Armed Forces News

Army National Guard members soon will have immediate access to their tuition assistance funds. The National Guard Bureau announced July 6 that a change in policy would eliminate the requirement that they wait a full year before they can use the benefit. The change applies only to Guard soldiers who complete both basic and advanced individual training. Additionally, Army Guard members no longer would have to wait 10 years before they could use the benefit to pay for master’s degree programs. Benefits now will be associated with professional military education requirements. In order to do this, Guard soldiers must first earn bachelor’s degrees. Enlisteds must complete the Advanced Leaders Course, warrant officers must finish the Warrant Officers Advanced Course, and officers must complete the Captains Career Course first.