Mark L. Whitfield Veterans & Military Services Center

We help veterans and military members as prospective or current students.

Military Tuition Assistance

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  1. Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA)
  2. MINGSTAP

Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA)

Paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.  Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application process and restrictions. 

Contact your CO or ESO in your branch for details on application processes.

Top-up program

The Top-up program allows funds from the Montgomery GI Bill® – Active Duty or the Post-9/11 GI Bill – to be used for tuition and fees for high-cost courses that are not fully covered by TA funds.

  • Eligibility. To use Top-up, your service branch must approve you for TA. You also must be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® or the Montgomery GI Bill® – Active Duty.
  • Application. First apply for TA in accordance with procedures of your service branch. After you have applied for TA, you will need to complete VA Form 22-1990 to apply for Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits. The form is available online from the VA. Make sure you specify “Top-up” on the application and mail it one of the education processing offices listed on the form.

FTA Student Responsibilities

Applications for vouchers must be submitted up to 60 days prior to the class start date and no later than 5 business days before the class start date (all FTA must be approved prior to the class start date).  Students using FTA must submit their TA authorization voucher to Schoolcraft’s office of Student Accounts and notify the Mark L. Whitfield Veterans & Military Services Center.  If receiving other tuition and fees specific benefits such as GI Bill® or financial aid awards, the TA plan or other resource may be reduced.  Fees, books, and supplies are not covered.  This is a tuition-only program. 

Unearned Military Tuition Assistance (TA) Funds Policy

In accordance with Department of Defense (DOD) policy, Schoolcraft College is required to return unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through the 60 percent completion point of the course for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during a course, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending the course. Instances of active duty service members withdrawing due to military service obligations will be accommodated to mitigate student loss.

  • Courses dropped during the 100% refund period: 0% tuition billed to TA
  • Courses graded as NS (No Show): 0% tuition billed to TA;100% tuition billed to student
  • Course completion 1-29%: 40% tuition billed to TA; 60% tuition billed to student
  • Course completion 30-59%: 70% tuition billed to TA; 30% tuition billed to student
  • Course completion 60-100%: 100% tuition billed to TA

MINGSTAP

Provides tuition assistance to members of the Michigan National Guard who are attending any public or private college, university, vocational school, technical school located in Michigan.

MINGSTAP is available to members of the Michigan National Guard who (1) are active in the National Guard (including the traditional service of one weekend/month and two weeks/year; (2) are not absent without leave or under UCMJ charges; and (3) meet the additional criteria established by the TAG consistent with the guard’s recruiting and retention requirements.

MINGSTAP Student Responsibilities

Applications may be submitted up to 60 days prior to the class start date and must be submitted no more that 14 days after the class start date.  MINGSTAP pays up to $14,400 for an Associates Degree and up to $6000 for a Certificate per academic year; and also covers additional fees.  Students should notify the Mark L. Whitfield Veterans & Military Services Center that they are using MINGSTAP. 

For more information about the program, please call 517-481-7640 or email [email protected].