Army Civilian Acquisition Student Loan Repayment Program

The FY25 SLRP announcement for new applications will open on October 1, 2024 and close at 11:59 p.m. EST on November 15, 2024.
Plan ahead as there will be no extensions to the closing date.

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The Army Civilian Acquisition Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) is administered by the U.S. Army DACM Office, Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) for civilian Army Acquisition Workforce members only.

Description:

The SLRP is an annually funded program under the authority of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Account (DAWDA), Section 852, Article 1705, Public Law 110-181. This annual program is centrally controlled and announced by the Army DACM office within the USAASC. The purpose of this program is to repay federally insured student loans as a retention incentive for civilian acquisition employees with critical acquisition skills. Any civilian Army Acquisition Workforce member who meets the eligibility criteria outlined below may apply. The criterion for selection is based on several key factors, such as hard to fill and retain acquisition functional areas, first level supervisor endorsement and available funding.  Selection criterions are evaluated annually and are based on attrition analysis and trends and the needs of the Army Acquisition Workforce.  The opening of the SLRP application period may vary from year to year, so be sure to check this web page regularly for updates.

These factors are evaluated annually and are made based on attrition analysis and trends, and the needs of the Army Acquisition Workforce.

SLRP Logo

Eligibility:

Permanent civilian Army Acquisition Workforce members and Department of Defense (DoD) laboratories personnel appointed as Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratories (STRL) under Section 1109, FY16 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Section 11.A.3.f, 82 Federal Register 43339 who are flexible length or renewable term technical appointment employees (with 3 years left in term position) are eligible to apply under the following criteria:

  1. Must be certified or within certification grace period for your acquisition functional area.
  2. Be coded as 1-Permanent-Tenure or 3-Indefinite-Tenure (STRL) in the
    Defense Civilian Personnel Data System; Tenure 3 (STRL) applicants must have at least
    3 years left in term position as outlined on a current Standard Form-50 in block 24.
  3. Must have a federally insured student loan.

Loans eligible for payment are those made, insured, or guaranteed under parts B, D, or E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or a health education assistance loan made or insured under part A of title VII or part E of title VIII of the Public Health Service Act.

Loans made or insured under the Higher Education Act of 1965 include the following:

  • Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL)
    • Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
    • Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
    • Federal PLUS Loan
      (The parent must be in an acquisition coded position-name on the loan from a federal lending institution and making payments on a current outstanding balance for children only.  Not for a spouse or private student loans.)
    • Federal Consolidation Loans
  • William D. Ford Direct Loan Program (Direct Loans)
    • Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans
    • Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
    • Direct PLUS Loans
      (The parent must be in an acquisition coded position-name on the loan from a federal lending institution and making payments on a current outstanding balance for children only.  Not for a spouse or private student loans.)
    • Direct Subsidized Consolidation Loans
    • Direct Unsubsidized Consolidation Loans
  • Federal Perkins Loan Program
    • National Defense Student Loans (made before July 1, 1972)
    • National Direct Student Loans (made between July 1, 1972, and July 1, 1987)
    • Perkins Loans (made after July 1, 1987)
  • Loans made or insured under the Public Health Service Act include the following:
    • Loans for Disadvantaged Students (LDS)
    • Primary Care Loans (PCL)
    • Nursing Student Loans (NSL)
    • Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL)
    • Health Education Assistance Loans (HEAL)
SLRP Flyer 2024

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Student Loan Repayment Program 2024 sm

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Limitations:

Although the student loan is not forgiven, if selected, payments will be made to the loan holder in a lump sum payment of up to a maximum of $10,000 for an employee in a calendar year. You must apply to the civilian Army DACM Office SLRP each year and if selected, a new Service Agreement (SA) must be completed. Being accepted into the program one year does not guarantee acceptance in subsequent years. NOTE: If you are currently receiving federal student loan repayment funding from your organization (or any other organization), by Federal law, the employee can only receive $10,000 per calendar year towards student loan repayment. As long as you are not receiving $10,000 per calendar year from your organization or another organization, you may apply to the civilian Army DACM Office SLRP for the difference between $10,000 and what you are currently receiving.

Although applicants can apply for the civilian Army DACM Office SLRP funding up to the maximum of $10,000, the amount approved can differ, based upon availability of funding.

Service Agreement:

An employee receiving the civilian Army DACM Office SLRP benefit must:

  • Complete and sign a new SA to remain within a Department of the Army, Acquisition Workforce position for a period of three years, including other requirements for participation in the SLRP.  The SA will be completed with the designated command HR POC upon acceptance in the SLRP, with a copy retained by the approved SLRP recipient and the designated command HR POC.
  • Reimburse the paying agency for all benefits received if he or she is separated voluntarily or separated involuntarily for misconduct, unacceptable performance, or a negative suitability determination under 5 CFR part 731.
  • Reimburse the paying agency for all benefits received if he or she declines the SLRP once funding is provided and payments have started.
  • Maintain an acceptable level of performance in order to continue to receive SLRP funding.

Recent SA changes:

  1. Payment Method: Lump sum only
  2. Tax withholding for lump sum payments: DFAS will deduct the appropriate amount of taxes from the approved student loan repayment benefit before the balance is issued as a loan repayment to the holder of the loan.
  3. Approving Official (designated command HR POCs) signature REQUIRED on all SAs by DFAS.

Application Process:

The application process is completed online in CAPPMIS (Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System) in AAPDS (Army Acquisition Professional Development System). AAPDS is where Army Acquisition civilian workforce members go to submit online applications to the Army DACM Office-sponsored training and education program opportunities.

  • Read the Acceptable Use Policy and click “I understand and accept”
  • Click “Login using CAC”
  • Click on “CAPPMIS” in the upper left hand side of the screen
  • Click on “AAPDS”, second green tab from the right toward the top of your screen
  • Click “Apply” to get a listing of the active events that you may apply for
  • Select the Student Loan Repayment Program and complete the outlined steps.

In addition to the above process, please follow your local Chain of Command/Agency procedures provided by your Organization Acquisition Point of Contact (OAP), when applying for the SLRP.

NOTE:  If you do not have access to CAPPMIS, you may not be a current civilian Army Acquisition Workforce member.  Please submit a Workforce Management Inquiry ticket here and ask your assigned Acquisition Career Manager, how to obtain access to CAPPMIS if you are eligible, but unable to login.

Command budget POCs:

For command budget POCs: How to work SLRP funding:

The approved SLRP funding will be sent directly to the designated command budget POC of the approved SLRP recipient. All approved SLRP recipients will be asked to provide the name and email address of their designated command budget POC.  In order to provide the approved SLRP funding, an established Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) element will need to be created and provided for the list of approved SLRP recipients by the designated command budget POC to the Army DACM Office SLRP PM.  If there are multiple approved SLRP recipients in your organization, only one established WBS element is required to cover all approved SLRP recipients.  Include the approved SLRP recipients’ names and the approved SLRP amount when you provide the established WBS element or Military Departmental Purchase Request (MIPR).  If General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) is not utilized and a MIPR is required, please provide the organization’s Department Of Defense Activity Address Code (DODAAC) of the gaining organization.  Please return the established WBS element or MIPR information to the Army DACM Office SLRP PM, who will review and forward to the Army DACM Office SLRP Budget Analyst for funding disbursement.

NOTE: Loan funding amount cannot exceed the original approved loan amount. Example: original approved amount was $5,000, therefore the requested amount cannot exceed $5,000.

The Army DACM Office will notify the designated command budget and HR POCs of the lump sum payment being disbursed via the established WBS element or MIPR.  Once these funds are provided to the designated command budget POC, it is imperative that these funds are properly executed before the fiscal year expiration date.

NOTE:  If the approved SLRP recipients’ funding is not paid to the lending institution before the fiscal year expiration date, the command may be responsible for those approved SLRP recipients’ funding.

Command HR POCs:

For command HR POCs: How to work SLRP personnel actions:

In order for SLRP approved lump sum funding to begin, a completed and signed SA and processed SF-50 will need to be submitted to the approved SLRP recipients’ servicing Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), via remedy ticket.  Every organization has a person responsible for submitting remedy tickets to DFAS. The process may be done in AutoNoa, if applicable.

If you do not use AutoNoa, you will need to create a Request for Personnel Action (RPA) using the information on the completed SA by the approved SLRP recipient, but retained by you and the SLRP recipient.

In the remarks section of the SF-50, please include “The approved SLRP amount is being paid in a lump sum payment”. Deduct the amount of taxes from the student loan repayment benefits before the balance is issued as a loan repayment to the holder of the loan.  Note: The Nature of Action code for block 5a of the RPA is NOAC “817″ (Student Loan Repayment).

If an approved SLRP recipient should consider another position within or outside of the Department of the Army, it is the responsibility of the approved SLRP recipient, SLRP recipient’s supervisor, the designated command budget and/or HR POCs to notify the Army DACM Office SLRP PM before the approved SLRP recipient’s departure for further SLRP instructions and guidance.

Additional information on completing the SA and processing the SF-50 personnel action of the approved SLRP recipient, will be provided in an email by the Army DACM Office SLRP PM. Each approved SLRP recipient within your command is required to complete and sign a new SA with you. This SA is a three year agreement that will begin when the lump sum payment is provided to the designated command budget POC. Example: Lump sum payment is provided to the designated command budget POC on April 5, 2023, service agreement dates should be April 5, 2023 to April 5, 2026.

NOTE: Process the SA and SLRP personnel action only after the designated command budget POCs have received the funding from the Army DACM Office.

Contact:

Veronica Daniels
SLRP Program Manager
Email: veronica.daniels3.civ@army.mil

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the SLRP, visit https://asc.army.mil/web/topics/slrp/.

In addition, you may contact your Acquisition Career Manager at the following: https://apps.asc.army.mil/camp/index.cfm?fuseaction=support.helpRequest

References:

      1. Title 10, United States Code (U.S.C.), Chapter 87, Defense Acquisition Workforce, Section 1701-1764, Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) of 1990, as amended.
      2. Title 5, U.S. C., Section 5379, “Student Loan Repayments”, January 3, 2007.
      3. Title 5, U.S. C., Section 2105, “Employee”, January 3, 2007.
      4. Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 537, “Repayment of Student Loans,” January 1, 2007.
      5. DODI 5000.66, “Defense Acquisition Workforce Education, Training, Experience, and Career Development Program,” Sept. 13, 2019.
        https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/500066.PDF?ver=2019-09-13-063647-267.
      6. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Memorandum, Subject: DOD Student Loan Repayment Program, September 30, 2004.   REF F – DUSD Memorandum
      7. DA Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 Memorandum, Subject: Department of Defense (DoD) Student Loan Repayment Program, March 22, 2005.  REF G – Benefits Memorandum Guidance
      8. Assistant Secretary of the Army Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (AL&T) Memorandum, Subject: Delegation of Authority for the Repayment of Student Loans, July 14, 2004.  REF H and I – Delegations
      9. USAASC Memorandum, Delegation of Authority for the Repayment of Student Loans – ASC Implementation Plan, January 26, 2005.
      10. USAASC Student Loan Repayment Program Application Procedures, October 2008.
      11. Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 1400.25, Volume 537, “DoD Civilian Personnel Management System: Student Loan Repayment,” May 7, 2020. https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/140025_vol537.pdf?ver=2020-05-07-133214-657.
      12. Memorandum, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, July 25, 2019, Subject: Modification to Department of Defense Student Loan Repayment Program.  Mod-DoD-SLRP-memo

Policy:

SLRP Policies – July 31, 2020

Military Loan Repayment Program:

Soldiers and family members looking for the Loan Repayment Program please contact the Human Resources Command Loan Repayment Program at 1-800-872-8272 or email.