Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Information on the 2024 Campaign is available now.  Click here to find out more.

Tuition Assistance Program Application

Required ​​​​​Forms and Supporting Documents:

Before you apply to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), discuss with your supervisor how the coursework will be relevant to your work in the agency. Courses eligible for reimbursement through this program must (1) contribute significantly to meeting agency training needs; (2) resolve agency staffing problems, or (3) accomplish strategic goals. Once it is determined the course meets the eligibility criteria, then you should submit a pre-course TAP application for approval via email to tuitionassistance@usss.dhs.gov at least 30 days prior to the scheduled start of the course, followed by a post-course application within 15 days of course completion.

Below are instructions for filling out the required forms, (which can be quickly accessed from the TAP intranet site), and a list of the required documents that need to be included with your pre-course and post-course TAP application package:

 

Step 1: Pre-course Application

  • SF 182 Revised March 2020 (Authorization, Agreement and Certification of Training). ​​​​​Please note that you will need to complete a separate SF 182 for each course.
    • Page 1 – Complete Sections A – C.
    • Page 1 – Box 20 must justify how the course meets the agency’s strategic objectives or state how the agency will benefit from you taking the course.
    • Page 2 (Section D – Approvals), must be signed by your immediate supervisor and second-line supervisor 30 days prior to the course start date.
    • Page 2 (Section E – Approvals/Concurrence), must be signed by your AD/Chief.
  • Continued Service Agreement (CSA)
    • SF 182: Page 1, Box 15 (select Yes) and Box 16 – input one year after the course ends or input 3 x the number of credits x the number of weeks in the course, whichever service obligation period is greater (e.g. a 3-credit-hour course lasting 8 weeks is 3 x 3 x 8 = 72 hours, therefore, this course would result in a 1-year CSA, because one year is greater than 72 hours)​​​​​​
    • CSA Document: Input Period of Obligated Service, Sign, Date
    • Continued Service Agreement (CSA)
  • Once both forms are completed and signed by all parties, then you will need to submit your pre-approval application via email to tuitionassistance@usss.dhs.gov prior to the start of the course.

Step 2: Post-course Application

  • SF 182 Revised March 2020 (Authorization, Agreement and Certification of Training) Page 1 (Section C – Costs and Billing Information) – if the cost for tuition or course related materials changes for any reason, please provide an explanation for the change. Also, you will need to cross out/correct the line item(s) and have your leadership team initial the adjusted cost corrections. Page 2 (Section F – Certification of Training Completion and Evaluation) - must be signed by supervisor within 15 days of course completion.
  • SSF 1164 (Claim for Reimbursement for Expenditures on Official Business)
    • Page 1 – complete Boxes 1-6, and sign Box 9 with the Approving Official being your supervisor
    • Page 2 – complete third Description section with date, title, and cost of tuition (include line item for cost of books)
  • You must submit proof of payment in the form of a detailed receipt showing that the particular course was paid to the educational institution out-of-pocket (e.g. credit card, electronic transfer, check, etc.). Tuition paid by a student loan or GI Bill are not eligible for reimbursement through the Tuition Assistance Program.​​​​​​
  • You must submit your current transcript showing the final grade of the course. You are required to complete all coursework with an acceptable grade. For TAP approved classes, a final grade of 2.0 (C) or higher must be achieved in a 4.0 grading system.
  • Please submit all required documents for your post-course application via email to tuitionassistance@usss.dhs.gov.

Step 3: Approval

  • Each TAP application requires approval from the Retention Program Approval Board before reimbursement for the course(s) can be disbursed to an employee, and is subject to the availability of funds.
  • If the TAP application is approved, and funding is available, then the Secret Service: ​​​​​​
    • Will pay for the course tuition and course-related materials to include lab fees (up to $5,250 is not taxed per year)​​
    • Will not pay late fees, add/drop fees, transportation costs, registration fees, student activity fees, or graduation fees.
Return to top of page