New Jersey National Guard Tuition Program

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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 credit bearing program-of-study at Thomas Edison State University.
  • The NJNGTP does not cover fees or cost of materials.
  • The University must first apply grants, scholarships or Post-9/11 GI Bill® towards tuition.1
  • Students who are eligible for qualifying grants or scholarships must follow the established attendance pattern.2
  • All registrations must be made by submitting the online NJNGTP Registration Form.
  • Students must be in good standing within their program-of-study.
  • Use of the tuition waiver is limited of one degree per level, regardless of where it was earned.3

Post-9/11 GI Bill and the NJNGTP

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

Registering for Courses

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 University
    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. While you are required to accept grants or scholarships, loans are not a requirement of this program and can be rejected.
  3. Accept Your Student Agreement
    All students will need to ‘agree’ to a statement on Academic Integrity and Academic Residency Requirements before being registered for courses. Students can print these agreements for their records and can access the new self-service feature by logging into myEdison® and selecting the Student Self-Service Portal link under “Online Student Services.”
  4. Review and Complete the NJNGTP Registration Form.
    This registration form contains the NJNGTP policy in a summarized “checklist” format. Since NJNGTP students are unable to register online, this registration form must be submitted for each new registration, along with a copy of your Commander’s Certificate of Eligibility.

NOTE: We highly recommend that Steps 1 and 2 be completed before submitting your registration form, 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.

Additionally, registrations should 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.

  1. This is a legislated requirement. For more information on Post-9/11 GI Bill and NJNGTP.
  2. Once you have been registered for courses, you will be placed into an attendance pattern, and will be required to follow that pattern, as long as you remain eligible for qualifying grants or scholarships, as being registered outside that pattern, for overlapping terms, could adversely affect your eligibility and use of the tuition waiver.
  3. For instance, if you have earned a bachelor’s degree, the waiver cannot be applied toward a second bachelor’s degree, regardless of where it was earned. While this applies to both undergraduate and graduate programs of study, it does NOT apply to the accelerated nursing degree (BSNA), as the entry requirements for that program are designed for individuals who have already earned a degree.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.