The Tennessee STRONG (Support, Training, and Renewing Opportunity for National Guardsmen) Act establishes a program to provide eligible members of the Tennessee National Guard tuition funding toward a first time bachelor degree for the next four years through a tuition reimbursement program.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be admitted to and enroll in an eligible institution
• Maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for the semester
• Have applied for and used federal tuition assistance first (federal tuition assistance does not include VA benefits)
• Currently serving and be in good standing with the Tennessee National Guard

Tusculum will delay payment of tuition once the State provides an acceptance of eligibility notice obligating the funds. You can apply for eligibility acceptance as soon as you are enrolled in a semester. You are then provided an eligibility acceptance notice from the State which obligates the money for this program. Once you complete the semester, you must provide the State and Tusculum with final grades at which time the State will reimburse Tusculum for tuition costs. In some cases, it is more beneficial to use Tennessee STRONG Act benefits prior to using your VA education benefits.

To apply, complete the application; click below and follow the instructions provided. In addition, you will need to complete a Student Statement of Understanding and provide it to Dale Laney at veteransdirector@tusculum.edu.