Return of Funds Policy for Military Tuition Assistance
Military tuition assistance (TA) is awarded under the assumption that you will attend school for the entire duration of the course(s) for which the funds are paid. Should you withdraw from a course(s), you may no longer qualify to receive the full amount of TA funds originally awarded.
If your qualification status should change, unearned TA funds will be returned to the military and you may be responsible for paying any unpaid balance on your student account.
What is TCC's policy on the return of unearned TA funds to the government?
To comply with Department of Defense policy, TCC will return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through 60% of the period for which the funds were provided. Unearned funds are returned based on your official withdrawal date from a course.
The unearned TA funds will be returned to the military, not to you, the service member.
You will be responsible for paying any outstanding balance created on your student account as a result of unearned TA funds being returned to the service branch. This policy only applies to the type of educational benefit outlined on this page, and it does not apply to veterans or veterans benefits.
Delinquent installment contracts, unpaid returned payments, outstanding miscellaneous charges, and financial aid adjustments will be sent to a third-party agency for collection. You may be responsible for any collection agency fees incurred from the additional collection efforts.
If you fail to make full payment prior to the end of the semester or term/quarter, you will be prohibited from registering for future classes until full payment is made. Failure to make full payment prior to the end of the term/quarter may result in transcript denial.
What if I withdraw because of a military obligation?
When you officially withdraw due to a military service obligation, TCC will work with you to determine a solution that will not result in debt for the returned portion. You will need to provide proper documentation supporting the requirement to withdraw to meet your commitment.
What is TCC's schedule for returning unearned TA to the government?
The unearned funds will be returned to the military within 60 days of TCC's determination of your official withdrawal date from the course.
The unearned funds will be returned according to the following schedule:
| Course length | 70% return of funds | 25% return of funds | 0% return of funds | Week marking 60% completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 week | During weeks 1–6 | During weeks 7–10 | After week 10 | Week 10 |
| 15 week | During weeks 1–5 | During weeks 6–9 | After week 9 | Week 9 |
| 14 week | During weeks 1–4 | During weeks 5–9 | After week 9 | Week 9 |
| 12 week | During weeks 1–4 | During weeks 5–8 | After week 8 | Week 8 |
| 10 week | During weeks 1–3 | During weeks 4–6 | After week 6 | Week 6 |
| 8 week | During weeks 1–2 | During weeks 3–5 | After week 5 | Week 5 |
| 7 week | During weeks 1–2 | During weeks 3–5 | After week 5 | Week 5 |
| 5 week | During weeks 1–2 | During weeks 3–4 | After week 4 | Week 4 |
For courses with durations falling outside the scope of those listed above, unearned TA funds will be returned on a prorated basis.
The percentage of TA earned equals the number of days you completed before withdrawing, divided by the total number of days the course was expected to be held.
This will determine the percentage of completion to factor the amount of TA you’ve earned.
Example Situations
Example 1: Bob enrolled in a 16 week course. He withdrew from the course during week 5. Based on the length of the term (16 weeks) and the week in which he withdrew from the class (week 5), the institution will use the return of funds chart to determine how much TA he earned. In this specific case, Bob withdrew from the course prior to the 60% point, so based on the chart, 70% of the TA funds would be returned to the agency.
Example 2: Sue enrolled in a 5 week course. She withdrew from the course during week 4. Based on the length of the term (5 weeks) and the week in which she withdrew from the class (week 4), the institution will use the return of funds chart to determine how much TA she earned. In this specific case, Sue withdrew from the course prior to the 60% point, so based on the chart, 25% of the TA funds would be returned to the agency.
Example 3: Tamara enrolled in a 12 week course. She withdrew from the course during week 9. Based on the length of the term (12 weeks) and the week in which she withdrew from the class (week 9), the institution will use the return of funds chart to determine how much TA she earned. In this specific case, Tamara withdrew from the course after the 60% point, so based on the chart, none (0%) of the TA funds would be returned to the agency.
Questions
If you have additional questions regarding your TA, please contact your service branch directly.
Updated January 20, 2023