Financial Assistance

Hawaii has a high cost of living. Some estimates place the cost of living expense at around 38% higher than the mainland. Housing, gasoline, food and car insurance are among the high-cost items. Nothing can ruin a choice tour worse than being financially strapped, so please reach out to the Personal Financial Management Program, the Military Finance Office and Military OneSource experts to assist with budgeting and other financial services and support.

Advance Pay

Advance Pay is strongly discouraged due to Hawaii’s high cost of living. We highly recommend creating a “Spending Plan” with the Personal Financial Counselors at the Marine & Family Programs or the Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society. To understand all the financial options other than advance pay alone.

Initial Temporary Lodging Costs to Families When Making a PCS Move

Since the 10 days of hotel/lodging and meal expenses are paid for out-of-pocket by the service member, it is highly recommended to contact the TLA office to get guidance, recommendations and information on average cost prior to making hotel/lodging reservations. The Hawaii TLA office is located at Bldg. 216 and can be reached at 808-496-7760/7764/7765 or TLA_Dropbox@usmc.mil.

Reimbursements are provided to service members meeting the stringent TLA policy. Refer to the TLA information below for additional information.

For some personnel, the amount of BAH and COLA will not offset the cost of rent in the civilian community. Therefore, residing in base housing is the best way to protect the family from the high cost of living in Hawaii.

Car Rental: Car rental is not reimbursed by the government.

Travel Section

The Travel Section handles the settlement of all travel claims for Temporary Additional Duty and permanent change of station orders. Presently, the average turn-around time for travel claims fluctuates during high peak PCS season. The Travel Section also computes and processes all travel advances involving TAD, PCS, and separation.

• Location: Bldg. 216, Rm. 82
• Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 7;30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• For more information: Call 808-496-7760 or DSN 315-496-7760

Temporary Lodging Allowance Office

Temporary Lodging Allowance is available for eligible families arriving to Hawaii. The Inns of the Corps at Marine Corps Base Hawaii is the primary lodging facility. Members must call for reservations, and, if they are fully booked, a statement of non-availability will be issued. Please make sure to obtain a TLA-approved lodging list from the TLA office prior to booking a hotel. Most hotels are within 25 miles of Kaneohe Bay and 10 miles of Camp Smith.

Before making reservations for any other accommodations, please contact the TLA Office at 808-496-7760 or TLA_Dropbox@usmc.mil.

Personal Financial Management Program

Personal Financial counseling is provided at the Marine & Family. Information and assistance is also available for one-on-one counseling in areas such as military pay and allowances, consumer rip-offs, savings, insurance, car buying, home buying, credit card management and more. For more information, call 808-496-7783 or 808-496-1232.

Navy Marine Corps Relief Society

The NMCRS can provide financial emergency assistance based upon need through either loans or, when there is a particular hardship, grants. Categories of financial assistance include:

• Basic living expenses (food, shelter, utilities)
• Medical not covered by TRICARE
• Dental not covered by DDP
• Funeral expenses
• Emergency transportation
• Essential car repairs
• Pay and allotment problems
• Disasters
• Assistance for widows, mothers and children

The NMCRS locations on Oahu can be found at https://www.nmcrs.org/locations/kaneohe-bay.