Military Tuition Assistance (TA) Refund Policy

Purpose of Military Tuition Assistance Policy

Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student officially withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded.

To comply with the Department of Defense (DOD) policy, Dallas College will return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending Dallas College. The unearned TA funds will be returned to the military service, not to the service member, within 45 days of the determination of withdrawal.

In instances when a service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, Dallas College will work with the affected service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion in compliance with DOD policy.

Scope and Limitations

Military TA is a benefit paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. Congress has given each service the ability to pay up to 100% for the tuition expenses of its member. Each service has its own criteria for eligibility, obligated service, application processes and restrictions. This money is usually paid directly to the institution by the individual military services. This policy only applies to this type of educational benefit. The TA Program is a benefit that is only available while the student is in the service. This policy does not apply to Veterans or Veteran benefits.

To remain in compliance with the DOD’s policy, Dallas College will return any unearned TA funds through at least 60% of the semester on a prorated basis. The amount of unearned TA that is returned is based on the date of official withdrawal from the course. To be considered officially withdrawn from one or more classes and eligible for a refund, a student must have filed the appropriate form with the campus within the refund period or completed the appropriate process in eConnect.

If the student officially withdraws from a TA-covered class before completing more than 60% of the semester, a portion of the TA received will be returned to the military service which funded the course. If the student remains enrolled and attends class for more than 60% of the payment period in which aid is received, 100% of the TA will be considered earned and will not be evaluated for a return to the DOD. The campus business office will notify affected students of the determination of withdrawal as to the portion of funds being returned and if the return of unearned funds will result in a balance on the student’s financial account.

Although the TA may be posted to the account at the beginning of each payment period, the funds are earned as the payment period is completed. If the student completely withdraws from a course covered by TA, during the payment period, the student may incur a debt for any tuition charges resulting from the return of the TA funds.

The return of TA funds will be course specific and aligned with current institutional standard refund policies, with an additional timeframe to extend from the last day for a standard refund up to and including the day calculated as the 60% completion mark. During this additional timeframe TA will be returned to the military service at a rate of 10%. The 60% completion date will be calculated based on the length of the course in calendar days. The official withdrawal date from the course will be used to determine the basis for the return. The standard Dallas College Refund of Tuition  policy may be accessed under the Tuition and Other Costs section of the current catalog Table of Contents .

The process for Dropping a Course or Withdrawing from College  is detailed under the Grades and Transcripts section of the current catalog Table of Contents.

Calculation of Return of Unearned TA Funds

Unearned TA funds will be returned on a proportional basis to the appropriate military service, not to the service member, within 45 days of the determination of an official withdrawal by a student according to the following schedules:

Standard Semester-Length Courses (16, 8 and 5 Weeks)

16-Week Courses

8-Week Courses

5-Week (Summer) Courses

Flexible-Entry and Non-Semester-Length Courses

For flexible entry and non-semester-length courses with an official reporting date other than the 12th class day (fourth class day for a summer session), students who withdraw prior to the **first class day will receive a 100 percent refund. When students withdraw after class begins, unearned TA funds will be returned on a proportional basis to the appropriate military service not to the service member, within 45 days of the determination of an official withdrawal by a student entitled to tuition assistance. The proportional amount of TA will be calculated and returned in accordance with the following schedule:

*For courses which meet on what the campus considers a regular schedule, class days refer to the number of calendar days the institution normally meets for classes, not the days a particular course meets. For courses which meet on an unusual or irregular schedule, the campus may exercise professional judgement in defining a class day.

**The “1st class day” is the day the institution’s term officially begins; it may precede the first day a student’s class actually meets. Refunds are based on net charges for classes dropped and added if occurring prior to the date the campus must report official enrollment.

***Because of possible irregularities in actual course start and end dates, the 60% course completion date will be calculated for the individual course by dividing the number of class days attended by the number of class days in the course.