It shall be the policy of the MSFA to maximize the retention of qualified active volunteer fire and rescue personnel through the use of a SAFER-funded College Tuition Reimbursement Program for any active and in good standing member or a member of their immediate family.
Applicants MUST be current active members in good standing within their fire department. Applicant must show cause that they cannot afford the tuition for their child or themselves without having to take on a second or greater job that would reduce or eliminate the time that they currently spend volunteering in the community. Applicants or applicants’ family member must be a high school graduate or equivalent.
Tuition Reimbursement is for any field of study at an accredited institution of higher learning. Students may only apply for two semesters in any single reporting period. A maximum of $4,000 will be reimbursed to each qualified & approved recipient, regardless of total funds expended by the student.
Should there be insufficient applications, the SAFER Grant Project Manager reserves the right to provide additional reimbursement to qualified recipients on a case by case basis, based upon participation and level of school activity.
The decision on funding Tuition Reimbursements shall be made within ten (10) days following the submission window for this application period. The amount of the award may not exceed the actual cost of tuition and fees charged for courses.
When accepting money via the Tuition Reimbursement Program, recipients must sign a legal contract committing to the provision that the applicant active provider services for a period of one year following the award. In doing so, the recipient acknowledges that the failure to do so will result in a legal obligation to remit the exact amount of the reimbursement to the MSFA within ninety (90) days of the end of the calendar year in which the recipient failed to meet stated requirements.
*This is a Tuition Reimbursement Program. Qualified recipients will only receive monies after successful payment of funds of the semester for which funding is being requested and with proof current enrollment.
Applicants must complete the MSFA Tuition Reimbursement Application. The application, along with required documentation, including transcript, receipt of payment for courses and proof of other consecutive semester enrollment shall be forwarded via email to the MSFA SAFER Grant Project Coordinator immediately upon completion of the semester.
Following verification of active status for the previous calendar year, the applicant being a member in good standing, and the applicable priority of: full-time, part-time or casual student; reimbursements will be decided on the criteria required by FEMA, the SAFER Award, and additional considerations made by the MSFA. Applicants will be notified in writing of the decision of their application. Payment will be mailed in accordance with SAFER payment timelines the following month.
May 1 of each calendar year for the previous Fall and current Spring semesters. (i.e., May 1, 2020 deadline for Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters)
