New Jersey National Guard Tuition Program

About the Program

New Jersey Guardsmen qualify for a state-specific tuition waiver under the New Jersey National Guard Tuition Program (NJNGTP). This program enables qualifying Guardmembers to submit a Commander's Certificate of Eligibility in order to waive tuition for both undergraduate and graduate programs-of-study.

Limitations and Exceptions

Because this is a waiver program, there are some limitations:

• Students must be enrolled within a program-of-study at Thomas Edison State College.
• The NJNGTP does not cover fees or cost of materials.
• The college must first apply grants, scholarships or Post-9/11 GI Bill towards tuition.1
• Because this is a waiver, online registration is not currently available under the NJNGTP.
• Students must be in good standing within their program-of-study.
• Tuition for the same course may not be waived twice.2
• First-time registrations are limited to a maximum of six (6) credits.3

Post-9/11 GI Bill and the NJNGTP

If you qualify for or are active under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, please click here for important information.

Before Registering for a Course

Please complete these steps in order, as we will be unable to process your registration if a step is missing.

1. Apply to Thomas Edison State College
   In order to use the Commander's Certificate of Eligibility, you must be a matriculated student in-good-standing, and enrolled within a degree program. Please note that the waiver does not cover the application fee.
2. Complete a financial aid audit
   While we realize you may not intend to use financial aid, New Jersey state legislation requires that NJ Guardsmen first establish grant or scholarship eligibility before we are able to apply the Commander's Certificate of Eligibility. This must be done on a yearly basis, beginning every July.4  While you are required to accept grants or scholarships, loans are not a requirement of this program and can be rejected.

Course Registration

3. Review and complete the Checklist Registration Package
   This registration package contains the NJNGTP policy in a summarized "checklist" format. Since NJ Guard students are unable to register online, this package must be submitted for each registration, along with a copy of your Commander's Certificate of Eligibility. The Veteran's Benefit Information Sheet (VBIS) is optional, and is only necessary if you wish to use your VA benefits in conjunction with your waiver.
4. Submit completed registration package
   Registrations must be submitted by the 15th of the month previous to the class start-date. This provides us with ample time to complete a registration audit on your behalf. If you are planning to use your VA benefits, please include a copy of your VA Certificate of Eligibility. If you do not have one available, please contact the VA directly.

NOTE: We highly recommend that Steps 1 and 2 be completed before submitting your registration package, as we will be unable to process your registration until you have been accepted into a program-of-study and received a financial aid award letter, officially detailing eligibility for the appropriate year.

1. This is a legislated requirement. For more information on Post-9/11 GI Bill and NJNGTP.

2. Example: We would be unable to waive tuition again if you were to fail a course or receive a low (yet passing) grade.

3. This is done to ensure our students' success and to orient first-time students to the online course structure. Once you have successfully passed the courses, you may increase your registration up to a maximum of twelve (12) credits.

4. While the academic new year begins in July, the college recommends submitting your financial aid paperwork at least two months before your intended semester to allow ample time for the processing of your audit.