Maine National Guard Education Assistance Program

If you serve in the Maine National Guard, you may be eligible for full tuition at a state college or university. The benefit includes both part-time and full-time enrollment and may be used to earn a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree, or certificate and licensure. This does not include books, housing, lab fees, or other mandatory fees. To be eligible you must:

  1. Have completed basic training or received a commission,
  2. Enter into a written contract to serve in the Maine National Guard for at least one year after you get this benefit
  3. Apply for all other tuition benefits, such as:
  • Federally funded military tuition assistance;
  • Employer tuition reimbursements or assistance; and
  • Federal grants, such as a Federal Pell Grant.

You are not eligible if you:

  1. Have a bachelor’s degree or its equal,
  2. Have nine or more unexcused absences from Unit training, or
  3. Fail to complete the entire period of annual training in a twelve-month period without authorization.

You can use this benefit to earn up to 130 credits. If you receive other tuition assistance, this benefit goes down by that amount. For example, if you receive a Pell Grant, the amount of money the Pell Grant gives you is taken from the amount you can get with this benefit. You will still receive full tuition, but not extra. This does not include any money to help pay for housing or other costs.

This money is tuition assistance. Your Unit will pay the school directly.

Important: You will lose this benefit and may have to repay any money you received for the previous semester if:

  1. You have nine or more unexcused absences from unit training
  2. You fail to complete annual training
  3. You fail to keep good academic standing, or
  4. You drop below a 2.0 grade point average (GPA)

How do I apply?

You can get a paper application from your Unit (Army or Air Guard). The financial aid office at your school should also have this paperwork, but you should check with your Unit first.

The deadline to apply for the Fall semester is July 31st.  The deadline to apply for the Spring semester is November 30th. These deadlines may be extended on a case-by-case basis in very limited situations; for example, if you are overseas. The Education Office decides whether or not to extend the deadline.

 

For more information contact the Maine National Guard Education Office at (207)430-5922.

August 2017