Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) is a federally funded program that pays schools directly for the cost of tuition for Soldiers. FTA pays 100% of your tuition cost up to $250 per credit hour and up to maximum amount established annually per fiscal year (1 October - 30 September). Fees are authorized for payment as long as they are directly related to the course(s). You must provide details of fees on the uploaded statement of tuition cost (see Applying for Benefits below). FTA cannot be used for books.
FTA can be used towards one degree or certificate completion at WITCC. Soldiers are limited to 16 credit hours per fiscal year and 130 total credit hours towards an undergraduate degree.
For more information about FTA, contact your unit or service branch education office.
If you are an actively drilling member of the Army National Guard or US Army Reserves and completed your initial entry training (IET - Basic Training and AIT), you may be eligible to apply for Federal Tuition Assistance.
The deadline to apply for FTA is established by your service branch. You must apply for FTA each semester because the application is specific to the courses for which you are registered.
Before completing your semester application, contact the Registrar at Western Iowa Tech to add your new classes to your record on the TA portal.
FTA is applied to your Western Iowa Tech account after you provide the approved authorization(s) to the Veterans Services Office and Student Accounts. Student Accounts will credit your Western Iowa Tech account for the authorized amount. Western Iowa Tech invoices your service branch on a monthly basis and physically receives the money for your tuition and fees.
Each service branch established their own procedures and maximum benefit amounts per fiscal year. Be sure to check with your unit for details each year.