Air Force Tuition Assistance
The Air Force will pay 100% of your in-state tuition at USC Sumter and many fees as long as you are pursuing a higher level degree than you already have (up to a Master's degree). For example, if you are working towards your Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) degree, you can use tuition assistance to complete that degree. Once you have completed the CCAF degree and you can show that the course work that you are taking will meet degree requirements for a bachelor's degree, you can use tuition assistance. You cannot use tuition assistance to repeat courses previously taken. And, you must reimburse tuition assistance for any courses that you receive a grade of "F" or for withdrawals that are not duty or family related.
Veteran's Benefits
Eligibility for veteran's benefits depends upon the time frame you entered the service and whether you enrolled in the program. For further information, visit the Veteran's Affairs website. This site can be a great asset to veteran, reservists, dependents, school officials, and other professionals interested in VA education benefit programs.
Air Force Aid Society Financial Programs
For further information, contact your local Family Support Center.
Federal Student Aid Programs
These programs include the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Stafford Loan, Perkins Loan, Parents Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), and College Work-Study. For further information, visit the USC Sumter Financial Aid website.
Scholarships
USC Sumter awards over 80 scholarships annually. These scholarships are awarded based
on many factors to include previous academic achievement. (These scholarships are
not based on financial need.) The funds are provided by generous donors to include
individuals, businesses, and foundations. To find out more information on USC Sumter
scholarships visit the scholarships website.
There are many other types of scholarships available. They may include scholarships
offered through your place of employment, churches, financial institutions such as
credit unions, special scholarships for certain ethnic groups, fields of study, or
regions of the country. To find out more information on these types of scholarships
visit your local base or community library, financial aid office at the school you
will be attending, or search the Internet. USC Sumter's Financial Aid Office is happy
to assist you. Visit the USC Sumter Financial Aid homepage.
Tuition Assistance by Service Branch
All TA funding requests must be approved by supervisors, via the Air Force Virtual Education Center, and fall within the TA application window of 45 calendar days prior to, and no later than 7 calendar days before, the term start date.
- Any TA not "supervisor" approved by prescribed start dates will be auto-deleted and a notification sent to the prospective student.
- MilTA will automatically be denied for Airmen with UIFs, failed PT tests or referral EPR/OPRs or on a Control Roster.
Learn more about the Air Force's tuition assistance policies, or contact your local installation education offices with additional questions or clarification on MilTA benefits and program specifics.
Active-duty, USAR and ARNG soldiers qualify for tuition assistance from the Army.
- The Army is currently undergoing an update to the TA portal for both administrators and students. The new system is AmryIgnitED. More instruction will be posted as we approach the 'go live' date. Click here for more information about how to request TA for Columbia/Ft. Jackson.
- By law, officers who use TA incur a service obligation: two years for active-duty officers and four years for reserve officers.
- Service obligation is calculated from the date of completion of the last course for which TA was used.