Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program

Congratulations to the 13 new ATAP participants approved to participate in the ATAP Program beginning 3 April 2023.

About ATAP

The Acquisition Tuition Assistance Program (ATAP) is designed to fund business/acquisition related individual college courses or business/acquisition related college courses required for a master’s or bachelor’s degree in a business/acquisition related discipline to eligible Army acquisition workforce members. The ATAP is a fiscal year (Oct-Sep) program that provides tuition, laboratory and technology fees, within limits, to Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) civilians, Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 51 Contracting (51C) Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs), and flexible length and renewable term technical appointment employees in the Department of Defense laboratories designated as Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories (STRLs).

Army Acquisition workforce civilians and MOS 51C NCOs must upload a correctly completed Continued Service Agreement signed by employee and supervisor as part of the application process.

Participants must obtain at least a grade of “B” in each graduate course and at least a “C” in each undergraduate course and individual course not toward a degree seeking program. Participants are required to repay the Federal Government for tuition costs, laboratory and technology fees associated with each class that does not meet the grade standards. Participants are in the program until they complete their educational pursuits or administratively removed from the program.

Who May Apply:

• Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) civilians
• Department of Defense (DOD) laboratories designated as Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories (STRLs)
• Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 51 Contracting (51C) Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs)

Click here to download the ATAP flyer.

Announcement:

ATAP Announcement

Policy and Procedures:

ATAP Policy

Eligibility:

BREAKING NEWS: ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE A MASTER’S DEGREE CAN NOW APPLY TO ATAP FOR A SECOND ACQUISITION-RELATED MASTER’S DEGREE. APPLICANTS WHO ARE WITHIN THEIR CERTIFICATION GRACE PERIOD MAY NOW APPLY TO ATAP. Please see specific Eligibility Requirements below for specifics.

Applicants pursuing individual college courses not towards a degree must:

Be coded as “1-Permanent – Tenure Group 1” in the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System
Meet certification level required for current position or be within their certification grace period

Applicants pursuing courses towards a bachelor’s degree must:

Be coded as “1- Permanent -Tenure Group 1” in the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System
Meet certification level required for current position or be within their certification grace period
Not have a bachelor’s degree in a technical, acquisition or business discipline
Be fully accepted into a business, technical or acquisition bachelor’s degree discipline with a declared major at a nationally or regionally accredited university or college

Applicants pursuing courses towards a master’s degree must:

Be coded as “1- Permanent -Tenure Group 1” in the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System
Meet certification level required for current position or be within their certification grace period
May currently possess a master’s degree in an acquisition, technical or business discipline if pursuing a second acquisition-related master’s degree
Be fully accepted into a business, technical or acquisition master’s degree discipline with a declared major at a nationally or regionally accredited university or college

Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 51 Contracting (51C) Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) must:

Not have a bachelor’s degree in an acquisition, technical or business discipline if pursuing a bachelor’s degree (required certification level met not required)
Meet certification level required for their current position or be within their certification grace period
May currently possess a master’s degree in a technical, acquisition, or business discipline if pursuing a second acquisition-related master’s degree
Be fully accepted into a bachelor’s or master’s degree discipline with a declared major at a nationally or regionally accredited university or college of choice

DOD laboratories applicants designated as STRL pursuing individual college courses, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in an acquisition or business discipline must: (Note: Term employees not appointed under Section 1109, FY16 NDAA are not eligible to apply to the ATAP):

Be a permanent (non-temporary/non-term) civilian member of the Army Acquisition Workforce, Exception: Per the Section 1109, FY16 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Section 11.A.3.f, 82 Federal Register 43339
Meet certification level required for the current position or be within their certification grace period
Be flexible length or renewable term technical appointment employees in the Department of Defense laboratories designated as STRLs
Not have a bachelor’s degree in an acquisition or business discipline if pursing a bachelor’s degree
May currently possess a master’s degree in an acquisition, technical or business discipline if pursuing a second acquisition-related master’s degree
Be fully accepted into an acquisition, technical or business bachelor’s or master’s degree discipline with a declared major at a nationally or regionally accredited university or college

Funding:

Funding Limits:
Masters:
$2,500 per course including laboratory and technology fees
$12,500 per FY
Bachelor’s degree:
$2,000 per course including laboratory and technology fees
$10,000 per FY

Individual business/acquisition related college course:
$2,000 per individual course not toward a degree including laboratory and technology fees
$10,000 per FY
All other fees are the responsibility of the ATAP participant.

Resources:

Continued Service Agreement (CSA):

Continued Service Agreement

AAW civilians and MOS 51C NCOs can obtain a copy of the CSA by clicking here.

MOS 51C NCOs must contact SFC Kevin Brown, 51C Proponent NCO, at email, kevin.d.brown216.mil@army.mil or SFC William Yongue, 51C Proponent NCO, at email, william.j.yongue.mil@army.mil to inform them of their intent to apply.