Contributed/ETSU

ETSU will reduce tuition costs for active-duty service members to align with the federal Tuition Assistance program’s $250-per-credit-hour cap, a move school officials say will make the university more competitive in recruiting military students worldwide.

The change, approved by ETSU’s Board of Trustees in the spring, means active-duty personnel will no longer pay out-of-pocket tuition costs. In addition, academic deans agreed to waive course fees, eliminating all mandatory charges for these students.

Dan Bishop, ETSU’s director for Military and Veteran Services, said the new policy addresses a long-standing gap in serving active-duty personnel. While the university has seen steady growth in its military-affiliated student population—from roughly 750 students three years ago to 1,100 last fall—active-duty enrollment lagged.

“The problem we’ve had is it’s traditionally capped at $250 per credit hour, and even here at ETSU, one of the most affordable options in the country, our per-credit cost exceeded that cap,” Bishop said. “This fall will be the first time I can look service members in the eye and say, ‘You will not pay anything out of pocket.’”

Bishop credited ETSU President Brian Noland for prioritizing military recruitment, as well as deans across the university who joined in waiving fees. The change positions ETSU to better compete with institutions like Austin Peay State University, which had long offered tuition rates within the federal cap.

The policy applies to undergraduate programs but could expand to graduate degrees in the future. Bishop said this could help attract senior noncommissioned officers and officers who often seek master’s degrees.

With increased online course offerings and plans to create more flexible scheduling, ETSU hopes to recruit active-duty students regardless of location—whether stationed in Tennessee, deployed overseas or serving at bases like Camp Pendleton, where Bishop plans to visit next month.

“Our goal is to reach them wherever they are,” Bishop said. “Whether they’re floating on a Navy ship in the Indian Ocean or in a classroom in Johnson City, we want them to see ETSU as a viable option that supports their goals without financial barriers.”

Bishop encouraged interested service members to visit their installation’s education center or ETSU’s Military and Veteran Services office, which offers in-person assistance with Tuition Assistance applications.

“We prefer you to come to ETSU,” Bishop said. “But we will help anyone, even if they end up going somewhere else.”

For more information on ETSU’s Active-Duty Military Tuition Assistance, contact Dan Bishop 423-439-7161 or email bishopds@etsu.edu.

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