Coast Guard Tuition Assistance

Coast Guard Tuition Assistance (TA) pays up to 100% of tuition for taking college courses while on active duty, as a member of the Selected Reserve, and in certain circumstances, while a civilian employee of the service. TA will not pay for many fees, such as technology or internet fees, transit fees, etc., that may be added by certain schools.

Payment Rates

Coast Guard members may be reimbursed up to 100% of the cost of a college course, not to exceed:

• $250 per semester hour
• $166.67 per quarter hour
• $16.67 per clock hour
• $4,500 per fiscal year

Members who receive a grade lower than C in an undergraduate course or B in a graduate course have to pay back any TA money received for the course.

Application Process

Generally, Coast Guard members should first contact their unit’s education services officer for command-specific details on the approval process for TA.

The Coast Guard’s Education and Training Quota Management Command (ETQC) must receive complete TA applications no more than 90 days but no less than 14 days prior to the class start date. (The 14 days don’t include the date of submission to ETQC nor the class start date.)

If you begin a class without an ETQC-approved TA authorization, you will have to pay all the course costs yourself.

Benefit Details

Coast Guard members must upload a degree plan to their MyCG Ed portal after the completion of the second course or six semester hours using TA. If the ETQC has not received a degree plan after the second course, it will authorize no further TA until receiving the degree plan.

Lifetime credit hour limits were no longer in place as of fiscal 2024.

Members must be on active duty; or serving in the Reserve with satisfactory progress. Active-duty officers incur an additional service obligation of two years; Reserve officers incur an additional obligation of four years. The Coast Guard also provides TA to civilian employees.

To receive TA, Coast Guard members must maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of unit quals, watch-station quals and craft proficiency; and must also have satisfactory conduct during the six months prior to starting TA.

For More Information

Read the Coast Guard’s TA policy for more details.

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