CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The government shutdown is impacting countless people across the country who rely on federal funding, especially those serving in the military.
In Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is stepping in to help some of its students who are serving in the armed forces by funding a federal tuition assistance program with the university’s funds.
Click here for more information about the tuition assistance program.
Many simply refer to the program as T.A.
"A lot of people at Austin Peay have called us to see how it's going to work without the T.A.," said Jasnine Montana, a senior at APSU.
Montana relied on the program to pay for her associate's degree while she was serving full-time in the Army.
Now she works part-time at the Newton Military Family Resource Center at Austin Peay State University, where she’s earning her bachelor's degree.
Without that funding to earn her associate's degree, she said her educational journey would have looked very different.
"I would have definitely paused the education, just because you know you are relying on that to help," Montana said.
According to university officials, during the current government shutdown and with no military budget, the program will go unfunded for the next term.
Retired Major General Walt Lord, who helps run the Newton Center, said APSU is stepping in to cover the cost for that tuition assistance program.
"They really rely on that tuition assistance to be able to accomplish their educational goals," Lord said.
The program covers up to $250 per credit hour, with a cap of $4500 per fiscal year.
Students usually take one or two classes at a time when they’re serving full-time in the military.
Lord said it could cost the university half a million dollars to fund the program themselves for this next term.
Without this assistance, many students would have to stop taking classes or find another way to pay for tuition, which can be a struggle for military families.
"The typical student soldier, they're young, they've got kids to feed, they've got bills to pay," Lord said.
So for the time being, APSU is stepping in to cover that tuition cost.
According to Lord, the Newton Military Family Resource Center is the largest center of its kind in the state.
Click here for more information on the services offered at the center.
This story was reported on-air by reporter Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Coles verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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