help funding school

[CLEP101]

Hey, I was just wondering today if TA would pay for a grad certificate or only a "professional certification" outside of a school. I'm actually thinking about doing the same as you if they'll let me. You're sure the TA certification payment will pay for that? I know there is a $4,500 cap, and AMU's certificate costs are $5,850 at 18 credits, so I'm guessing $1,350 out of pocket?

But I'm thinking... At $12,000 total tuition for a graduate degree at AMU/APU, I may look to just foot the remainder out of pocket and use the GI Bill elsewhere. I mean, if TA is going to pay for one grad degree and half of a second grad degree (the certificate), then $5,850 to pay for the other half of a second master's is still less than 1/3 what I paid for my car. GI Bill will pay for up to $17,500 per year, $70,000 total, plus stipends. I think I'll pay the $5K.

Well I'm capped at $4500 a year at $750 per class maximum payout which is 6 classes. Each Grad class is $975, so the extra $225 per class that will be out of pocket is paid by the GI Bill Top Up Program. As long as they see the Professional Certificate the same as a Graduate certificate, then they should pay for it, if you don't already have one. By the time I finish the MPA and Grad cert at AMU I should still be in the Army or about ready to retire. I'll just be using the remaining GI Bill benefits to turn the Cert into another Masters at Texas A&M. If I'm going to stay in Texas, might as well have a Texas degree. And the only reason I'm going this route is because I dread taking the GRE which is required at A&M. But if I already have a Masters, I don't have to take it. Funny that I would rather get a whole other degree just so I wont take a freaking GRE. :confused: