Military Education Benefits

From the moment President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the GI Bill into law in 1944 it represented the high point of government education support programs. Since then, the benefits of the GI Bill have grown to meet every veteran's modern educational needs. Today's GI Bill benefits may allow you to attend more than one college at a time; to earn two or more different degrees at once; to complete your education online or with distance learning courses; to maintain your education while you are deployed; to study vocational fields, to participate in apprentice programs, and more. The Post 9/11 GI Bill even allows qualified veterans to transfer GI Bill benefits to family members, spouses and children.

A strong commitment to your education rewards you immediately by placing you higher on the military pay scale. Once you separate from the military and enter a new career, your GI Bill education can mean an increased starting salary. With today's flexible GI Bill, balancing your pursuit of higher education with your high-priority military lifestyle becomes highly achievable for you, and your military family. Investing in yourself is a wise military move. Leveraging your GI Bill is the military option that pays you back throughout your income-earning years.

POST 9/11 or New GI Bill:

The Post 9/11 GI Bill is by far the most expanded version of the most popular educational support program ever devised: the GI Bill. The New GI Bill offers generous tuition support when you attend either a public or private institution, and support for your choice of a wide variety of educational programs. In addition, the new GI Bill supports you with payment of education fees required by your school. You may qualify to transfer your GI Bill education benefits to spouses and children.

New GI Bill

POST 9/11 GI BILL EXPANDS YOUR BENEFITS

With the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the government has expanded on the support provided to service members attending either public or private educational institutions, as well as other forms of training. Additionally, the new bill affords veterans the chance to receive housing allowance, funds for books and supplies, and a one-time rural benefit for eligible individuals.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW GI BILL?

To be considered eligible, veterans must have completed a minimum of 90 days of active duty service after September 10, 2001. Veterans who have received an honorable discharge are also eligible.

The percentage of benefits that veterans receive from the Post 9/11 GI Bill depends on the time they served after September 10, 2011:

TUITION AND FEE PAYMENTS

If you are covered under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, payments for your tuition and fees will be made directly to your school by the VA, based on what percentage of benefits you qualify for, as well as the educational program you choose to pursue.

• Institutions of Higher Learning

Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you have a number of options in regards to higher education. If you choose to attend an in-state, public college or university, your tuition will be paid in full. Even if you have not established formal residency in the state where you are enrolled in school, you may still qualify for in-state tuition as long as you reside there currently.

When it comes to private or foreign schools, or public schools where you do not qualify as an in-state resident, Congress sets a cap on the amount paid towards tuition by the GI Bill. The current national maximum per school year is $22,805.34.

In certain instances, tuition for private or foreign colleges and universities may cost more than the annual maximum amount set by Congress. If this is the case, you might be able to qualify for additional funds under the Yellow Ribbon Agreement. In this program, Institutions of Higher Learning voluntarily choose to contribute a certain amount to pay the additional funds towards your education, and that amount is matched by the VA. There is no additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement, and the VA issues payments directly to the institution.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill also affords eligible veterans attending Institutions of Higher Learning a monthly housing allowance*, books and supplies stipend*, and a one-time rural benefit for certain veterans.

• Non-college Degree Granting Institutions

The bill also assists veterans attending Non-college Degree Granting Institutions, such as technical schools. Veterans can receive up to $22,805.34 to pay for net costs for in-state tuition and fees per academic year.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill also affords eligible veterans attending Non-college Degree Granting Institutions a monthly housing allowance*, books and supplies stipend*, and a one-time rural benefit for certain veterans.

• Apprenticeships or On-The-Job Training

As a veteran, you may choose to forego the traditional course of college/university, and instead enroll in an apprenticeship, or on-the-job training program, in which you are able to learn a trade or skill under a professional. In such programs, you generally enter into a training contract for a specific time, at the end of which you receive a certification or journeyman status. With most apprenticeships or on-the-job training programs, veterans receive a salary from their employers or unions, which increases as they become more skilled.

For veterans undergoing an apprenticeship, or those enrolled in on-the-job training programs, the Post 9/11 GI Bill offers a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) which is based on the ZIP code, and the length of the training period:

The Post 9/11 GI Bill also affords eligible veterans enrolled in apprenticeships or on-the-job training a books and supplies stipend.

• Vocational Flight Schools

The post 9/11 GI Bill offers benefits if you choose to further your pilot training by attending vocational flight schools. All veterans must have a private pilot’s license and valid medical certification before beginning training.

Veterans taking part in any kind of vocational flight training can be reimbursed up to the full cost of training, or $13,031.61 per academic year, whichever is less. This cap applies to all classes that begin during that academic year, regardless of year in which they are completed.

There is NO allowance for housing or books and supplies.

• Correspondence Schools

Many veterans choose to enroll in Correspondence Schools, which is not the same as Distance Learning. In the former you receive lessons in the mail, and you have a certain amount of time to complete and return the lessons for a grade.

For Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients, the VA reimburses the lesser of the net actual costs for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the school, not to exceed $11,076.86 per academic year.

• National Testing Programs/Licensing and Certification Tests

As with most professions, you may be required to take part in National Testing Programs, or Licensing and Certification Tests. These can become costly, which is why the post 9/11 GI Bill offers reimbursement for veterans, up to $2,000 per test. Your entitlement will be charged one month for every $1,902.61 paid to you, rounded to the nearest non-zero whole month; this means even low-cost tests are charged one month of entitlement per test.

The following tests are approved for reimbursement:

• 
  
  • SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)
  • LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
  • GRE (Graduate Record Exam)
  • GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
  • AP (Advanced Placement Exam)
  • CLEP (College-Level Examination Program)
  • ACT (American College Testing Program)
  • DAT (Dental Admissions Test)
  • MAT (Miller Analogies Test)
  • MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test)
  • OAT (Optometry Admissions Testing)
  • PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test)
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
  • DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
  • ECE (Excelsior College Examinations)
  • PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) testing through Learningcounts.org
  • TECEP (Thomas Edison College Examination Program)

Under your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, you may also be eligible for a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)*. Your MHA amount is based on your school’s ZIP code, and also on the military Basic Allowance for Housing for E-5s with dependents. Effective August 1 of every academic year, your MHA rate increases based on BAH increases.

There are some exceptions to the MHA.

For most educational and training programs, you may be eligible to receive a stipend for books and supplies of up to $1,000.00. This is paid proportionately based on enrollment, at the beginning of the academic year.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill also offers a one-time rural benefit payment of $500 to certain individuals who are relocating from highly rural areas. This benefit applies to veterans moving from a county with 6 persons or less per square mile (as determined by the most recent decennial census) in order to attend an educational institution. They must be either relocating at least 500 miles, or travelling by air if no other land-based transportation is possible.

Montgomery GI Bill 

If you qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), you may receive benefits for a an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited college or university, an accredited independent study program leading to a degree, wide variety of training programs, and more. Your MGIB benefit is based on the educational program, your length of military service, and your category. In some circumstances, DOD may add money to your MGIB Fund (called "kickers"). You generally have 10 years to use your MGIB benefits.

Montgomery GI Bill

EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR MILITARY MEMBERS

What If My Montgomery GI BILL Benefits Have Expired?

Each year the VA releases Montgomery GI Bill payment rates and the news is often good. Unlike the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the MGIB rates for full-time, three quarter, half, and less then half-time are relatively straightforward.

The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) is a federal program that offers support for veterans who want to pursue their educational goals. Service members and veterans receive assistance in the form of monthly payments that go towards education costs, Those who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces can qualify for either the Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (Chapter 30), or the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606).

If you qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), you may receive benefits that cover different paths of education, including an undergraduate or graduate degree, an accredited independent study program leading to a degree, a wide variety of training programs, and more. You generally have 10 years to use your MGIB benefits, and they are not transferrable to a spouse or other family member. Your MGIB benefit is based on the educational program you are pursuing, the length of your military service, and your category. In some circumstances, the Department of Defense may add money to your MGIB Fund (called "kickers").

To qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill, service members must contribute to the program from their military pay each month. Under Chapter 30, enrolled Active Duty members who pay $100 per month for 12 months are entitled to receive a monthly education benefit after completing a minimum service obligation. Under Chapter 1606, a reservist who is actively drilling and has a 6-year obligation in the Selected Reserve can qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill. The MGIB benefits are adjusted each year according to changes in Consumer Price Index.

The MGIB program differs for members of the selected reserve, and those actively serving.

MONTGOMERY GI BILL (ACTIVE DUTY)

The VA provides education benefits to members who have served at least 2 years of active duty, and have paid $100 per month for a year. If eligible, your Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (MGIB-AD) benefits will provide up to 36 months of education benefits.

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty

MGIB-AD (ACTIVE DUTY) - KNOWN AS CHAPTER 30

The MGIB-AD program, also referred to as Chapter 30, provides education benefits to veterans and service members. As an active duty member, you can opt to $100 per month for 12 months in order to receive the monthly education assistance. You are entitled to this benefit only after you complete the minimum 2 years of active duty. The benefits provided under this bill are non-transferable.

WHAT IS COVERED UNDER THIS PROGRAM?

The Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty, called "MGIB-AD" for short, provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible veterans, which can be put towards the following:

• College
• Technical or Vocational Courses
• Correspondence Courses
• Apprenticeship/Job Training
• Flight Training
• High-tech Training
• Licensing & Certification Tests
• Entrepreneurship Training
• Certain Entrance Examinations

Assistance for remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved upon request in certain instances.

HOW MUCH DOES VA PAY?

MGIB-AD payment rates are updated annually, and the monthly benefit paid to you is based on the type of institutional training you take, length of your service, and your category. It also differs if the Department of Defense (DOD) put extra money in your MGIB Fund (called "kickers"). You can access your Montgomery GI Bill benefits for 10 years following your release from active duty, but this time frame can vary in different situations.

2016 Montgomery GI Bill Rate Chart

MGIB-AD (ACTIVE DUTY) IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS CHAPTER 30

THE FOLLOWING RATES APPLY TO THOSE COMPLETING AN ENLISTMENT OF
THREE YEARS OR MORE.

INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING

APPRENTICESHIP AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

OJT Rates effective October 1, 2016

Correspondence and Flight
 Entitlement charged at the rate of one month for each $1,928.00 paid.

Cooperative - $1,928.00

** Tuition and Fees ONLY. Payment cannot exceed the listed amount.

THE FOLLOWING RATES APPLY TO THOSE COMPLETING AN ENLISTMENT OF
LESS THAN THREE YEARS.

INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING

APPRENTICESHIP AND ON THE JOB TRAINING

OJT Rates effective October 1, 2017

Correspondence and Flight
 Entitlement charged at the rate of one month for each $1,509.00 paid.

Cooperative - $1,566.00

** Tuition and Fees ONLY. Payment cannot exceed the listed amount.

Basic Institutional Rates for persons with remaining entitlement under Chapter 34 of Title 8, U.S.C. - Chapter 30 Category II rates effective October 1, 2016.

INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING

COOPERATIVE TRAINING

Correspondence
 55% of the approved charges

Flight
 60% of the approved charges

** Tuition and Fees ONLY. Payment cannot exceed the listed amount.

APPRENTICESHIP AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

$600 BUY-UP PROGRAM

This is an option that you can avail in order to supplement your MGIB-AD benefits. By contributing up to an additional $600 to the GI Bill, you can receive increased monthly benefits that could amount in an extra $5,400 in assistance. To participate in the $600 Buy-Up Program, contributions must be made while on active duty. This table illustrates how your monthly payments could increase with contributions between $20 and $600.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

If you are a serviceman or woman with 2 years of active duty under your belt, you are eligible for education benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty. As a veteran removed from active service, you can generally use these benefits within 10 years following active duty. Since eligibility requirements are complex, they have been grouped into the following four categories. You must fall under one to be considered eligible.

CATEGORY I

• Entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985
• Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for first 12 months
• Continuously served for 3 years, OR 2 years if that is what you first enlisted for, OR 2 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty and served 4 years ("2 by 4" Program)

CATEGORY II

• Entered active duty before January 1, 1977
• Served at least 1 day between 10/19/84 and 6/30/85, and stayed on active duty through 6/30/88, (or 6/30/87 if you entered the Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years)
• On 12/31/89, you had entitlement left from Vietnam-Era GI Bill

CATEGORY III

• Not eligible for MGIB under Category I or II
• On active duty on 9/30/90 AND separated involuntarily after 2/2/91,
• OR involuntarily separated on or after 11/30/93,
• OR voluntarily separated under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) or Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program
• Before separation, you had military pay reduced by $1,200

CATEGORY IV

• On active duty on 10/9/96 AND you had money remaining in a VEAP account on that date AND you elected MGIB by 10/9/97
• OR entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between 7/1/85, and 11/28/89 AND you elected MGIB during the period 10/9/96, through 7/8/97
• Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1200 lump-sum contribution

Regardless of which category you fall under, all service members or veterans must meet two mandatory requirements to be considered for the Montgomery GI Bill, Active Duty:

• Veterans must have received a fully honorable discharge to use MGIB-AD benefits after being separated from active duty. Note that discharges "under honorable conditions" and "general" discharges do not make you eligible.
• Service members and veterans must have a High School Diploma, GED, or in some cases 12 hours of college credit to be considered eligible under for MGIB-AD benefits.

MONTGOMERY GI BILL (RESERVES)

As a member of the Selected Reserve with a 6-year obligation to serve, you may be eligible to receive education benefits for up to 36 months.

2017 Montgomery GI Bill Rate Chart

MGIB-SR (SELECTED RESERVE) - KNOWN AS CHAPTER 1606

INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING

APPRENTICESHIP AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

OJT Rates effective October 1, 2017

Correspondence and Flight
 Entitlement charged at the rate of one month for each $375.00 paid.

Cooperative - $375.00

Correspondence - 55% of the approved charges

Flight - 60% of the approved charges

SURVIVORS AND DEPENDENTS ASSISTANCE (DEA)

When a military spouse or parent is injured during service in the Armed Forces, military family life suffers in many areas. Rest assured that your military family's college education plans can remain intact, thanks to the Dependents' Educational Assistance program. DEA offers up to 45 months of educational benefits towards a variety of post-secondary educational programs including tuition at a college or university, business, technical or vocational courses, and other types of advanced education.

Survivors and Dependents Assistance

WHAT IS THE SURVIVORS' AND DEPENDENTS' EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM?

When a military spouse or parent is injured during service in the Armed Forces, military family life suffers in many areas. Rest assured that your military family's college education plans can remain intact, thanks to the Dependents' Educational Assistance program. In the unfortunate event of harm or injury to the military service member, the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) offers education benefits that support military dependents and veterans' spouses in earning a college degree or completing a training programs.

DEA offers up to 45 months of educational benefits towards a variety of post-secondary educational programs including tuition at a college or university; business, technical or vocational courses; independent study or apprenticeships; costs for tests for licenses or certificates required to practice a trade; distance learning and online schools. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.

HOW MUCH AID CAN I RECEIVE THROUGH THE SURVIVORS' AND DEPENDENTS' EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM?

The amount of tuition and education benefits you receive from Dependents' Educational Assistance depends on the length and type of training or college degree program you choose. DEA pays benefits monthly with a maximum for full-time education of $925/ month.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE SURVIVORS' AND DEPENDENTS' EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM?

1. Find a VA approved degree program. If you are not sure that your program is VA approved, ask the VA and your school or program about meeting the requirements.
2. Complete VA Form 22-5490, the Application Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance. Send VA Form 22-5490 to the VA regional office with jurisdiction over the state where you will attend school. If you are a military son or daughter under legal age, a parent or guardian must sign the application.
3. Send your completed VA Form 22-5490 to the regional Veterans' Affairs office in the state where you'll be enrolled in your education. If you have already started your program, take your application to your school or employer and ask them to complete VA Form 22-1999, Enrollment Certification; then send both forms to VA.

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR SURVIVORS' AND DEPENDENTS' EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE?

To be eligible for DEA benefits, you must be the son, daughter, or spouse of:

• A veteran who died or is permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability.
• A veteran who died from any cause while a service-connected disability was in existence.
• A service member missing in action or captured in line of duty by a hostile force.
• A service member forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
• A service member who is hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability.
• Eligible military children must use the DEA benefit between age 18 and 26. In certain instances, it is possible to begin before age 18 and to continue after age 26.
• Under certain circumstances, it is also possible to extend the 18-26 age limit by the number of months and days equal to the time spent on active duty. This extension cannot generally go beyond your 31st birthday, but there are some exceptions.
• Spouses have 10 years to use their DEA benefits, starting on the date the VA establishes eligibility.
• For surviving spouses (spouses of service members who died on active duty) DEA benefits end 20 years from the date of death.
• If the VA rated the veteran permanently and totally disabled with an effective date of 3 years from discharge a spouse will remain eligible for 20 years from the effective date of the rating.
• You are not eligible for the DEA benefit while you're on active duty. Leverage the other educational programs available to you, such as Active Duty Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB).
• Remember that as military, you're entitled to military aid as well as federal aid and state aid in the form of school grants and college loans. Grants and scholarships are gift aid that don't need to be repaid. Private loans usually have higher interest rates and repayment terms.

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY FOR DEA BENEFITS

Section 301 of Public Law 109-461 adds a new DEA-eligible category for DEA benefits: the spouse or child of a person who VA determines has a service-connected permanent and total disability, and at the time of VA's determination is a member of the Armed Forces who is hospitalized or receiving outpatient medical care, services, or treatment, and is likely to be discharged or released from service for this service-connected disability.

SPECIAL RESTORATIVE TRAINING DEA BENEFITS

The Department of Veterans Affairs may prescribe special restorative training where needed to overcome or lessen the effects of a physical or mental disability for the purpose of enabling an eligible person to pursue a program of education, special vocational program or other appropriate goal. Medical care and treatment or psychiatric treatments are not included.

SPECIAL VOCATIONAL TRAINING DEA BENEFITS

This type of program may be approved for an eligible person who is not in need of Special Restorative Training, but who requires such a program because of a mental or physical handicap.

(Source: https://www.militaryrates.com/military-gibill-new)