Deckplate Soundings
Master Chief Mark H. Allen,
Coast Guard Reserve Force Master Chief
s the proverbial glass half empty or half full? When it comes to
Coast Guard Reserve educational benefits, the glass is nearly
full. Yet, reservists regularly ask me why Tuition Assistance
(TA) has been reinstated for only certain members. They also
express concern that reservists who have become dependent on
TA will be unable to continue their education.
As you likely know, the Coast Guard has reinstated TA, which
had been suspended due to sequestration. You may not know that
the Coast Guard Active Component (AC) and Reserve Component
(RC) receive monies for TA from separate funding streams, and
that those streams are spent at different rates. The Reserve has
less TA funding left for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013 than
does the AC. The RC does have enough funding left to cover TA for
reservists on long-term orders but not enough for all reservists.
Here's the tradeoff: to accommodate the 12 percent of
reservists who use TA (FY12 data), the question becomes, which
other RC expenditure should we cut or end? For example, should
we reduce the size of the Reserve, or reduce number of drills or
annual training (AT) days to pay for reinstating TA for all
reservists?
As Vice Admiral Parker and Vice Admiral Zukunft note in The
View from the Bridge, "a well-prepared Reserve Component will
prove crucial when our service and nation require an agile
response to unimaginable catastrophes which eclipse our
deliberate planning capabilities." Given this reality we must
remain focused on personal readiness, obtaining and maintaining
competency and proficiency, and being ready to mobilize in
support of Coast Guard operations.
The Master Chief of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) Mike Leavitt
has advised Gold Badge Command Master Chiefs, "Many believe
that Tuition Assistance is an entitlement but it's not, it is a benefit."
The MCPOCG has further stated in the Navy Times, "We recognize
that Tuition Assistance is an important benefit for the professional
and personal growth of our active duty, reserve and civilian
members. . . . sequestration impacts virtually all federal agencies
and programs and each agency, including the Coast Guard, must
make tough decisions based on their individual operational and
personnel needs. Our goals are to preserve the Coast Guard's
ability to conduct its most critical mission activities; mitigate
impacts to our workforce; avoid long term impacts and mitigate
major disruptions to maintenance activities, workforce training,
and operational proficiency."
ALCOAST 175/13 reinstated TA for AC members and for RC
members on long-term orders (ADOS and EAD), but not for
reservists in a drilling status. ALCOAST 257/13 added RC
members on involuntary Title 10 orders to the eligibility criteria.
TA remains available to only members E-6 and below and only for
undergraduate study. I strongly encourage you to review these
messages and to engage your Education Services Officer (ESO)
with any questions about how the new guidance affects you.
I
So what about this glass that is nearly full? Our robust set of
Coast Guard Reserve educational benefits includes the Post 9/11
GI Bill; Coast Guard Mutual Assistance grants and loans; Coast
Guard Reserve National Awards and Scholarships; Coast Guard
Foundation scholarships and grants; and various Military Service
Organizations' scholarships. Also available are Federal Student
Aid grants, loans, and scholarships for military members and
their families. For military members, the application is on line at
www.fafsa.gov; there is no age limit; and, there is no application
fee. For military families (www.studentaid.gov/military), the
offer includes Federal grants, loans, and work-study.
An overview of Coast Guard Reserve educational benefits
appears in the Senior Enlisted Reserve Advisor training available
in the Coast Guard Learning Management System (https://
elearning.uscg.mil; search for "SERA"). Additional resource links
are provided below.
Again, be sure to consult your unit ESO for more information or
assistance with applications.
So, are you thirsty for more education? Then take a big gulp of
your Coast Guard Reserve educational benefits, as the glass truly
is nearly full.
Education benefts available to
reservists:
Post 9/11 GI Bill
www.uscg.mil/reserve/docs/member_resources/
Education/Chapter_33_Update_SEP2010.pdf
http://gibill.va.gov/benefits/index.html
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance
www.cgmahq.org/Assistance/Programs/edu.html
Stafford/PLUS Loan Fee Reimbursement
Supplemental Education Grants (SEG)
Education Loan Program
Coast Guard Reserve national Awards and
Scholarships Guidance
www.uscg.mil/reserve/awards/
Coast Guard Foundation
Scholarships and Grants
www.coastguardfoundation.org/how/scholarships
Military Service Organizations:
The Military Coalition
www.themilitarycoalition.org/members.htm
Issue 2 • 2013 � RESERVIST
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