waiver.

Selection Instrument for Flight Training (SIFT)

• used for selection into initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) program.
• must have 110 GT.
• may only be taken twice (minimum of 45 days between)

Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB)

• determine aptitude for learning language.
• used for applying for language training and specialized MOSs

Defense Proficiency Test (DLPT)

• evaluates reading and listening language proficiency.
• used to add language identifier to MOS.
• used to add foreign incentive language pay (FLIP).
  • must take every 12 months.
  • linguist must meet language immersion requirement.

Oral Proficiency (OP) coming soon!

• tests verbal language proficiency
• oral proficiency 

Pearson Vue

• CompTIA, NREMT, and PMP

Basic Skill Education Program (BSEP)

Looking to increase your GT score for an MOS change or to apply for Warrant Officer School?

• BSEP is a proven program for raising GT scores.
• it is an intensive 1-week program.
• after completion immediate retake of AFCT.

Who to contact:

• Current member of the Iowa Army National Guard: (515)252-4468 IA.ARNG.ESC@army.mil
• Non-member of Iowa Army National Guard: Va Education Call Center 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551)

STUDENT LOAN RE-PAYMENT – UP TO $50,000

The Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) is offered as an enlistment incentive for Non-Prior Service and Prior Service enlistees. It is also offered as a retention incentive to current Army National Guard soldiers. If you have already incurred a student loan obligation – or plan to – the Army National Guard can help you repay up to $50,000 of your student loan. Qualifying loans are described below.

Category-specific Eligibility:

Non-Prior Service

· Score 50 or higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).

· Must contract into a valid critical skill vacancy for either a 6 year or an 8 year service period.

· OCS Candidates must have 90+ semester credits and enlist for a minimum 6 year service period to eligible.

· Non-Prior Service applicants must be fully qualified in their duty position prior to payment.

Prior Service

Prior Service applicants must enlist DMOSQ in a valid critical skill vacancy for 6 years to be eligible.

· Must be E-7 or below and have less than 16 years TIS at contract start date.

· Must not previously received SLRP in his or her military career.

· Must have received an Honorable discharge or release at the conclusion of all periods of military service.

· OCS Candidates must have at least 90 semester credits to eligible for the SLRP.

Current Army National Guard

· Must be E-7 or below and must have less than 16 years TIS at contract start date.

· Soldiers must reenlist/extend within 365-1 days of current ETS for a minimum term of 6 years.

· Soldiers must be DMOSQ in a MOS that matches the military grade commensurate with the position for which reenlisting/extending.

· Any period of extension of less than 6 years will terminate SLRP eligibility.

General Eligibility Criteria

· The applicant or Soldier must have one or more qualifying, disbursed loans in his/her own name at the time of enlistment/reenlistment/extension.

· The maximum annual payment is 15 percent of the eligible principle(s) or $500.00, whichever is greater, plus the amount of any eligible interest that has accrued.

· Payments are capped at $7500.00 annually.

· Loans disbursed after the date of enlistment/reenlistment/extension are not eligible for repayment unless the Soldier is reenlisting/extending for a period of not less than 6 years in the Army National Guard without a break in service from the original SLRP contract start date.

· Enlisted Soldiers receiving SLRP will remain eligible while attending Officer Candidate School (OCS) or Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) or after contracting into the ROTC/SMP programs.

· Soldiers can also remain eligible upon commissioning or appointment, subject to the original restriction that their loan will be paid within the same period established in their original enlistment documents.

Qualifying Loans

· The applicant or Soldier must have one or more qualifying and disbursed Title IV Federal loan(s) not in default at the time of enlistment or reenlistment/extension. However, applicants may select the SLRP incentive even though they have no outstanding loan(s) when signing the contractual agreement.

· The loan(s) must be listed on the Department of Education National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Aid Summary website sheet at nslds.ed.gov/npas.

· Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS Loan[s]) are eligible for repayment as long as the applicant is the borrower and the loan(s) are in the applicant’s name.

· State and private loans are not eligible for repayment under the SLRP program

ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS!!

· Please read your contract and understand your requirements as an SLRP recipient.

Who to contact

· Unit full time staff or Battalion Retention NCO.

CHAPLAIN LOAN RE-PAYMENT – UP TO $80,000

The Army National Guard Chaplain Loan Repayment Program (CLRP) is offered for the purpose of maintaining adequate numbers of qualified chaplains within the National Guard. The maximum amount of the CLRP is limited to $80,000 ($20K for each 3-year period of obligation) and covers the loan’s principle, interest, and related expenses. The maximum annual payment made to eligible participants under the CLRP may not exceed $6,666 for each year of the incentive term.

Eligibility Criteria:

Currently hold, and be fully qualified for, an appointment as a Chaplain in the Army National Guard. The Chaplain must agree to a minimum 3-year term of service. Must possess outstanding educational loans secured on or after 1 October 1975, in accordance with USC Title 10, Section 16303. These loans must have been for education regarding a basic professional qualifying degree (post baccalaureate), or graduate education resulting in a Masters of Divinity Degree or equivalent. All degrees must be obtained from an accredited theological seminary as listed in the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) handbook and/or an accredited institution listed within a National Faith-Related Accrediting Organization in the CHEA Recognized Organizations’ Directory. Individuals enrolled in the Chaplain Candidate Program are NOT eligible to participate in the CLRP. State and private loans are not eligible for repayment under the CLRP program.

Who to contact: Battalion Retention NCO

· Specialty branch NCOIC

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS LOAN RE-PAYMENT – UP TO $240,000

Army Medical Department (AMEDD) officers in the Medical and Dental Corps can receive the Healthcare Professionals Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) – up to $240,000 for certain

specialties – by agreeing to a six-year service commitment with the Guard ($40,000 per year, with a $240,000 lifetime cap).

Physicians Assistants, Physical Therapist, Social Workers, and Clinical Psychologists may qualify for loan repayments up to $25,000 per year with a $75,000 lifetime cap.

Who to contact

· Specialty branch NCOIC

LOAN INFORMATION

The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of Education’s central database for student aid. NSLDS receives data from schools, guaranty agencies, the Direct Loan program, and other Department of ED programs. NSLDS Student Access provides a centralized, integrated view of Title IV loans and grants so that recipients of Title IV Aid can access and inquire about their Title IV loans and/or grant data. Access the NSLDS at 1-800-4-FED-AID or nslds.ed.gov/npas.