General Provisions

Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) is a federally funded program that pays schools directly for the cost of tuition for Soldiers. FTA pays 100% of your tuition cost up to $250 per credit hour and up to maximum amount established annually per fiscal year (1 October - 30 September). Fees are authorized for payment as long as they are directly related to the course(s). You must provide details of fees on the uploaded statement of tuition cost (see Applying for Benefits below). FTA cannot be used for books.

FTA can be used towards one degree or certificate completion at Western Iowa Tech. Soldiers are limited to 16 credit hours per fiscal year and 130 total credit hours towards an undergraduate degree.

For more information about FTA, contact your unit or service branch education office.

Eligibility

If you are an actively drilling member of the National Guard or Reserves and completed your initial entry training (IET - Basic Training and AIT), you may be eligible to apply for Federal Tuition Assistance.

Applying for Benefits

The deadline to apply for FTA is established by your service branch. You must apply for FTA each semester because the Tuition Assistant Request (TAR) is specific to the courses for which you are registered.

Do not start your TAR before reviewing and completing the following steps:

  1. Contact your Unit for Deadline dates. They can assist you with creating an account on Tuition Assistance for your branch of service. Approvals need to be in place before classes begin. Work with your unit to be sure you complete requirements on time.
  2. Contact the WIT Veteran Services Office or the Registrar to request a copy of your Degree Plan/Evaluation. You can email your request to studentrecords@witcc.edu. Be sure to include your current program so the evaluation is accurate. We will send you a pdf copy which you will need to upload to the TA system.
  3. Go to your TA account and select the classes you wish to take for the enrollment period.
  4. Provide a copy of your approved TAR to one of the following offices:
    Registrar at studentrecords@witcc.edu or Veteran Service Office don.duzik@witcc.edu or alejandra.flores@witcc.edu.

Receiving Payments

FTA is applied to your Western Iowa Tech account after you provide the approved authorization(s) to the Registrar, Veterans Services Office or Student Accounts. Student Accounts will credit your Western Iowa Tech account for the authorized amount. Western Iowa Tech invoices your service branch on a monthly basis and physically receives the money for your tuition and fees. Any unearned tuition payments that are required to be returned to your branch will be returned in accordance with DOD regulations.

Branch Specific Exceptions

Each service branch established their own procedures and maximum benefit amounts per fiscal year. Be sure to check with your unit for details each year.