Financial Assistance

Advance pay is a "loan" on income not yet earned, and it must be paid back within 12 months. Although it seems like a good idea and you can afford it now, things could change during that year placing you in a financial bind. Before taking advance pay, carefully consider your spend plan. The Military and Family Readiness Center is available to assist you in determining if this new debt is your best option.

You can schedule an individual appointment with a Certified Personal Financial Counselor at M&FRC by calling 813-828-0145.

The cost of living varies depending on the area but it falls within national averages.

The Tampa Bay Area is the 18th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The median age is 35.9 and nearly 20% of Tampa Bay's population is in the 18-34 age groups. The median household income is $70,612 (2022, Hillsborough County).

The Greater Tampa Bay consists mainly of the following three counties: Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco County, and is the second most populated metro-area in Florida. Other counties that make up this area are Hernando, Polk, Citrus, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties. 

The minimum required insurance coverage is $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP) per person plus Property Damage Liability coverage in the minimum amount of $10,000. Any person who has a vehicle in Florida for more than 90 days during a 365- day period must purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability insurance coverage. The 90 days do not have to be consecutive.

The policy must be purchased from an insurance carrier licensed to do business in Florida (if you are new to the state, you may ask your agent to transfer your current insurance to a Florida policy). 

TLA is used to partially reimburse a member for the more than normal expenses incurred during occupancy of temporary lodging and expenses of meals obtained as a direct result of use of temporary lodging Outside Continental United States (OCONUS). The OCONUS base handles the paperwork and processing of TLA. Contact your local pay for additional information.

Temporary Lodging Expenses (TLE) is designed to partially offset/reimburse members for lodging and meal expenses when a member/dependent(s) occupy temporary quarters in CONUS (Continental United States) in conjunction with a PCS.

For more information please see: https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/travelpay/armypcs/tle/ or call DFAS at 1-1888-332-7411.

The https://portal.afas.org/ea-eligibility/,https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/loans/, https://www.nmcrs.org/pages/financial-assistance-and-counseling. Societies are all official charities of the Department of Defense. All are private, non-profit organizations that promote the military mission by providing worldwide emergency assistance, sponsoring education assistance programs and offering a variety of base community enhancement programs that improve quality of life for military members and their families. Each relief society assists with rent, food, shelter, vehicle repairs (including parts and labor) and emergency travel for death or serious illness of immediate family members.

USAF- Air Force:

Air Force website:

Create an application https://portal.afas.org

If you need help completing an application or encounter problems, please contact the M&FRC for "how to apply" HQ AFAS society emergency assistance section at 703-972-2604 for assistance.

US ARMY:

Call the American Red Cross by

Create an Application armyemergencyrelief.org/

Need Help Establishing an Accountor Encounter Problems Logging into Account, Please Contact HQ AER At 1-866-878-6378.

USN & USMC

Navy-Marine Corps website:

To Apply for Assistance

Completed a Financial Assistance Application (Urgent) or Emergency Travel)

The Red Cross dialing - 877-272-7337

If you need help completing an application or encounter problems please contact the HQ NMCRS for guidance on "How to Apply" at 800-654-8364 or Email at communications@nmcrs.org.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

Armed Forces Emergency Services

The ARC will complete an in-take application by gathering all the facts, required document and the case on behalf of Service member Family etc.

877-272-7337-Follow the URL: https://www.redcross.org

Appointments to meet with a financial counselor can be made by calling 813-828-0145 or emailing FSC.frontdesk@us.af.mil

Some common areas of assistance for financial education include creating an effective financial plan (budget) for a household, credit and debt management, retirement planning, savings and investments, insurance and risk management, car- and home-buying strategies, military pay and allowances, consumer advocacy topics related to predatory lending or scam prevention and many other financial topics.

Government Travel Card

You are authorized to use the government credit card to pay for permanent change of station-related expenses such as lodging and food. Keep in mind that charges on the card may be monitored for misuse or overuse. Do not overuse the travel card if you stay beyond your authorized time in billeting.

Housing and Utility Costs

Rentals and properties to purchase are both plentiful. The median rent in Tampa is about $2,300. In May 2024, the median home sold price in Tampa was $410,000; however housing prices can vary drastically. Utility costs will vary considerably throughout the year. The summers usually bring high electric bills.