ARNG Education Benefits and Counseling Services
The Army National Guard (ARNG) offers more programs for civilian
education than any other Active or Reserve Component of the armed
services. Included in this section are brief descriptions of
the education benefits available through the ARNG.
GI Bill
GI Bill Programs
GI Bill is a federally
funded program for educational development of National Guard
members. Eligible soldiers receive a maximum of 36 months of
GI Bill benefits for full time study. Payments are prorated for
part time study.
ARNG GI Bill Kicker Program
Soldiers may also be eligible to receive additional benefits
through the ARNG GI Bill Kicker program. This program applies
only to specific units and MOSs. Consult your state GI Bill Manager
to determine eligibility and procedures to apply for the ARNG
GI Bill Kicker.
Tuition Assistance
Army National Guard Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA)
The Army National Guard will fund costs up to 100% of tuition
costs not to exceed annually designated caps per credit hour
for undergraduate and graduate study. ARNG Tuition Assistance
also covers distance learning courses. Consult your state ESO
for the policy and funding of the FTA Program for the current
fiscal year.
State Tuition Assistance Programs (Vary by state)
Most states/territories now offer varying degrees of tuition
assistance beyond that covered by GI Bill and FTA. Some colleges
and universities may offer additional tuition waivers independent
of the education programs existing in their state. The eligibility
requirements and implementation of benefits differ in each state
and territory. Consult your ESO for details on your state
tuition assistance program.
Examination Programs
National Guard soldiers are eligible to take College Level Examination
Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) and Excelsior
College Examination (ECE) examinations immediately upon enlistment
and prior to attending Basic Training. Soldiers are also eligible
to take any of the certification tests offered by the Guard at
no cost to the soldier. Go to the DANTES
Examination Programs Web site for details on these and other
testing programs. Follow this link to search for test
centers in your state.
Credit for Military
Training/Experience
Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript System
(AARTS)
An AARTS transcript contains a complete record of the soldier's
military training and educational experiences, including those
for which there are evaluated college credit recommendations
based on the American
Council on Education's Guide to the Evaluation of Educational
Experiences in the Armed Services. Acceptance of ACE
credit recommendations varies depending on an institution's policies,
procedures, and degree requirements. Further information, including
ordering procedures and eligibility requirements may be found
at the AARTS Web site.
ARNG Education Services
Offices
Your state or territory Education Services Officer (ESO) has
the most current and complete details of all ARNG education programs.
For National Guard soldiers the ESO is your first point of contact
for information on Guard education benefits. From the Virtual
Armory site below follow the "Education" link to "ARNG
Point of Contact" and select a state on the map.
Army National Guard Education Support Center
(ESC)
Located at the Professional Education Center on Camp Robinson
in North Little Rock, AR, the Army National Guard's Education
Support Center staff is dedicated to meeting the education needs
of 350,000 soldiers serving in the Army National Guard (ARNG)
in the 54 states and territories. ESC counselors provide academic
guidance to soldiers and their family members to help them toward
completion of undergraduate and graduate degree study through
the use of local colleges and universities. Other free services
include an evaluation of military and civilian training for college
credit; assistance in identifying a degree program that best
fits one's goals; ongoing academic advisement regarding options
for completing remaining degree requirements; and provision of
general information and referrals in matters regarding higher
education and professional development.
One significant service offered to ARNG soldiers and family members
is a counseling and degree planning service at the undergraduate
degree levels. This degree planning process accelerates the evaluation
of credits by merging them into Individualized Studies degree
programs that make maximum use of ACE recommended credit, college
level testing credits, and transfer credits from other regionally
accredited colleges and universities. The service also provides
information on SOCAD Career Degrees for those who want a degree
in their MOS specialization. The also assist with identification
of distance learning degree programs in specializations related
to a citizen soldier's civilian career.
Contact Information:
Web Site: http://www.virtualarmory.com/
(Follow the "Education" link to "Federal
Benefits" and select "ARNG Education Support Center"
in the drop down menu.)
Toll Free: 1-866-628-5999
Local: 501-212-4940
FAX: 501-212-4928
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