Marine Corps Tuition Assistance Rates to Return to Previous Figures, Fewer Marines May Benefit

The Department of Defense has directed the Marine Corps to cancel its drastic tuition cuts that it announced last week. Officials, however, expect fewer Marines to benefit.

This month, the Marine Corps announced that  Marines could only use $875 in tuition assistance.

With the new plans, officials expect to use the entire $28 million budget.

“We do anticipate the money will run out,” said Maj. Shawn Haney, spokesman for the Marine Corps’  Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “I don’t think we ran out in previous years.”

Each Marine would get $250 per credit hour up to $4,500 per, she said, adding that it is now the same amount for undergraduate and graduate students.

The previous year’s budget was for Marine Corps tuition assistance was $53 million, she said.

Investors in the American Public University System, the parent company of the American Military University, took the news with confidence Wednesday afternoon, said Jarrel Price, Senior Vice President of Height Analytics LLC in Washington, D.C. The university company's stock climbed some $3 to $35.50 shortly after 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, when investors heard of the change. It closed at $34.87.

“Having a uniform policy throughout all the branches is a positive thing,” Price said, but added that the potential for cuts even in the Marine Corps could be a warning sign of trouble throughout the services.

 “The Marine Corps raises concerns for future funding.” he said. “That’s going to highlight a new budgetary concern, that the Marine Corps and possibly other services are going to solve.”