I N T H I S I S S U E :

A N N O U N C E M E N T S :S E C T I O NS T A F F

M S . D A M L O

E D U C A T I O N

S E R V I C E S O F F I C E R

( E S O )

M R . P A P P

F E D I N C E N T I V E S

S F C A N T H O N Y

E D U C A T I O N N C O I C

MS . K I L E NG I B I L L M A N A G E R

M R . C L O U S E

F T A M A N A G E R

M S . L I L L I

S T R M A N A G E R

M S . V U E

S T A T E I N C E N T I V E S

M A N A G E R

If you have any questions about education benefits call 651-282- 4589 or email us at: ng.mn.mnarng.mbx.assets-education@army.mil

• Page 2 — FALL TERM 2022 return to requiring FTA!

• Page 3 — Spring term State Tuition Reimbursement (STR)

• Page 4 — Info for new students

• Page 5 — Activations and GI Bill

• Page 6 — Federal incentives and Student Loan Repayment

• Page 7 — State Re-Enlistment Bonus

• Page 8 — State Reclass Bonus - MOS/AFSC update

• Page 9 — Save the Date

• Page 10 — MN GI Bill

• Page 11-13 — Air Guard Notes

• Welcome to the Team: Mr. Scott Clouse, FTA Manager and Ms. Damlo as

Interim ESO! Best wishes to Mrs. Williams on her deployment.

• Updated MOS/AFSC list for State Reclassification Bonus

• Spring term STR payment requests are due no later than 90 days after

last day of courses

E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R

Q U A R T E R 4 , S F Y 2 2 M A Y 2 2

Page 2 E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R Page 2 E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R Page 2 E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R Page 2 E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R

• This coming Fall 2022 Term, we will return to requiring eligible Soldiers to use Federal TuitionAssistance (FTA) in order to remain eligible for state tuition reimbursement (STR). Now is agood time to learn your way around the new site!

You will need to use your military email and CAC to register for your account. You should also en-ter a preferred email address that you access frequently as this is the most common method of communication from ArmyIgnitED and the Education Counselors that process your requests.

After registering with ArmyIgnitED, Soldiers must create an education path. A path consists of your selections for the degree level you are pursuing, your area of study/degree program, and your home school. When applying for an Ed Path, what do you do if your school does not show up? There are a few possible reasons why your school and/or your degree program do not populate the list when you try to input your education path:

1. Your school is in the process of onboarding or loading degree programs with ArmyIgnitED.

2. Your school might not be FTA eligible school.Visit HTTPS://dodmou.com/TADecide to search for your school. If it is not there, then the

school is not FTA eligible. A list of Educational Institutions that are available in ArmyIgnitED can also be found at https://armyuniversity.edu/ACCESS/Home.

When selecting your area-of-study, you may need to try more generic titles instead of attempting to exactly match your degree name. For example, if you are pursuing a degree in American History, your education path area of study might be “History, General" or just plain "HISTORY". The U.S. Department of Education generates these area-of-study titles and calls them the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes. To find the more generic title that corresponds to your degree program, you can look up your degree on this site: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/search.aspx?y=55

For more information on what to do if your school is not found go to: https://armyignitedprod.servicenowservices.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0010162

Once you submit your Ed Path, it is routed to the Minnesota Education Office for review and ap-proval, then sent to your school for verification.

When you have an account and education path, register for classes. Your school will upload your registration, enabling you to request tuition assistance for the courses you want funded. Your school will also upload your student degree plan when that feature is functional.

If you have any questions or issues, please contact Education Services at 651-282-4589.

*** If you are NOT using FTA, please let your school know so they are not creating unnecessary requests!

FTA Requirement RETURNS Fall 2022!!!

Create an ArmyIgnitED account:

Page 3 E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R

State Tuition Reimbursement (STR) The requirement to use FTA for this academic 2021-2022 school year has been suspended.

For classes starting between 12Feb21 – 30Jul2022, Servicemembers will not be required toapply for Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) prior to using State Tuition Reimbursement (STR).

***The requirement to use FTA before STR will once again be required starting Fall 2022.

To qualify for STR: You must submit the following forms and supporting documents to your unit staff no later than 90 days from the last official day of the course/term:

1. Payment Request Form

2. Grade Report

3. Final fee statement provided by your school which clearly shows the amount of tuitioncharged.

Follow the tips below to receive your payment:• Check with your unit staff to make sure that we have your current banking information on

file – If not, complete a State EFT Form (Annex D-1) with your unit admin ASAP.• If you did not apply for or receive FTA, you must check “NO” on your payment request

form and clearly state the reason why. Failure to do this will result in your paymentrequest being returned for corrections.

Things to Remember: ♦ SM MUST have a passing and current APFT/HTWT for the entire term to be eligible♦ STR will not fund a degree equal to, or less than, SM’s current degree level. IE: If a Servicemember has a Master's degree, STR will not fund another Master's degree or anything lower.

♦The Undergraduate STR rate is up to 100% of University of Minnesota's undergraduate rate($520.50 per credit) with a max yearly benefit of $18,000 (1 JUL—30 JUN)

♦The Graduate STR rate is up to 75% of University of Minnesota's graduate rate ($1,115.25 percredit) with a max yearly benefit of $28,000 (1 JUL— 30 JUN)

♦You will only receive reimbursement for grades of a "C" or better for undergraduate courseworkor a "B" or better for graduate coursework

If you have any questions about education benefits call 651-282- 4589 or email us at: ng.mn.mnarng.mbx.assets-education@army.mil

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WHERE TO START!

Starting classes for the first time and trying to figure out which benefits you qualify for and how to applyfor them can be an intimidating experience. We’veput together a guide to help walk you through the different programs and how and when you should apply for them.

Your first step is to figure out which school you are going to attend. Once you have selected a school, work with the admissions office to enroll into your degree program.

FAFSA:

After being accepted into a school, this is a good time to apply for your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form can provide grants and student loans and is a required prerequisite to apply for and use the MN GI Bill.

Once you have received your course schedule, this is a good time to visit your school’s veteran’s office and speak with your school’s VA Certifying Official and/or Higher Education Vets Program Coordinator. They will counsel you on education programs you qualify for and help you select the best benefits package based off your service and goals. They can also assist you in gathering documents for your benefits applications.

FEDERAL TUITION ASSISTANCE (FTA)

Visit the ArmyIgnitED.com website to create your ac-count. Then, create your education path and register for classes. Your school will upload your registration to your account, and you can select which classes should be funded. Use of FTA will be required - take this time to get familiar with the new process and ask questions before fall term 2022!

GI Bill:

Chapter 1606, Chapter 30 and Chapter 33 GI Bill appli-cations must be submitted to the VA through the va.gov website . The VA takes about 1-2 months to approve applications so start early! Make sure your VA certify-ing official at the school is tracking you are a veteran using GI Bill benefits so they can process your verifica-tion of enrollment.

STATE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT (STR)

In order to qualify for STR, you must be in good stand-ing for the entire term. Your unit administrator is the point of contact for the STR program. All STR applica-tions must be submitted for payment no later than 90 days after the end of the course.

MINNESOTA GI Bill:

You should apply for the MN GI Bill before courses start, but you may apply as late as the last day of the term. Since MN GI Bill is a “last payer program” you need to apply for any other sources of funding (including the required FAFSA) before the MN GI Bill will provide funds.

Are you a New Student? Guide for Students New to Using Benefits

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Q U A L I F Y I N G P E R I O D S F O R P O S T 9 / 1 1 G I B I L L B E N E F I T S

Recent Activations and GI Bill Benefits The intent of this article is to clarify some confusion regarding periods of

activation and the impact on your GI Bill.

Serving a cumulative of 90 days in a period of qualifying active duty on or after September 11, 2001 establishes Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility. Soldiers who already have Chapter 33 may stack their time on top of their previous periods of service to increase their percentage eligibility tiers. Listed below are qualifying periods of active duty:

Service in the SELRES (Select Reserve) under Section 688, 12301(a), 12301(d), 12301(g),12301(h), 12302, 12304, 12304a, or 12304b of Title 10.

Service in any active component.

Service as an AGR under Title 32.

Service under Section 502(f) of Title 32 when authorized by the President or Secretary of De-fense for the purpose of responding to a national emergency declared by the Presidentand supported by federal funds. As of the publication date of this policy, this service includes:

(a) Operation Noble Eagle, from Sep 11, 2001 through May 31, 2002.

(b) Southwest Border Support (SWB), from February 15, 2019 through January 20, 2021.

(c) COVID-19 Response, from March 20, 2020 through July 1, 2022.

(d) In Support of the Capitol Police (59th Presidential Inauguration) from January 11,2021through May 23, 2021.

At least 30 continuous days of qualifying service with a discharge from a qualifying period ofservice due to a service-connected disability.

Awarded a Purple Heart for action on or after 11 September 2001.

NOTE: Soldiers who did not previously have Chapter 33 must wait until their cumulative service ex-ceeds 90 days of active duty under federal orders to be qualified for this benefit. They cannot claim this until their DD 214 is produced showing an honorable discharge. Initial eligibility will be at the 50% tier.

Soldiers with questions about qualifying service may call the VA at 1-888-442-4551

Page 6 E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R

ARNG Federal Incentives Student Loan Repayment Program

Do you have Student Loans?

Are you within 365 days of your ETS? You may be eligible for the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP).

SLRP is a program which pays up to $50k in student loans over six years. Each year, a Sol-dier will submit a payment request to our Education and Assets inbox to get a yearly pay-ment up to $7,500. This payment request is a DD 2475 and the NSLDS from www.studentaid.gov. Payments are made from DFAS directly to your lenders.

Eligibility requirements:

• Soldier must have federally backed student loans in the name of the Soldier

• Must be between the rank of E-3 and E7

• Must have less than 16 years time in service

• Must be MOSQ and remain in that MOS for the contract period

• Must reenlist for 6 years

• Must not be flagged

• Soldiers may only contract if they are within 365 days of their ETS

SLRP may be combined with both: $20K, 6 Year, Federal

Reenlistment Bonus and $15K, 6 year, State Reenlistment Bonus.

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The State Re-Enlistment Bonus is back! Who doesn’t want a State Bonus?!

The new SRB bonus has two options:

4 year- $6,000

6 year- $15,000

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN GET BOTH THE STATE AND FEDERAL BONUS?!

What is needed of the Soldier:

1. Check with your unit to make sure that:

A. You must have completed 6 years time in service creditable for retirement and musthave 12 or few years of service for retirement on current ETS date.

B. Make sure the Education office has your current banking information on file. If not,you need to complete a State EFT Form (Annex D-1) with your unit admin ASAP.

C. Taxes are not withheld from bonus payments, even if you sign for it overseas.

STATE RE-ENLISTMENT BONUS

***Please make sure to read the Chapter 7 SRB as well as the Annex I-1 addendum.

Eligibility: Meet Minnesota National Guard reenlistment eligibility criteria.

ARNG members must be duty-MOS qualified. All Service Members must also be the grade of the assigned position or one grade below the required grade of the position to be eligible.

SM MUST have a passing and current APFT/ACFT and HT/WT 3 months prior to the date of service member’s reenlistment date.

No retroactive incentives are authorized.

If you have any questions about education benefits call 651-282- 4589 or email us at: ng.mn.mnarng.mbx.assets-education@army.mil

MN National Guard Circular 621-5-1 Annex H-2 1 July 2021

RECLASSIFICATION BONUS-ELIGIBLE MOS/AFSCs

MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD 2021-2022

This list of reclassification bonus-qualifying MOS/AFSCs is effective 15 MAY 2022, and is valid until amended or rescinded. This list is subject to change without notice. Change generally occurs quarterly for the AirForce and annually for the Army.

MOS AFSC

12B – Combat Engineer 1W0X1 – Weather

12Y – Geospatial Engineer 2R1X1 – Maintenance Mgmt Production (Scheduling)

13B – Cannon Crewmember 2W1X1 – Aircraft Armament Systems

13J – Fire Control Specialist 3E8X1 - EOD

14G – Air Defense Battle Management System Operator

3F2X1 - Training

17E – Electronic Warfare Specialist 3F1X1 – Services

19K - M1 Armor Crewman 1D7X3C – Cable & Antenna Operations

31E – Corrections and Detention Specialist 2A7X2 – Nondestructive Inspection (NDI)

35M – Human Intelligence Collector 2A5X1 – Aerospace Maintenance

74D – Chem, Bio, Rad, and Nuc (CBRN) Spec 3E2X1 – Pavements & Construction Equipment

88M - Motor Transport Operator

91C – Utilities Equipment Repairer

91D – Tactical Power Generation Specialist

91M – Bradley Fighting Vehicle System Maintainer

92G - Culinary Specialist

ANNEX H-2 STATE RECLASSIFICATION BONUS MOS/AFSC LIST

Page 8 EE DD UU CC AA TT II OO NN AA NN DD II NN CC EE NN TT II VV EE SS NN EE WW SS LL EE TT TT EE R

STATE RECLASS BONUS

SAVE THE DATE!

The ARNG National College & Career ‘Virtual’ Expo 3 JUNE 2022!

The ARNG Education Services Branch (National Guard Bureau) invites Soldiers from ALL states and territories to attend the first ever National College & Career ‘Virtual’ Expo. This event will feature 30-40 colleges/training vendors (10 per session)

WHEN

Friday, 3 JUNE 2022

1000-1800EST

(Four—2hr sessions)

WHERE

The “ARNG Public-Education Service” Team on MS Teams

JOIN OUR TEAM

TEAMS Code:

1oeyukp

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Page 10E D U C A T I O N A N D I N C E N T I V E S N E W S L E T T E R

To complete your application for the MN GI Bill visit https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/education/minnesotagibill/ or scan this QR code. There are links for Higher Education, OJT/Apprenticeships and Licensing and Certifica-tions at the bottom of the page. The website is not compatible with Internet Explorer so make sure you are using Chrome, Safari, or Firefox to visit the site.

H O W T O A P P L Y F O R M N G I B I L LM

INN

ES

OTA

GI B

ILL

If you have any questions about the MN GI Bill application please contact the LinkVet call center at 1-888-LINKVET for more information

M N G I B I L L E L I G I B L I T Y• Veteran who is serving or has served honorably in any branch of the

United States armed forces at any time, or

• Non-Veteran who has served honorably for a total of five credibleyears or more cumulatively as a member of the Minnesota NationalGuard or any other active or reserve component of the United Statesarmed forces, and any part of that service occurred on or after Sep-tember 11, 2001, and

• Applicants must be a Minnesota resident defined by M.S. 197.05(b).

• Enroll at a Minnesota institution

• Complete FAFSA Financial Aid application if attending an institutionof higher learning: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa

M N G I B I L L B E N E F I T SStudents may receive up to $3,000 per academic year and up to $10,000 maximum lifetime benefit. Service Members in OJT/Apprenticeship programs may receive up to $2,000 per fiscal year and your employer can receive up to $2,000 for participating in the program. You may also use your MN GI Bill to reimburse up to $3,000 of the costs of prep courses, exams and fees leading to licensure, certification or admission tests for institutions of higher learning.

Inside this issue:

GI Bill TEB Process ... 2

Federal Incentives ... 2

State Incentives ....... 3

Acronyms

• ARNG = Army Na-tional Guard

• ETP = Exception toPolicy

• ETS = End Term ofService

• FTA = Federal TuitionAssistance

• OED = Obligation EndDate

• SCO = School Certify-ing Official

• SM = Service Mem-ber

• STR = State TuitionReimbursement

• TEB = Transfer of Ed-ucation Benefit

• VA = Veterans Affairs

Education & Incentives

Newsletter—Air Guard Annex

New Incentives for Non-Prior Service! Effective 12 Apr, a new federal bonus has been released: “Non Prior

Service (NPS) Special Accession Enlistment Bonus”

Who can apply: Any brand-new, non-prior service member whose

AFSC is not already on a federal bonus list and enlists for 6 years.

How much is it: $3,000, paid lump-sum (minus taxes) after member

earns 3-skill level.

How to apply: New member will apply with the Retention Office

Manager and will check in again after they return from tech school.

Program Points of Contact (POCs)

State Tuition Reimbursement (STR):

133rd AW: Local Unit Training Manager (or Unit STR rep)

148th FW: For questions, email 148.fw.str.org@us.af.mil

For information, visit Wing app (Links and Resources)

GI Bill: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 888-442-4551 (or Local

Retention Office)

Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA): Base Education & Training Office

State Reenlistment Bonus is Back! Effective 01 Feb, the State Reenlistment Bonus returned! Visit your

local Unit Career Advisor or Retention Office to see if you qualify.

Basic eligibility requirements—must:

Be 3-level-qual’d / Be a sat. participant 3 months prior to reenlist /

Reenlist for 4 or 6 yrs / MUST sign bonus contract on the day of

reenlistment

SFY22, Q4 (Apr-Jun)

Page 11

FAQ:

Q: Where can I find

current Federal Incen-

tive Information?

A: Your Wing App

(148FW), LinkTree

(133AW – see QRC

below), or you can

contact your Unit Ca-

reer Advisor or Reten-

tion Office Manager.

Source: FY22 ANG Federal Incentives Operational Guidance, Ch2

Federal Bonus AFSCs, Nationally:

1A1X1E Flight Engineer, C-130 1A2X1E Loadmaster, C-130 1C8X3 Radar, Airfield, Weather Syst. 1D7X1R RF Transmission 1D7X3C Cable & Antenna Syst. 2A3X5 Adv. Fighter A/C Avionics 2A6X5 A/C Hydraulic Syst. 2W0X1 Munition Syst. 3E2X1 Pavement & Construction 3P0X1 Security Forces

Federal Bonus AFSCs, by Wing:

133AW Members Only:

2A7X2 Nondestructive Insp. 2A7X3 A/C Structural Maint.

1T0X1 SERE Specialist 2A6X4 A/C Fuels Syst. 2F0X1 Fuels 3E0X2 Electr Power Prod. 3E4X1 Water/Fuel Syst.

148FW Members Only:

1D7X1D Cyber Security 1D7X1E Client Systems 2R1X1 Maint. Mgmt Prod.

<— Locate Federal Ops Guidance to read about your eligibility, or contact the POCs listed.

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” - Benjamin Franklin

Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer of Educa-tion Benefits (TEB) Process

Federal Incentives Update

1) Apply at MilConnect (online);

2) Complete an AF Form 4406 and provide it, together

with proof of eligibility for Post 9/11 GI Bill, to your

Retention Office Manager (they will advise on next

steps).

3) If applicable, extend your ETS out to meet/exceed

Obligation End Date (OED), meaning—the 4 year

service obligation (not applicable for officers).

Page 12

State Reclass Bonus

Purpose

Incentivize members

who reclass into under-

staffed AFSCs

Who can apply?

Those having:

• <16 “good” years

“Sat. service”

• Ability to serve

three years in the

MN ANG from the

date new 3-level is

awarded;

• Drill Status Guards-

men (DSGs - aka

“Traditionals”) &

Federal Technicians

How much?

$10,000 lump sum

When am I paid?

After new AFSC 3-level

has been awarded

(when you get home

from the new Tech

School and check in

with the Retention

Office Manager)

State Reclass Bonus List (program details on side panel —>)

Each quarter, a list of AFSCs are recommended to be eligible for

the State Reclass Bonus. Each Wing is allowed to request five

AFSCs, so just because it’s listed doesn’t mean there’s a vacancy

at your Wing—check with your Retention Office or Recruiting

Team for details.

Effective 15 May, the following AFSCs have been approved for a

State Reclass Bonus (will be reviewed again in early Aug 2022):

1D7X3C Cable & Antenna 1W0X1 Weather

2A5X1 Aerosp. Maintenance 2A7X2 Nondestructive Inspection

2R1X1 Maint. Mgmt Prod. 2W1X1 A/C Armament Syst.

3E2X1 Pavement & Constr. 3E8X1 EOD

3F2X1 Training 3F1X1 Services

Members can qualify for both federal and state incentives at the

same time.

“You are not stuck where you are...unless you decide to be.” - Wayne Dyer

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