The Department of Defense released a revised Tuition Assistance Memorandum of Understanding in December. The revised document includes input from universities and reflects many of the president's Principles of Excellence.
DoD implemented a policy on March 1, 2013, that required colleges and universities to sign the MOU in order to be eligible to participate in the TA Program. After March 1, 2013, schools without a signed DoD MOU will not be able to enroll service members under the TA program until they have signed the MOU. Institutions with a currently signed DoD MOU can compare both versions and select to retain the original DoD MOU or sign the revised DoD MOU.
The current version of the MOU provides information, support, and increased protections to services members; strengthens oversight, enforcement and accountability; and provides guidelines for educational institutions receiving military TA funding. The MOU ensures all service members participating in off-duty, postsecondary education programs receive quality education programs uniformly via the classroom or distance learning, on or off military installations.
Approximately 549,000 service members participated in voluntary education programs, including tuition assistance, adult-based education, and counseling each year. More than 325,000 service members were enrolled in college courses earning almost 45,000 college degrees and approximately 530 certifications and licenses. DOD's voluntary education program consists of 245 education sites worldwide, including Afghanistan.
Visit the DoD MOU website to see the revised agreement.
