WHAT IS STR?
STR is a financial reimbursement program provided to eligible Arizona National Guard members for education programs in support of a Service Member’s professional and personal self-development goals. (Reference: AR 621-5, Army Continuing Education System & STR AZNG PAM 621-300 dtd 1 Jul 2019
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR STR? STR eligibility is limited to Arizona National Guard members who:
- Have completed a semester as a full or part-time undergraduate or graduate student at a university, university, attend a community college for which credit toward a degree is granted, or will receive a certificate from a vocational/technical school or a VA qualified correspondence course. Courses that do not use a semester format but otherwise meet the criteria of this paragraph may qualify when approved by the proper authority.
- Are active drilling members of the Arizona National Guard throughout the entire semester or course for which reimbursement is claimed.
- Have satisfactorily completed IADT/Technical Training and Student Flight and performed duty upon returning at a minimum of ninety percent (90%) attendance of scheduled UTA dates and annual training during the period of schooling as described in the definitions.
- Maintained an average academic grade of “C” for each course. Those schools or courses in which a grading system is used other than the alphabetical system, a grade equivalent to “C” or better will be acceptable. If more than one course is taken, the amount to be paid will be based upon those classes listed on the final grade report in which have been completed with an average academic grade of “C”.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
a.The following forms must be completed accurately and submitted for an application to proceed beyond the initial review:
i. AZ Form 621-300-1, dated 1 July 2019. Service member completes items 1 through 21. The Unit Commander (or his/her designated representative) must complete, sign, and date items 22 through 24.
ii. Arizona W-9- Tax Payer Identification form.
iii. Arizona ACH- Bank Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) form.
b.The application must be sent/postmarked no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the close of class registration as published by the educational institution’s registrar office. If the course is on a continuous registration timeline, the requirement for application submission will be the educational institutions add/drop deadline. The service member must also provide proof of closed of registrations dates/add-drop deadline dates for courses requested.
c. Applicants may transmit the application by e-mail, in person, or by certified mail, to the address listed below:
Education Services Office (ESO)
5636 East McDowell Road, Building M5710
Phoenix, Arizona 85008-3495
or e-mail:
usarmy.az.azarng.list.g1-education@mail.mil
INITIAL REVIEW PROCESS: After application submission, the ESO will review the application for completeness.
a. The ESO will notify service members (via email) with complete and accurate applications that their application was received and will be considered by the STR board for reimbursement.
b. The ESO will return invalidated and/or incomplete applications to the service member following review for correction or completion. The service member must then return the application to the Education Services Office within 10 business days of receipt in order to be accepted for further processing.
c. The ESO will notify (via email) service members of denied applications and include the reason for denial.
SUBMISSION OF FINAL DOCUMENTS:
a. Upon completion of the course, the service member must provide a system generated unofficial or official transcript and an itemized receipt showing a zero ($0.00) balance for the appropriate course(s) to the Education Services Office within twenty-five (25) days from the date grades are posted by the institution. Service members may submit this documentation by email, in person, or by certified mail, to the address listed above.
b. Application packages must have submission of this final documentation to qualify for STR.
APPROVAL PROCEDURES:
a. An STR Board will meet quarterly, evaluate applications, and rank applications for reimbursement approval according to the priority of criteria established by The Adjutant General. The quarterly schedule will be:
- First Quarter- January, February, March
- Second Quarter- April, May, June
- Third Quarter- July, August, September
- Fourth Quarter- October, November, December
b. The STR board will comprise of: one Army National Guard member, one Air National Guard member, one Joint Task Force member, one Department of Administrative Services member and one TAG-appointed member. At a minimum, STR board members will be senior leaders, at least one E-9 and one officer on the board at any given time. No board member shall be eligible for the STR program while on the board.
c. The AZNG Education Services Office will deliver all qualifying packets to the STR board.
d. TAG will provide a Letter of Instruction (LOI) to the STR board on the intent of selection, to include priority levels determined by a services member’s previous education, rank, and funding availability.
e. TAG will give final approval for members receiving STR, and amounts given, using the STR board recommendations.
REIMBURSEMENT:
a. Tuition reimbursement will be made on a semester basis (determine by quarters) and shall immediately follow TAG approval.
b. Service members not granted tuition reimbursement will be notified of non-selection.
QUESTIONS:
For questions contact the Education Services Office at (602) 267-2445