Federal Benefits Summary

The Army National Guard is a military service with a mission to support and defend not only the Constitution of the United States, but also that of individual States. Therefore, as a member of the Army National Guard you are also a member of the "Reserve Components" and particularly a reserve of the Army. As a member of the ARNG, you may qualify for numerous federal education benefits; some unique to the ARNG and others as a part of the Army or Reserve Components team. ARNG soldiers, their family members, and employees of the ARNG are eligible for a variety of Federal Education benefits to assist in the pursuit of higher education objectives.

Click here for a short summary of each program.

Overview:

Federally funded programs are sponsored / financed by the ARNG, National Guard Bureau, US Army, US Department of Defense, or US Department of Veteran Affairs. ARNG members are part of the US military; and thus, eligible for many of the federal education incentives that their counterparts in other military services receive.

Eligibility:

• Eligibility requirements are different for each program, but are managed (for the most part) by the National Guard Bureau through annual policy and program guidance. Some benefits are immediately available to members the day they become members (as early as a high school junior at 17 years old), such as ARNG Federal Tuition Assistance.
• Research the specific program in more detail on this website or contact your ARNG State Education Office for more information.

These benefits include:

• Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) - either Active Army TA or ARNG Federal TA
• Reserve GI Bill ( Ch 1606)
• Active Duty GI Bill (Ch 30)
• Mobilization GI Bill (Ch 1607)
• ARNG GI Bill Kicker
• Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP)
• Healthcare Professional’s Loan Repayment (HPLR)
• Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty Scholarships
• Dedicated ARNG ROTC Scholarships
• SOC GUARD
• Free Testing, Certification, and Licensing
• Troops to Teachers
• Spouse to Teachers
• Army e-Learning Program (Smart Force)
• eDISCOVER
• Army Academic Training Transcripts (AARTS)
• Student Guide to Success (Free Test-Out Preparation)
• Educational Counseling
• Degree Planning
• Apprenticeship & OJT programs
• ARNG Education Support Center (ESC)