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Publications and Forms
For ConAP Colleges
For Army Recruiters and
Company Commanders
For Army Education Centers
ConAP Forms
ConAP Points of Contact
For additional information:
Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges
1307 New York Avenue, NW
Fifth Floor
Washington, DC 20005-4701
202-667-0079
800-368-5622
fax 202-667-0622
e-mail: conap@aascu.org
Benjamin C. Buckley
ConAP Project Director
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How Do I Participate in ConAP?
ConAP is designed to help new soldiers and reservists plan
to attend college. What do you do to get started?
1. Enlist in the Army or Army
Reserve
- Army: You can choose active-duty enlistment options of two,
three, four, five, or six years. Training is guaranteed in over
212 job skills. After you enlist, you are in the Delayed Entry
Program (DEP) until you leave for Basic Training.
- Army Reserve: You attend one weekend drill a month plus two
weeks of annual training each year. You choose a skill upon enlistment
depending on your qualifications and whether or not there is
an opening in a local unit. You receive the same training as
active Army soldiers — nine weeks of Basic Training followed
by Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at an Army school.
2. Make a Plan to Attend College
- During the enlistment process, ask your recruiter about the
ConAP program. Your recruiter will help you select a college(s),
fill out a 'College Referral and Intent to Enroll' form and send
it to the college.
- The ConAP point-of-contact at the college will sign the form
and acknowledge your intent to enroll during or after your enlistment.
The college will also provide you guidelines such as applying
for admission not more than one year before you expect to enter
college and visiting the Army Education Center on your post to
discuss your plans with a counselor and begin taking college
courses. The college will provide you the e-mail address of your
point-of-contact at the college plus the college's Web site and
urge you to stay in touch while you are in the service.
3. Obtain Money for College
- Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB): You are automatically enrolled
in the MGIB when you enlist, although you may disenroll prior
to Basic Training. (Only about 4% disenroll.) To be eligible
for the MGIB, you must have no prior military service, enlist
for two or more years in the Regular Army (RA) and enter Active
Duty (AD), have a high school diploma or equivalency before applying
for MGIB benefits, complete at least 20 months of a 2-year enlistment
or 30 months of the 3-year or longer enlistment and receive an
honorable discharge. Benefits vary based on the length of your
enlistment.
- Army College Fund (ACF): You must enlist for the MGIB and
ACF option. To participate, you must meet MGIB eligibility criteria,
have an Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score of 50 or
above, be a high school diploma graduate prior to entry on active
duty, and enlist for a qualifying military occupational specialty
(MOS). Benefits vary depending based on your enlistment term.
- Army Loan Repayment Program: Prior to enlistment, you must
have incurred a loan made, insured or guaranteed under Title
IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965; Part B (Federal Stafford
Loan, Supplemental Loan, PLUS Loan); Part D (William D. Ford
Direct Student Loan); or Part E (Federal Perkins Loan). The loan
must not be in default and must remain in good standing.
You must have no prior military service, be a high-school
diploma graduate and score 50 or higher on the AFQT. You must
disenroll from the MGIB to enlist for the Loan Repayment Program.
Loans are repaid at one-third of the original remaining unpaid
principal for each year of successfully completed service (up
to $65,000). Loans are repaid in three years. Payments are made
directly to the lender. You must apply for military deferment
or forbearance to stop payments from coming due and, in some
cases, stop interest from accruing. You must continue to pay
interest and maintain the loan in good standing.
- Tuition Assistance (TA). For Active duty and Army Reserve
soldiers, the Army will pay 75 percent of the cost of tuition
or expenses up to a maximum of $187.50 per credit hour or equivalent,
whichever is less (100 percent in contingency areas like Bosnia).
Total amount per servicemember not to exceed $3,500 during one
fiscal year. To begin payment, if you are an active duty soldier
you must see a counselor at your Army education center. I you
are an Army Reserve soldier, see the unit administrator of your
Army Reserve unit. TA applies to undergraduate and graduate courses.
If you are a member of the Army Reserve, go to: US
Army Reserve Personnel Command see Tuition Assistance.
Reservists can use TA and MGIB together but not for the same
course. For Example, you can use TA for 12 credit hours and MGIB-SR
for 6 credit hours.
4. Attend College
- Active-duty soldiers: Visit your Army Education Center. A
counselor will help you select a college that offers classes
on base or by distant learning. Contact your ConAP college not
more than 12 months before you intend to enroll and apply for
admission. See the college catalog or Web site about ways to
apply for admission.
- Army Reserve: Enroll for classes at your ConAP college after
you complete IADT.
5. Activating Payment of MGIB Education Benefits
- Visit the veteran's advisor at the college to activate education
benefits. Payments are made by the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) and usually begin one to three months after enrollment.
Contact the veteran's advisor at least six months before classes
begin to arrange for an advance payment to help pay tuition.
Ask about ROTC scholarships and the VA Work-Study Program.
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