Frequently Asked Questions About FTA

How long does it take my application to be approved?

The process may take a day or a few weeks depending on your state.

What is FTA?

Federal Tuition Assistance is money from the state to fund soldiers’ education.  The money is paid directly to the school you attend and caps out annually at $4500.

Is there a max amount of money I can get?

The money caps out annually at $4500 or $250 per Semester Hour.

Does the money get sent to me?

Tuition payment will be sent directly to the school.

What is a Degree Plan?

A Degree Plan is a list of the college courses you intend on taking that are required to complete your degree.  See a sample degree plan in the original post below.  You need to submit a degree plan to your state education department for your account to be unlocked.

Can I use FTA with Financial Aid?

Yes you can use both benefits  at the same time.

What is CAC access?

CAC stands for Common Access Card.  Every soldier receives one when they enlist.  You will need to know your pin number for your card in order to access the FTA web portal.

I just got a new CAC Card how do I sync it with AKO?

Go to www.us.army.mil and log into your AKO account using your username and password.
*If you are having trouble logging in, contact the AKO helpdesk at 1-866-335-2769.
Once you are in AKO, click under the AKO logo on “My Account” roll down to “Account Settings” and roll down to “Account Information.”  On the left side click “CAC / Cert Registration” and click the button in the center of the screen “Clear registered information.”  You will then be able to click on the center button that should now say “Register CAC.”  Once this step is complete you should be able to access AKO and the minuteman website with your CAC card.

Troubleshooting Errors with FTA

I get a 403 Error when I try to access the minuteman web portal.

This means that your CAC card is not properly registered with AKO.  Go to www.us.army.mil and log into your AKO account using your username and password.
If you are having trouble logging in, contact the AKO helpdesk at 1-866-335-2769 for a new password or if you get locked out of your account.

Once you are in AKO, click under the AKO logo on “My Account” roll down to “Account Settings” and roll down to “Account Information.”  On the left side click “CAC / Cert Registration” and click the button in the center of the screen “Clear registered information.”  You will then be able to click on the center button that should now say “Register CAC.”  Once this step is complete you should be able to access AKO and the minuteman website with your CAC card.

The portal says I can’t register for classes because I don’t have a degree plan on file.

See a sample degree plan in the original post below.  You need to submit a degree plan to your state education department for your account to be unlocked.

The portal says I can’t register for classes because I need to submit my grades.

After every quarter you need your college to email or fax your grades.  If you are currently locked out of your account for this reason contact you school and have them forward your grades to your state education office. 
*Note you typically cannot send your grades yourself even if they are official and enclosed in the original envelope.

Important Update – NEW FTA Application Process

The National Guard will be switching to a new Tuition Assistance Interface.  www.GoArmyEd.com will be the new web portal to apply for classes.  This is the portal currently used by the Active Army and Army Reserves.

As of 6 June 2011 you can begin setting up your account online.

A lock will be put on your GoArmyEd account until you attend a mandatory training within your state on how to use the program.

For WAARNG Soldiers Camp Murray Education Center is offering a mandatory one-hour class.

Where:

Camp Murray, Bldg 34, Classroom 3
(June 7th, 8th, and 14th)
     
Camp Murray, Bldg 3, Main Classroom
(June 21st and 28th)
        
When:

Tuesday, June 7th, Wednesday, June 8th; 1000 and 1300 (Bldg 34)
Tuesday, June 14th; 1000 and 1300 (Bldg 34)
Tuesday, June 21st ; 1000 and 1300 (Bldg 3)
Tuesday, June 28th; 1000 and 1300 (Bldg 3)

 

For more information call 253-512-8838.



How to apply for National Guard Federal Tuition Assistance

Step 1:  Register for classes at your college.

Step 2:  Go to the financial aid office at the college and ask them to put a "tuition hold" on your tuition payment because you are waiting on TA funding approval from the military.  Do not pay up front for your classes.
*For Clark College in Vancouver, WA you can also request a tuition hold via email at rroche@clark.edu.

Step 3:  Gain access to the TA website.  https://www.education.ng.mil/  Click "apply" in the right side of the header bar then roll down and click on "ARNG FTA." 

This will redirect you to: https://minuteman.ngb.army.mil/Benefits/Unsecured/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fbenefits%2f%3f1&1 

Click on the brown “Log in with CAC” button to apply.

You will need CAC access to get into the site. 

The computers at your local armory or recruiting station will have CAC access however the best solution is to buy a CAC reader and set it up with your personal computer at home.

You can purchase a CAC reader here for $17.79 (This is the reader that I use and works for DoD websites including AKO).  You will need to configure your CAC reader with your computer.  I followed the step by step instructions at http://www.militarycac.com/.

 

Step 4:  Enter your class information into the site.  You should be able to pull this information from your student schedule.
The cost per credit hour can usually be found on your college website, or you can use the "flat rate calculator" at the bottom of the Tuition Assistance application page. 

Step 5:  Submit a degree plan to your state education office.  A degree plan shows that the classes you are taking count towards your degree.  See a sample degree plan below.  You can get a blank degree plan from your college counseling office or website.  Be sure it shows the name of the college you are attending and include the name of the courses and the amount of credits for each class that you intend on taking.  If you change your classes or your intended degree, be sure to submit a new degree plan.

Fill out a degree plan and submit it to your state education office.

*In Washington State, send your degree plan to education@ng.army.mil and mike.an@us.army.mil

Step 6:  You will be notified by email once the funding has been approved.
This may take a day or up to a few weeks depending on your state.  If you don't hear from you education office with a few days, call them.
*In Washington state the education office can be reached at 253-512-8899.

For other states this information can be found once you login to the minuteman web portal or you can call the ARNG Education Support Center at 1-866-628-5999.

If you found this site helpful or if you think there is something we can improve, please let us know by commenting on our page.  If you have additional questions you can post them below or contact your state education office.