Army suspends Tuition Assistance program

[Frank]

Bunch of lowlifes in Congress!


Army suspends Tuition Assistance program
By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 8, 2013 7:47:43 EST
The Army’s popular Tuition Assistance program is being suspended because of the budget squeeze, although the many thousands of soldiers currently enrolled in courses will be allowed to complete those courses.

The shutdown will begin at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time today.

About 200,000 soldiers are currently using tuition assistance.

Soldiers will not be allowed to enroll in TA-funded courses after that deadline, according to Lt. Col. Tom Alexander, spokesman for the Army’s personnel chief.

“Soldiers who are in courses now can complete those courses, but they will not be allowed to enroll in new courses,” he said.

“This suspension is necessary given the significant budget execution challenges caused by the combined effects of a possible year-long continuing resolution and sequestration,” Alexander said.

“The Army understands the effects of this action and will re-evaluate should the budget situation improve,” he said.

The Tuition Assistance program is one of the Army’s most popular in-service benefits, with some 201,000 Regular Army, National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers participating in traditional classroom and online courses at 3,100 colleges and universities nationwide.

During fiscal 2012, the Army spent $373 million for tuition assistance payments.

Under the TA payment formula, payments are capped at $250 per semester hour of instruction, for up to an annual total of $4,500.

While the TA program is suspended, soldiers can pursue education goals using their VA benefits, if eligible, that include the Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty, Montgomery Bill-Selected Reserve, Reserve Assistance Program and the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Other education funding sources also may be appropriate, such as grants, scholarships and the state tuition assistance programs available to some National Guard soldiers.

Pentagon officials strongly urge soldiers affected by the TA shutdown to contact their local Army education center to assess their options.

Updated information also will be posted by GoArmyEd, the online application for managing the TA program at www.goarmyed.com.

[sc281]

You're telling me there is no moe waste and bs contracts left to cut in the Army, and this is all that is left to trim?

I hope this backfires on the dems badly. You can cut 1% of your budget in a responsible way. Lowlifes.

[ELVIS]

delete this thread right now!

frost is gonna shit himself if someone posts this first!

god bless.

[DallasSleeper]

Send 250 Million to the Muslim Brotherhood but cut our soldiers education... priorities

[jimithing]

I had to look it up - in the 2011 Fiscal Year we sent $49.5 billion in foreign aid to various countries - mostly in the Middle East.

What's happening here is that they're cutting something that they know will get people pissed off. They're hoping people will call their congressmen and demand a resolution. I wonder who made this decision. It really seems like something the democrats would do to bolster support for raising the debt ceiling.

Source for foreign aid number:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_foreign_aid

[gnturboray]

And you thought he had the nations best interest at heart??

[95ragtop]

Crock of shit. Just when I am about to send off my application for my pre-med degree.

[STROKD]

Rhetorical question:

If you signed up to be in the Army under the stipulation that you would get to go to school (and now can't) can you walk out on the Army?

[bcoop]

[ ] shocked

[Slowhand]

You're telling me there is no moe waste and bs contracts left to cut in the Army, and this is all that is left to trim?

I hope this backfires on the dems badly. You can cut 1% of your budget in a responsible way. Lowlifes.

While I agree with the sentiment here, it was discussed earlier this week and determined that even if there is waste in the military, it shouldn't be cut.

[Pokulski-Blatz]

Rhetorical question:

If you signed up to be in the Army under the stipulation that you would get to go to school (and now can't) can you walk out on the Army?

Fuck no.

[sc281]

While I agree with the sentiment here, it was discussed earlier this week and determined that even if there is waste in the military, it shouldn't be cut.

Let's be honest here. If we as a country have no interest in cutting the spending that will lead us to bankruptcy, then we deserve the consequences.

Now, having said that, if cutting spending is never going to happen, then I submit we borrow every dime we can, build up our infrastructure, technology, and military, pull out of all countries in the world, default on our debt, and dare someone to come over and collect.

I mean, if we aren't going to be responsible, we might as well be as irresponsible as possible, amirite?

[Slowhand]

Let's be honest here. If we as a country have no interest in cutting the spending that will lead us to bankruptcy, then we deserve the consequences.

Now, having said that, if cutting spending is never going to happen, then I submit we borrow every dime we can, build up our infrastructure, technology, and military, pull out of all countries in the world, default on our debt, and dare someone to come over and collect.

I mean, if we aren't going to be responsible, we might as well be as irresponsible as possible, amirite?

Everyone in the country seems to be interested in cutting spending, just not cutting spending for their personal causes, or is only interested in cutting a small amount for their personal cause if a huge amount is cut from their most hated cause. And it turns out that everyone's personal cause costs a shitload of money and no one wants to cut anything.

[Ruffdaddy]

While I agree with the sentiment here, it was discussed earlier this week and determined that even if there is waste in the military, it shouldn't be cut.

Lol no only you and crazy ass frost think that.

Defense spending needs large cuts

[sc281]

Everyone in the country seems to be interested in cutting spending, just not cutting spending for their personal causes, or is only interested in cutting a small amount for their personal cause if a huge amount is cut from their most hated cause. And it turns out that everyone's personal cause costs a shitload of money and no one wants to cut anything.

I made a poll in the pol forum about it. Interesting to see how many choose the route that sounds good, knowing that it'll never ever ever materialize.