year policy does not apply. If

you are currently in a gradu-ate program with less than

10 years of service, TA will be authorized for the remained

of FY 2014 only.

~ You will continue to re-ceive up to $250 per semes-

ter hour/$165 per quarter hour for up to 130 semester

hours for completion of a bachelor’s degree and up to

The Army’s FY 2014 policy

was implemented within GoArmyEd effective January 1,

2014.

~Soldiers will be eligible for TA upon successfully complet-

ing one year of service follow-ing graduation from either

AIT, OCS or BOLC.

~You can take up to 16 se-mester hours /24 quarter

hours of TA-funded courses

per year.

~You can use TA for a gradu-

ate degree once you have 10 years of service. If TA did not

pay for any portion of your undergraduate degree, the 10-

39 semester hours for comple-tion of a master’s degree. This

will permit Soldiers to complete one degree at the undergradu-

ate or graduate level. TA cannot be used for a lower or lateral

degree, nor can it be used for first-professional degrees, e.g.,

PhD, MD or JD.

The new policy is designed to maximize the use of TA for all

Soldiers in a constrained budget environment while con-

tinuing to support your profes-sional and personal self-development goals and to pre-

pare you for your eventual

return to civilian life.

Tuit ion Assistance Reminder

Currently the ORARNG has 10 1LT

without college degrees.

It’s important to talk to your Officers

without degrees and instruct them of

the hazards of not completing their

college degree.

Hazards include:

1) No promotion to CPT

2) Losing their commission and re-

verting to enlisted

Of the 10 Officer without degree,

only 1 is currently receiving FTA.

Special points of interest:

Page 1: Reminder! TA changes

Page 1: Officers without degrees

Page 2: Discounted SAT/ACT test

prep

Page 3: Gift of a College Degree

Page 4: A my Personnel Testing

Page 4: Why Go To College?

Page 5: College Financial Assistance

Information

Page 6: e-SOU (Statement of Under-

standing Goes Digital

Education Services Specialist

Federal TA/Testing & GI Bill

Ann Browning

(503) 584-3434

Oregon Army National

Guard Education

Newsletter

May 2014 Quarterly Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 3

ORARNG 1LT Officers Without Degrees

821 TC,

125.0%

41 STB,

114.3%

2-162 INF,

213.3%

1-186 INF,

320.0%

41 BCT HQ,

150.0%

1-82 CAV

110.0%

1249 EN,

110.0%

Targeted Area

Of 103 1LT assigned , 10

By Battalion

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Request your program online: www.eKnowledge.com/NationalGuard

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Page 2 Oregon Army National Guard Education Newsletter

“Don't cry

because it's

over, smile

because it

happened.”

― Dr. Seuss

LIKE us at

Facebook

Search: Oregon Army National

Guard Education Office

90% Discount on SAT and ACT Test Prep

Since the Post 9/11 GI Bill was introduced in 2008, more than 352,000

service members have transferred these benefits along to more than

752,000 spouses or dependent children, according to the Defense Depart-

ment.

A service member must have served at least 6 years to be eligible for a

transfer to a spouse and since August 2013, the transfer has obligated eligi-

ble military members another 4 years of service.

DON’T WAIT. Apply to transfer at least a month of your benefits

to all potential beneficiaries even if you’re not 100% sure your spouse or a

dependent will use them. The 4 year commitment countdown doesn’t be-

gin until the transfer is approved.

COVER YOUR BASES. Once you separate or retire, your can re-

voke or change how your transfer is split up but you can’t add a new bene-

ficiary. Your spouse and dependents must be enrolled in DEERS to be eli-

gible for a transfer. The Post 9/11 GI Bill offers up to 36 months of bene-

fits.

READ THE FINE PRINT. Upon approval, your spouse could

begin to use the benefits immediately. A dependent may start to use the

benefits only after the service member making the transfer has completed

10 years of service.

For more details on the Post 9/11 GI Bill, visit www.gibill.va.gov

Page 3 Quarterly Newsletter

Historical Events for May

May 1, 1873 : The first US post

card was issued 1873

May 8, 1945: V-E Day, Victory

in Europe (WWII)

May 10, 1908: The first

Mother’s Day observance

took place in West Virginia &

Pennsylvania

May 13, 1607: The English

Colony at Jamestown,

Virginia was settled

May 16, 1866: Issuance of the

nickel coin was authorized by

Congress

May 30, 1922: The Lincoln

Memorial was dedicated

The Gift of a College Degree

The Army Personnel Testing (APT) program encompasses standardized test to

determine eligibility for specialized training and to support the Army’s per-

sonnel selection and classification process, including language proficiency

testing. The Oregon Education Center offers several APT testing:

Armed Forces Classification Test (AFCT): administered to Soldiers who need

to improve their ASVAB score

Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB): administered to Soldiers who

want to qualify for language training

Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT): administered to Soldiers who

require annual validation of language proficiency.

Selection Instrumental Flight Training (SIFT): administered Soldiers that want

to apply for an aviation training program.

Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE): administered to Soldiers applying

for specific WO branches

Prior to scheduling a test date/time with the Oregon Education Center:

· Your unit must complete a DA 4187 and submit to the education center

· Assure your CAC card is valid and you know your PIN. You must bring

your CAC on your scheduled test date.

Non-Army Testing: this office can also proctor non-Army tests associated

with civilian on-line courses.

Page 4 Oregon Army National Guard Education Newsletter

“Be who you are

and say what you

feel, because

those who mind

don't matter, and

those who

matter don't

mind.”

― Bernard M.

Baruch

A college education is a long term investment. With careful planning you can find the school and fund-

ing options that work best for your situation and put you on the path to success.

Army Personnel Testing

Federal financial aid There are three main types of U.S. federal student aid: grants, loans and work-study.

Grants do not have to be paid back, except for early withdrawal, which may require a partial repayment.

The U.S. Department of Education offers a variety of

federal grants to students attending four-year colleges or universities, community colleges, and career

schools:

»» Pell grant

»» Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants program (FSEOG)

»» Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant

»» Iraq and Afghanistan Service grant

The work-study program provides work opportunities at the school to assist with paying for school.

Loans are at a low interest, but must be paid back. There are scholarships, including money awarded to stu-

dents based on academic or other achievements to help pay for education expenses. Scholarships generally

do not have to be repaid. Check out free Department of Labor scholarship tools at www.careerinfonet.org/

scholarshipsearch/.

For more information on various forms of federal financial aid available for college, go to www.

studentaid.ed.gov/types.

**WARNING! Always be aware of scholarship scams. NEVER PAY to fill out the Free Application for

Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or pay to apply for a grant or scholarship.**

Military families financial aid As a unique population, there may be specific financial aid available for the military member and fam-

ily members. For more information on financial assistance for college, go to www.todaysmilitary.com/

military-benefits/education-support.

American Legion financial aid The American Legion, an organization of wartime veterans, produce a free annual guide to financial aid

for college, called “Need A Lift?” This guide is filled with information on scholarships, grants, fee waiv-

ers, student loans, and the organizations that offer them. (www.needalift.org/)

State financial aid Individual states may offer other avenues of financial aid for school. Check out state agencies for further

details at wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_cd=SGT.

College specific financial aid and private/nonprofit organizations

Grants and scholarships are often called “gift aid” because they are free money—financial aid

that doesn’t have to be repaid. Grants are often need-based, while scholarships are usually merit-

based. For information about a specific college, visit their financial aid office or contact their

online financial aid office.

Tax benefits for education

Service members currently in college may also be eligible for tax benefits. Two tax credits help

offset the costs (tuition, fees, books, supplies) of college or career school by reducing the amount

of income tax due:

»» American Opportunity Credit — claim up to $2,500 per student per year for the first four years

of school (www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch02.html)

»» Lifetime Learning Credit — claim up to $2,000 per student per year for any college or career

school tuition and fees, books, supplies, and required equipment purchased from the school

(www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch03.html)

A tax deduction can be taken for interest paid on student loans. This benefit applies to all loans

(not just federal student loans) used to pay for higher education expenses. The maximum deduc-

tion is $2,500 a year. (www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch04.html)

College Financial Assistance information you should know Page 5

A new streamlined Tuition Assistance (TA) Statement of Under-

standing (SOU) process will be implemented with GoArmyEd Re-

lease 8.2 on 29 March 2014.

When the TA SOU is due, the Soldier logs into GoArmyEd and in

the alert section, selects the TA SOU link.

~Soldier in the rank of E6 and below enters commander's rank,

name and email address (must be .mil or.gov).

**There is a know issue with using your commander’s mail.mil ac-

count so until it’s corrected, please use their AKO (us.army.mil)**

~System sends an email to the commander with an embedded

link that takes the commander into GoArmyEd to review,

approve/reject the TA SOU.

~Soldier receives an email when TA SOU is approved or

rejected.

~Soldiers in the rank of E7 and above will sign the SOU by

entering his/her GoArmyEd password.

Commanders do not have to have a GoArmyEd account to execute

this functionality. Reminder emails are sent by GoArmyEd to

Commanders and Soldiers if no action is taken.

With this new process, Soldiers will no longer be required to print,

scan and upload their signed TA SOU to GoArmyEd and Counsel-

ors will no longer be required to review and approve the annual TA

SOU. Soldiers will continue to receive the warning emails at 30, 60

and 90 days prior to their anniversary date that their TA SOU is

about to expire and will have ample time to complete the process.

2. The current process for acknowledging the quarterly TA SOU is

not changing. Soldier signs the SOU by entering his/her

GoArmyEd password.

Page 6 Oregon Army National Guard Education Newsletter

E-SOU (Statement of Understand) goes digita l