Army to Halve Major Education Benefit

The U.S. Army is cutting one of its largest education benefits, the Credentialing Assistance, or Army CA plan, by half in a move it says is necessary to cut spending.

Army CA was introduced in 2020 to add to traditional scholarship programs by offering soldiers $4,000 a year to use for civilian credentials in fields such as commercial driving, coding, or cybersecurity, in hopes of helping with civilian transitions and military careers, reports Military.com.

"The changes we are making to these programs will help ensure their long-term sustainability," Dr. Agnes Gereben Schaefer, the assistant secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said in a statement.

In addition to cutting the benefit in half and allowing soldiers to receive just $2,000 yearly, other benefits are being reduced. Now, soldiers will only be allowed to take one credentialing course a year and no more than three courses during a decade.

Recertifications will not count toward the annual course limit but will be deducted from an overall financial cap, according to service officials.

Officers will also no longer be eligible for Army CA. Officials with knowledge of the plans said officers already benefit from several education opportunities, while enlisted troops have more trouble transitioning into civilian careers once they leave the military.

According to data provided by the Army CA service, officers and warrant officers made up 20% of the 27,000 people who used the program in 2024.

More than 64,000 soldiers used Army CA since it started, but the costs of providing it have climbed from $31 million in 2021 to $70 million this year.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth earlier this year called the program a "catastrophic success" because the costs to provide it went far past what the Army had budgeted to run it.

The Army, meanwhile, plans to boost the funds for annual tuition assistance from $4,000 annually to $4,500. It spends about $230 million annually on that benefit, which is separate from the GI Bill.

The Department of Veterans Affairs manages the GI Bill, meaning it will take an act of Congress to change the program.

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