The Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) & The Tennessee S.T.R.O.N.G. Act

New Students:

• Apply to the university prior to your intended entry term.
  • For help applying, contact our Admissions Department:  615-898-2111   [email protected]
• Once you have been accepted, sign up for CUSTOMS Orientation. During the orientation, you will meet with an advisor who will help you enroll in classes for your first term.
  • For help registering for orientation, contact the CUSTOMS department:  615-898-5533 [email protected]
  • To find an advisor, find your major in the Advising Index.
• Register for classes on Pipeline.
  • For help registering for classes, refer to the Registration Guide or contact your advisor.

Returning Students:

• Register for classes on Pipeline.
  • For help registering for classes, refer to the Registration Guide or contact your advisor.
  • To find an advisor, find your major in the Advising Index.

To qualify for the TN STRONG reimbursement program, you must be:

• Enrolled in an eligible TN public or private institution,
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 (undergraduates) or 3.0 (graduate students) EACH SEMESTER.
• Apply for and use FTA if eligible,
• Be in good standing with and currently in the TN National Guard, and
• Apply for reimbursement within 45 days of the end of the course.

Note: If you earn less than a 2.0 (undergraduates) or 3.0 (graduate students) GPA, that semester will not be reimbursed, even if classes were passed.  Repeated classes will also not be reimbursed. 

Note: STRONG does not pay for flight lab fees or study abroad. 

Students who wish to use both TN STRONG and Post 9/11 GI Bill® should contact Jessica Pierson or Christopher Rochelle prior to application.

If you are a traditional member of the TN Air National Guard or an Army ROTC Cadet on scholarship, you can skip this step. 

If you are a member of the TN Army National Guard or Army Reserves, you must apply for FTA using ArmyIgnitED (Note: If an error page pops up when you open the link, click “Advanced” then “Proceed to site”).

This is a lengthy process that takes ~1-2 business days for approval. Therefore, it is recommended to start early, especially if you are new to this process (you can request TA up to 60 days before classes begin). You must have approval AT LEAST 8 days prior to the first day of classes.

Step 1 – Complete Career Path Decide Process: First-time TA users ONLY. Tutorial.

Step 2 – Complete Virtual Benefits Training. Tutorial.

Step 3 – Create Your Education Goal. Tutorial.

Step 4 – Once the Education Goal has been approved by the Education Center, submit your Tuition Assistance Request (TAR). Tutorial

Step 5 – How to View Approved TAR. Tutorial. Once the Tuition Assistance Request has been approved, log back into ArmyIgnited, download and email your TA Approval Form to [email protected] for processing.

For further questions and information covering requirements and assistance for FTA, contact Jessica Pierson or Christopher Rochelle.

Contact

Ms.Jessica Pierson
Assistant Director & Veterans Affairs Certifying Official

[email protected] 

615-898-2601

KUC 124

Contact

Mr. Christopher Rochelle
Veterans Center Assistant Director

[email protected] 

615-904-8489

KUC 316

 

Only the version dated 01 August 2025 will be accepted.

For application instructions and forms, visit the TN Education and Incentives Webpage.

• Complete Page 1 (Sections I and II). The postsecondary Institution POC for MTSU is Becky Bussell. (NOTE: only DOD CAC signatures are allowed.)
• Page 2 (Section III – Enrollment Certification) will be completed by the MTSU Bursar’s office.To submit your request, upload your completed Page 1 here.  The completed Enrollment Certification Form will be sent to your MTSU email address. 

NO deferments will be given if the application is sent to BURSAR after:

• July 15 for the Fall semester
• November 20 for the Spring semester
• April 25 for the Summer semester

Requests submitted after the above application dates will be returned no earlier than dates below:

• Fall semester – October 1
• Spring semester – March 1
• Summer semester – June 1

For further questions about your application packet, contact Natalie Hill.

*** DO NOT SEND PAGE 1 OF THE APPLICATION BY EMAIL!! ***

Your Social Security Number is in your application packet. Please do not send your packet via email.

Once you have done all of the above steps, you should have a completed packet with:

• FTA verification (if applicable)
• Page 1 (Section I & II)
• Page 2 (Section III- Enrollment Certification Form).

You will email your branch all of these documents in PDF form.  The email subject line should be labeled: “Term Year Application Packet” (ex: “FALL 2022 Application Packet”). 

***MAKE SURE TO SEND FROM YOUR ENCRYPTED MILITARY ACCOUNT OR HAND DELIVER, AS YOUR SSN IS ON THE PACKET ***

• Air email: [email protected] 
• Army email: [email protected]

• Defer:  As STRONG is a tuition reimbursement program, students are expected to pay in full or on the installment payment plan and to be reimbursed after the semester by TN STRONG if eligibility requirements are met. 
• However, MTSU does offer a deferment plan for STRONG students. You may qualify for a tuition deferment if: 
  • An acceptance letter from TN STRONG has been received by the Bursars‘ Office before the fee payment deadline.  To ensure that TN STRONG has enough time to process your application packet before the deadline, please submit your completed application packet to your branch as soon as possible. 
    • You can request the Enrollment Certification Form from the Bursar’s Office as soon as you register. Requests for Section III – Enrollment Certification must be submitted by the following dates to be considered for a TN STRONG deferment:
      • July 15 for the Fall semester
      • November 20 for the Spring semester
      • April 25 for the Summer semester
    • Requests submitted after the dates above will not qualify for a TN STRONG deferment, and students must be prepared to pay their balance out-of-pocket (hyperlink to: https://www.mtsu.edu/tuition/instructions/) or with financial aid (hyperlink to: https://www.mtsu.edu/financial-aid/)
  • Students who fail to meet eligibility requirements for TN STRONG reimbursement will not be eligible for a TN STRONG deferment the following semester.
  • Students who fail to meet eligibility requirements for TN STRONG reimbursement for two semesters will be permanently ineligible for a TN STRONG deferment.
  • The Deferment Paperwork must be completed by the fee payment deadline.  The deferment, if eligible, will be processed once the Bursar receives an acceptance letter.  The amount deferred is the total amount of instate undergraduate tuition and fees less any FTA, federal, or state-funded grants, scholarships, or discounts.  The deferment will not cover out-of-state tuition charges, dorm, or meal plan charges.
    • No late deferments will be accepted.

*** DO NOT COMPLETE A DEFERMENT MORE THAN ONCE A SEMESTER! ***

• DO NOT Defer. If you do not or cannot complete the application prior to the fee payment deadline, you are responsible for covering the cost of your tuition and fees in order to confirm registration, and you will be reimbursed after the term is over and final grades have been submitted.
• The MTSU Bursar will submit your final grades for you at the end of the term, and you will be reimbursed for all eligible classes.

You must confirm or pay any remaining balance due by the fee payment/confirmation deadline.