The Catholic University of America is proud to participate in the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program. This page is designed to assist students utilizing tuition assistance funding at Catholic University.
Students planning to utilize tuition assistance should contact the Office of Enrollment Services.
Overview of Tuition Assistance Benefits
- Students must apply for tuition assistance benefits with their branch of service.
- All military tuition assistance must be requested and approved by the service prior to the start date of the course. Tuition assistance is approved on a course-by-courses basis and only for the specific course(s) the Service member requests.
- Students should familiarize themselves with all Catholic University policies surrounding transfer credits, academic residency requirements, and the courses required in their degree plan.
- Students should be aware of Catholic University's cost and billing information.
- Students should be aware of their financial responsibilities while utilizing tuition assistance benefits. Students with charges above and beyond those covered by their benefits should plan to pay for those charges in accordance with the posted deadlines on the Academic & Student Accounts Calendar of the Office of Enrollment Services website. Students should be aware of what charges will be covered by the VA, and plan to pay any remaining charges at the beginning of each academic term and in accordance with the posted deadlines. Students will be subject to financial holds if they do not pay their financial obligations by the published deadline.
GI Bill®
- Enrollment Services can work with students to facilitate the use of additional educational funding such as 'top-up', chapter 30 G.I. Bill, Montgomery or Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. Information on utilizing VA educational benefits can be found on our website or by emailing cua-veterans@cua.edu.
- Service members may combine VA benefits and tuition assistance as long as the combined benefits do not total more than 100% of the actual cost of tuition and fees.
- Students should contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for additional information and application processes for scholarships, fellowships, grants, lowants, etc.
- Each semester, after receiving authorization from their service, service members should contact the Office of Military and Veteran Student Services to let them know they are utilizing tuition assistance benefits. This will ensure a timely process for billing. Please contact cua-veterans@cua.edu
- Students should submit a payment authorization form with the Office of Military and Veteran Student Services each semester.
- Authorization must be received by the add/drop deadline of the semester in which tuition assistance funds are being used.
- Ultimately the student is responsible for payment of all unpaid charges, including late fees.
- The Office of Military and Veteran Student Services will monitor and report the following information to the Department of Defense, as per the Tuition Assistance requirements: course enrollment, course withdrawal, course cancellation, course completion or failure, grade, verification of degree completion, billing information. As well as information about completion of a certificate, degree, or diploma program; including degree level, major, and program requirements completion date.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Return of Tuition Assistance Funds
If a student utilizing DOD Tuition Assistance withdraws from a class, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of the TA benefit originally authorized. To remain in compliance with DOD policy, the university will return any unearned TA funds through at least 60% of the length of the class on a prorated basis. After 60% of the length of the class has passed, TA will not be evaluated for a return to DOD.
In the case of withdrawn classes, the amount of unearned TA that is returned to DOD is based on the exact date of withdrawal from the class. The calculation used to determine the amount of TA that was earned by the student for a withdrawn class is to divide the day of the withdrawal by the total length of the class in calendar days. The resulting percentage is the amount of TA that has been earned by the student. The balance of any TA funds received by the school will be returned to the DOD.
For example, if a student withdrawals from a class on day 37 and the class is 111 days in length the student will have earned 33% of their eligible TA funding for that class (30 divided by 111 equals 33.3%). This means that 67% of their TA benefit will need to be returned to the DOD.
In the fall and spring semester, classes are most frequently 16 weeks or 111 days in length. (The exact number of days in the 16 week term may vary depending on how holidays fall on the calendar.) The below table shows how the return of TA funds to DOD would work in a standard 16 week term; however, keep in mind that classes that are less than or greater than 111 days will result in a different prorated basis. In all cases, the calculation detailed above will apply: day of the withdrawal divided by the total length of the class in calendar days = amount of TA funds earned.
| Calendar Days/Weeks | Amount of TA funds earned | Amount of TA funds returned to DOD |
|---|---|---|
| Through end of add/drop period (Friday of week 2, or day 12) | 0% |
100% |
| Through Saturday of Week 3 (day 20) | 18% | 82% |
| Through Saturday of Week 4 (day 27) | 24% | 76% |
| Through Saturday of Week 5 (day 34) | 31% | 69% |
| Through Saturday of Week 6 (day 41) | 37% | 63% |
| Through Saturday of Week 7 (day 48) | 43% | 57% |
| Through Saturday of Week 8 (day 55) | 50% | 50% |
| Through Saturday of Week 9 (day 62) | 56% | 44% |
| Through Wednesday of Week 10 (day 66) | 59% | 41% |
| Thursday of Week 10 and beyond (day 67 and beyond) | 100% | 0% |
In instances when a Service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, the university will work with the service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion.
Education Portals for Tuition Assistance
Air Force: Virtual Education Center: https://www.my.af.mil/
Army: GoArmyEd: www.goarmyed.com/
Marines and Coast Guard: My Education: myeducation.netc.navy.mil/
Navy: My Education: myeducation.netc.navy.mil/