Before I went to war, the State of Georgia failed to pay my promised educational benefits because a) I filed paperwork too late b) no federal funds were available and c) any other excuse they could think of. Long story short, as far as I am concerned, I went to war short $4,000 I was promised. Now that I’m back from Iraq, the State of Georgia still doesn’t want to fund my college education. Typical.
ME:
I am a college student at University of Phoenix Online as well as being an E5 with the 124th MPAD in Georgia. I need to know what is required for me to be reimbursed for classes I have completed this year.
State of Georgia Education Officer:
SGT,
You can’t be reimbursed. You must apply for tuition assistance at https://nationalguardbenefits.com prior to the start date of your courses.
When you join the National Guard your recruiter will probably tell you how great all the benefits are. What the recruiter will not tell you is how hard the bureaucrats make it to collect any of those benefits. The recruiter also will not tell you that those benefits really aren’t all that ironclad. Here’s an example of just the first page of the crap forms you have to fill out to (hopefully) collect partial reimbursement for taking a college course. The recruiter probably won’t be there to help you wade through the bullshit when it comes time to actually collect on what the government should owe you.
| Statement of Understanding Agreements | AGREE | DISAGREE |
|---|---|---|
| 1. I am aware that I may receive up to $4,500 dollars per fiscal year at a rate of $250 (semester) 167 (quarter) and 16.66 (clock) credit. ARNG FTA does not cover a course CEUs rendering continuing education units (CEUs). | ||
| 2. I understand that ARNG FTA is available to all Guard members on a first come/first serve basis. I understand that it is not a guaranteed benefit and is only available based on federal funding. | ||
| 3. I understand that ARNG FTA program is used only for coursework related to a certificate/license, associate, bachelors, and masters/first professional degree only. Doctorate degrees candidates are not eligible. | ||
| 4. I understand and agree to reimburse or suffer "recoupment" action for tuition paid if I withdraw or do not complete a course (except for reasons beyond my control as determined by the State Education Service Officer (ESO) or NBG. | ||
| 5. I understand that ARNG FTA is not a guaranteed benefit, and that I must be a satisfactory participant to remain eligible for this program. | ||
| 6. I understand that ARNG federal tuition is only applicable to nationally or regionally accredited university/college programs that are recognized by the Department of Education. | ||
| 7. I understand that if I decide not to use tuition assistance, I must notify my state�s ARNG Education Service Office. | ||
| 8. I understand that ARNG FTA must be applied for by the start date of the class for which I am seeking funding. Applications received after the start date will not be approved. | ||
| 9. I understand that if grades or completion notification from my school is not submitted to the education office within 30 days of the originally scheduled course completion date, my account will be locked and ARNG FTA privileges will be suspended until all grades or notification is received and updated. | ||
| 10. I hereby consent to the release of financial information pertaining to my student account and the release of grades and/or course completion status at the institution indicated on my request for Army National Guard Tuition Assistance to the ARNG Education Services Office processing tuition payment(s) on my behalf. | ||
| 11. I understand that courses must be started and completed prior to my ETS date. | ||
| 12. I understand that I must maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher after completing 15 SHs (or 22 1/2 quarter hours (QH) or 240 clock hours(CH)) of TA funded college credit. | ||
| 13. I understand that additional benefits may be available to assist with the achievement of my educational goals. These benefits may be viewed at: http://www.virtualarmory.com/. |
The rest of the process is just pages and pages of convoluted crap. Half the links you click don’t open, or result in various cryptic errors. If you call one of several listed "help" numbers, they just direct you to somewhere else. Each department blames another for why you aren’t receiving any actual monetary compensation in exchange for your blood, sweat and indentured servitude to Big Brother.
After talking to Steve and Mike at the VA this morning, I can say it isn’t all bad. Those two were competent, but they still had to direct me to forms, forms and more forms. You would think that the benefits would be automatic. Hell, the government has my damn DNA on file somewhere – you’d think they already know everything there is to know about me, including the fact that I’ve spent seven years serving in uniform.
The State of Georgia and the federal government are not making it easy for me to collect the education benefits I am entitled to. I consider myself of above average intelligence. I can only imagine how many veterans who might benefit from a college degree give up before they get started when confronted with the massive bureaucratic maze that must be navigated in order to receive "tuition assistance." Maybe that is the true measure of importance in awarding someone an advanced degree – their persistence, tenacity and sheer stubborn refusal to be defeated by a bureaucrat.
Now that I’ve wasted my entire morning trying to collect education benefits (not to mention the other hours fruitlessly spent filling out paperwork and trying to navigate a maze of officials, bureaucrats and monkeys throwing paperwork from every direction) don’t say you were not warned! If you are considering joining the military for education benefits, they are available if you have the patience of Job and the persistence of the devil. Good luck to you.