Military GI Bill Education
At the end of World War II, government officials were tasked with finding a way to pay their soldiers back for their service with a promise to help them build a future for themselves. With this, the GI Bill of Rights was born. Today, there are many chapters and aspects to the GI Bill, but the main function remains: to help veterans of the Armed Forces find success and betterment after service through a quality education.
QUALIFICATIONS
Virtually all veterans of the Armed Forces are privy to the potential of the GI Bill, but there are a few requirements before you can qualify:
- You must have a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.
- You must serve a minimum of two years on active duty, and leave service with an honorable discharge.
- You must contribute $100 per month for the first twelve months of active duty, unless you qualify under the Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP).
- If you are an officer, you must voluntarily enroll.
Do these apply to you? If so, then you are eligible to take advantage of the GI Bill and the $40,000+ in academic benefits that it brings. (For an exact pay scale for the year, check out the Official GI Bill web page. )
CONSTRAINTS
There are also restrictions for the GI Bill. The most important one is that not all schools are compliant with GI benefits, so before attending any school you must make sure that you will actually be able to use your benefits. (Public state schools tend to be accommodating, but do your research on any private school.) There are also certain time limits of which you should be aware:
- You are only eligible for aid after two years of active service.
- Once discharged, you have ten years to use your benefits before they expire, upon which you will not be reimbursed for the initial $100/month investment.
- When your benefits are activated, the GI Bill will pay for 36 months of benefits-not including summers this equates to eight semesters, twelve trimesters, or in other words four years of college.
As long as you stay aware of these, any problems using your benefits should be minimal.
THE GI BILL FOR ACTIVE DUTY
The GI Bill is overwhelmingly meant for veterans, but some cases demand immediacy, whether for on-the-job training or to make a transition from enlisted to officer. In these cases, there are a couple of ways to start taking advantage of your benefits early.
Tuition Top-Up Program
This program allows active duty service members to draw from their 36 months of Montgomery GI Bill benefits to make up for expenses not covered by normal active duty tuition assistance. To qualify for this, you must:
- Qualify for tuition assistance;
- Be eligible and enrolled with the GI Bill;
- Have already served active duty for a minimum of two years.
Montgomery GI Bill: Chapter 30
The Active Duty section of the GI Bill, otherwise known as Chapter 30, dictates that-since, though the bill is usually reserved for veterans, it does cover more education choices like certification and on-the-job training-active duty service members can elect to use it after two years of service. Still, when using this option you won't get as much in benefits as you might have had you waited until discharge, so it's not the best plan in every case. For Chapter 30, it is a good iea to consult an Education Service Officer before applying to use your GI Bill benefits, to make sure it's the best option for you.
Are you ready to start applying for benefits and get a jump on your college career? For more detailed information on how to get started, check out the Department of Veteran Affairs website.
