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.