Tuition program another budget-cut casualty - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Tuition program another budget-cut casualty

More than 250,000 troops will be denied tuition for classes this year because of mandatory cuts in federal spending, according to figures released this week by the Army and Air Force.

The Marine Corps also has cut its tuition assistance program for the year but had no estimate on the number of Marines affected.

Suspension of the popular program, which covers tuition costs for attending college classes during off hours or even online while on combat deployments, was among the changes troops have seen immediately from the automatic budget cuts that began taking effect March 1.

Military leaders say the $42 billion in across-the-board spending cuts also will mean furloughing 800,000 civilian defense workers for about one day per week for the rest of the year.

The cuts also could bring reductions in training and maintenance.

About 115,000 airmen who would have taken 277,000 college courses at 1,200 colleges and universities will have to seek other financing or postpone their education, according to congressional testimony this week by Air Force Lt. Gen. Darrell Jones, deputy chief of staff for manpower personnel and services.

"It speaks to the fact of how urgent (the) cuts are for us," Jones told a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.

The Army decision to suspend the same program means about 136,000 soldiers who have taken some 300,0000 courses this year will not receive the military tuition assistance, said Army Lt. Col. Tom Alexander.

Servicemembers can use other funding, including tapping into the G.I. Bill education, which most troops normally save until after they leave the military, said Air Force Lt. Col. Laurel Tingley.

Navy officials said they have not yet decided to cancel their tuition program.

Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of Defense for health affairs, told the subcommittee the spending cuts would mean reductions in medical research.

"The cuts will be deep and steep and delay progress," Woodson said. "So this is a real serious issue that will have potential long-term consequences. And that's why this budgeting process is so illogical."