MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Since 1990, a special program has helped pave the way for military spouses living overseas to receive financial aid while attending on-base courses.
The Spouse Tuition Aid Program, provided by the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, was designed to provide spouses of active-duty Sailors and Marines serving accompanied tours overseas the opportunity to pursue an advanced or occupational educational goal.
The program covers everything from in-class education to online classes that are offered by colleges here, said Cindie Garland, director of NMCRS.
Although the program is set to offer the most financial assistance possible, Garland added not everyone will receive the same amount of aid.
Once an applicant fills out the paperwork we go over their financial history as well as overall income and try to come up with a budget for them, she said. The ammount of financial aid they qualify for will decide the amount of aid we can supply. We can provide up to 50 percent tuition assistance, not to exceed $300, per term for undergraduates and $350 for graduates.
In the past year, 30 military spouses took advantage of STAP, a number Garland hopes will increase once more people are aware of the benefits the program can present.
This is such a great program, and spouses only get this chance while they are overseas. Once they go back to the states this program is not available, said Garland.
For Angela Guy, University of Maryland field representative here, STAP gave her the opportunity to stick with goals she had set for herself a long time ago.
College is very important to me, and the financial aid they gave me made going to school a lot easier, said Guy. Classes are really expensive, so only paying 50 percent for classes can make a big difference.
For more information on the Spouse Tuition Aid Program or to sign up stop by the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society office or call Cindie Garland at 253-5311.