After serving nine years with the National Guard, a 26-year-old UF public relations senior dreamed of going to culinary school.
Now, because of budget cuts in the sequester, Staff Sgt. Alicia Slate’s dreams may crumble.
Tuition Assistance for UF military students has been suspended for four of the five military branches: Army, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force.
The program provided all full-time duty military students up to $250 per semester, with a $4,500 annual limit.
Eighty-six confirmed, and 50 more students could be affected, according to the UF Bursar’s Office.
Slate said she is not able to finish school on the same timeline as other students. She said the G.I. Bill only lasts 36 months, and she was planning to use the money from the tuition assistance program for culinary school.
“I’ve spent nine-and-a-half years serving,” she said. “I’ve done multiple tours overseas, including 39 months in a combat zone in Iraq. We put our lives on the line, and in return, we should be able to have the opportunity to make a living for ourselves on the civilian side.”
The Army was the first to announce the suspension on March 8. Soldiers would no longer be permitted to submit new requests for assistance after that date, but those currently enrolled in courses would be allowed to complete them without losing the funds they already have, according to a public statement made by the Army.
“The Army understands the impacts of this action and will re-evaluate should the budgetary situation improve,” said spokesman Lt. Col. Tom Alexander in a public statement.
The Navy is still reviewing its options.
Franklin Fields, a UF ROTC cadet, said this affects all active military students.
“It affects anyone who wants to pursue a college education and better their lives,” he said.
Capt. Dan Churchill, a former Public Affairs officer with the U.S. Army, is now a public relations graduate student at UF. He said he thinks the suspension might affect military retention rates.
“Essentially, you are starting to break social contracts with people,” Churchill said. “They are not explicitly stated in contractual obligations to the military, but you are offering all of these benefits, and then they come in, and you aren’t offering them anymore, so there could be some issues in the future.”
A petition on www.whitehouse.gov has received more than 100,000 signatures, calling on the Obama administration to issue an executive order to reinstate the program.
