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U.S. Army Tuition Assistance Program (Army IgnitED 2.0)

When looking to take advantage of military tuition assistance, the first step is always to connect with your education service officer (ESO) from your branch of service and get approval from your command. They will have updated information on the process for your specific branch of service.

Further details on the provisions of TA are found in AR 621-5 and policy documents signed by the Director, Army Continuing Education System.

If you have additional questions, you can contact the Education Counselor:

INDIANA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS: U.S. ARMY RESERVE MEMBERS:

Ms. Mari Boldman

 Mrs. Jacqueline Rossen

mari.a.boldman.civ@army.mil

 jacqueline.b.rossen.ctr@army.mil
317-964-7023 or 317-964-7161 719-516-2864

Please note these important tuition assistance timelines:

  • It is the responsibility of the student to manage and maintain knowledge of any changes in the mechanics of the ArmyIgnitED program.
  • Contact the Education Office (contact information above) if any of the following is not correct:
  • Civ Ed Level is correct in your ArmyIgnitED profile. 
  • Make sure that you do not have any holds on your ArmyIgnitED dashboard. If the "Apply for Funding" button is grayed out, that means you have holds. 
  • Degree plan must be in ArmyIgnitED.  
  • FTA Deadline: FTA can be requested as early as 60 to 7 days prior to the class start date. FTA cannot be awarded if submitted after the class start date (AR 621-5).
  • The institution cannot guarantee payment of tuition assistance as promised by the U.S. Army. If your Tuition Assistance is rejected by ArmyIgnitED the balance of the account remains a student debt.
  • TA covers tuition only. TA will not pay for fees institutions levy, unless authorized by DoD Instruction 1322.25.
  • The Army will fund 100% of the tuition for up to 16 hours of credit, not to exceed $250 per credit hour (for a total of up to $4,000 per fiscal year).

Indiana Education Assistance Office:

Education Services Specialist
National Guard Bureau
Indiana Army National Guard
2002 South Holt Road
Indianapolis, IN 46241
Phone: (317)964-7147

Additional number: 317-247-3300 x77020

  • Army soldiers may access ArmyIgnitED using the following link: https://www.armyignited.army.mil/
  • All soldiers must create a new ArmyIgnitED login ID to request TA.
  • Soldiers should add their USI Student ID to ArmyIgnitED profile so that information can be easily discovered.
  • A Common Access Card (CAC) is required to log into the ArmyIgnitED Portal.
  • Please use Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. Of note, you may experience issues accessing the portal from a government computer.
  • An Evaluated Degree Plan (EDP) is required to be uploaded to ArmyIgnitED. You may access your EDP from your USI Self-Services Tab, then select DegreeWorks
    • Print and save this document to upload to ArmyIgnitED. Once your Army Education Counselor has approved your Education Path, you will be able to request Tuition Assistance (TA) for courses outlined on your EDP.
  • Please Note: Your Transfer Credit Evaluation (TCE) should be completed prior to uploading your EDP.
  • All requests for Tuition Assistance must be made in ArmyIgnitED earlier than 60 days and no later than 7 days before the course start date.
    • Approvals for TA may be processed within 7 days of the course start, but your request to use TA for the course must be in place in ArmyIgnitED 7 days prior to the course start.
    • Please be sure to enroll at USI in the course you wish to request TA prior to 7 days before the course start.
  • Students enrolled in a Courses for Transfer program:
    • Soldiers will need to create a Special Program path if you are enrolling in courses to fulfill IPAP or AMEDD requirements. Your IPAP or AMEDD documentation will need to be uploaded in place of an Evaluated Degree Plan. TAR’s will be approved so long as you do not change home schools.
  • Army Tuition Assistance is capped at 16 credit hours or $4,000 per Fiscal Year (1 October – 30 September).
  • USI invoices the Army once all courses in your start month have passed the 19% completion threshold, meaning invoicing typically occurs about 30 days after the course start date.
  • Approved Military Tuition Assistance does not constitute a payment being received; TA approvals are only a promise for the Army to pay. The Army will not pay fiscal funds to a university until after they have been invoiced.
    • Upon receipt of an invoice, the service branch can take 30 – 90 days to perform payment of fiscal funds to a university.
  • All changes to course enrollments (Drops or Withdrawals) must occur within your USI account.
    • These systems operate independently, you the student is responsible for making sure both systems remain current.
  • Students must indicate that they are a current active member of the US Military and are serving in the US Army (Active Duty, National Guard, or Reservist) in their student profile for USI.
  • Once your TA has been approved by your Army Education Counselor, the TA request (TAR) will be electronically submitted to USI.
    • Your TA request will be automatically processed at USI. If you have completed the TAR electronically, you will not need to submit a TA document to USI.
  • Your official grade report will be accessible after your grade(s) post.

Soldiers should review the “Explore My Options” section on the ArmyIgnitED dashboard to search degree programs, academic institutions, and explore careers using the Career Path Decide tool.

The first step to using the ArmyIgnitED portal is to establish an ArmyIgnitED student account. Before your start, you must have access to your military email, a CAC Card Reader, and reliable internet. If you do not have access to your military email and/or reliable internet, you may have difficulty creating your ArmyIgnitED User Account.

Access the new site at Army soldiers may access ArmyIgnitED using the following link: https://www.armyignited.army.mil/

 

Once you have an account established, you will need to create an education goal.

Link for Educational Goal Tutorial

Link for an Example of ARB Civilian Ed Level Change

After creating an ArmyIgnitED account, it is time to set up an education goal. Your Education Goal should be your current degree goal with USI. Please select your current degree level goal, your institution name (University of Southern Indiana), and the degree program you are currently attending. All the degree programs for USI have been uploaded into the ArmyIgnitED portal, so please select only the program that you are currently enrolled.

 

Prior to completing this step, please ensure that you have downloaded and saved a copy of your USI Degree Plan document, as you will need to upload this in this step. This can be found on your Degree Works under your Self-Service tab.

Please Note: Your Transfer Credit Evaluation (TCE) should be completed prior to uploading your EDP.
Click “Education Goals”
Click “Create New Goal”

Please Note: If the desired education goal is listed as N/A, you must have this goal updated by an Army Education Counselor

Complete University of Southern Indiana for “Institution” and “Institution Student ID (USI Student ID)” then click “Next”
Search for your Current Degree Program

Select your Current Degree Program
Select “Next”
Now you are all set to upload your Degree Plan from your USI Academic Plan.
Select “Upload Degree Plan” and select “Next”

 

Please Note: You can only upload an Evaluated Degree Plan (EDP) during the Education Goal creation. After completing 2 courses, the EDP will be required before you can continue to request TA. If you are experiencing issues with uploading the EDP or if you wait to upload the EDP, you will need to contact your Army Education Counselor for further assistance.

Link for TAR Tutorial

1. From ArmyIgnitED Dashboard, locate ‘Active Education Goals’ and the select ‘Apply for Funding’

2. Verify ‘Contact Information’

  • If information needs to be updated, select ‘yellow pencil’ next to the designated area.
  • If all information is correct, click ‘Verify and Proceed

3. Acknowledge the ‘User Agreement’ – Read fully, check ALL boxes to agree to the conditions and then click ‘I Agree Continue’

4. Verify current ‘Education Center’, identify if ‘deployed’ then select ‘Next’

5. Verify ‘Education Institution’ is correct; ensure correct ‘Campus’ is selected; input ‘Institutional Student ID’ then click ‘Next’

6. Select correct ‘Start and End Dates’

  • If dates are not listed, then click on ‘Different Term Dates’ and input correct dates, then click ‘Next

7. Add your desired course by clicking on ‘Add Course’

  • Select your desired course by clicking on the ‘+’.
    • NOTE: If your institution has added courses into ArmyIgnitED, the courses will be displayed on your screen. Courses can be filtered by ‘Code – Title’ and / or by ‘Keyword’.
  • NOTE: If your desired course is not listed, click on ‘Add Course Manually’

8. Input ALL course information

  • NOTE: Ensure that the course information matches your institution. The click ‘Add Course’

9. Click on ‘Add Course’ if you want to add another course; otherwise click ‘Submit'

10. You will then receive a confirmation that your TA request has been submitted. Please note your ‘TA Request ID’ and click ‘Finish’

It is very important for all training and prior educational experience is evaluated for credit transfer.

Request Transcripts for Evaluation - Any forms of training, whether military or other institutions, should be evaluated by our Registrar. Request transcripts be sent directly to them through the institution or if military through Joint Services Transcripts (JST) or the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).  Once reviewed, your credit evaluation transfer can be viewed on your Degree Works transcript.

If you believe you should have a specific military course or experience evaluated, please contact your academic advisor.

JST Informational Flyer 20230901

2 STEPS SOLDIERS NEED TO COMPLETE
ON OR AFTER 29 AUGUST
• Create an Account
• Create an Education Goal

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

  1. How do I create an account on ArmyIgnitED 2.0 once it is launched
    on 29 August 2022?
    1. Visit the new ArmyIgnitED website, www.armyignited.army.mil, and click on
      “Login.” This will register your CAC to the upgraded ArmyIgnitED. You will only
      need the URL and your CAC. (Login.gov will not be used to access the site).

  2. I have courses that start on or after 10/1/22, where do I submit TA requests?
    1. You submit these TA requests on ArmyIgnitED 2.0 when it launches on 8/29/22.
  3. I was unable to submit TA requests in ArmyIgnitED 1.0 due to system
    What do I do?
    1. Stand by. Once Army Education HQ provides specific instructions regarding this,
      further guidance will be disseminated.

 

USI ARMYIGNITED STUDENT INFORMATIONAL PACKET FALL 2022
Welcome to the Veteran Military and Family Resource Center at University of Southern Indiana Our office services students who are utilizing military Tuition Assistance benefits at University of Southern Indiana. We look forward to assisting you to accomplish your academic endeavors.

 

The following helpful information will assist you when using the ArmyIgnitED portal for TA and how to apply for benefits. There are three distinct departments you may be working with when using the ArmyIgnitED Portal.