Many people have heard about the GI Bill but they may not know that it is totally about education. This bill covers various programs for education assistance that the Department of Veterans Affairs administers. Whether you are a member of service now, a veteran or a dependent of a veteran who was killed in the line of duty or disabled, you may be eligible for education benefits.

The Montgomery GI Bill is also about education but allows those who are in active duty and veterans to receive a tax-free monthly benefit for books, tuition, fees and living expenses as they pursue a college degree, a certificate or learn a trade. The value of the bill is around $40,000.

This bill will provide for up to 36 months for a service member or veteran to receive education in most types of schools. Specifically they can go to a traditional college or trade school, receive technical or vocational training, take flight or other high tech trainings, and they can apply for some types of entrance exams.

However, what is nontraditional about this bill is that a person can also receive the stipend if they are in an apprenticeship program, attending job training, entrepreneurship training or taking correspondence courses. These types of programs are generally not covered in grants and scholarships.

The first step to eligibility is that the individual has to be in active duty or a veteran and should have had an honorable discharge. They also have to have either a GED, a High School Diploma or have attended 12 hours of college. When you meet these criteria, then you also must meet one of the categories of eligibility.

There are four categories for eligibility for the Montgomery GI Bill and it is important to know whether you fit into one of these four categories. You can find out more about these categories at: http://www.gibill.va.gov/pamphlets/CH30/CH30 _Pamphlet_ General.htm.

In each category, you will need to have been in active duty for a period of 2-3 years, during certain specific dates, and your military pay would have been reduced by at least $100. This is very important because not all veterans or service persons would be eligible.

The Montgomery GI Bill also will determine the amount of stipend that is paid to you based on the training that you enroll in, the category you fit into, the number of years in service and whether the Department of Defense gives extra money; this is all to say that it each stipend is customized to the individual.

Generally you will have up to 10 years to use these benefits but there are some situations (based on individual circumstances) where you may have less time. To apply, you have to fill out the Form VA 22-1990, which is their Application for Education Benefits.

If you have been interested in pursuing education and you have wondered about your GI Bill, now is the time to start identifying where you might want to go and what you want to study. You can go to their website or call 1-888-GI-BILL-1 for more information.

Many soldiers go into the military because in many cases the military will pay for their education. Some people wonder though how this happens. The payment for education actually comes through the GI Bill. This is actually a “generic term” according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, for all of the programs they have to give assistance for education. The GI Bill is administered through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In all cases Veterans, service members, some of their dependents can get an education through the GI Bill. If a veteran is disabled or deceased some of their dependents can also receive benefits. In 2007 the Department supported 500,000 personnel in their educational pursuits.

There area actually nine programs under the GI Bill. They are all similar in content, but they are also different in eligibility requirements. Here are a few of them and their eligibility requirements:

Active Duty GI Bill — this is for individuals who started serving in the military after July 1, 1985. In order to serve, they had a pay cut of $1,200, they had active duty that was continuous that was either equal or grater than their initial enlistment time negotiated. Under this provision some people are eligible if they left early due to specific circumstances.

Reserve GI Bill — there are two types of reserve GI Bills and they both have to do with when the individual served. The first one Chapter 1606 is for regular “drilling reservists” and the second, Chapter 1607 is for those reservist who where mobilized for longer periods than expected after September 11, 2001. They have different eligibility requirements for both programs. In other words, this is for drill sergeants who were active during the time, they completed a IADT, have a high school diploma (or GED), were in good standing in their units and have currently at least 6 more years to serve.

Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (MGIB-AD) — Also called, Chapter 30, this program will provide up to 36 months for the individual’s education. It can be used for a variety of programs including the seeking of a degree or certificate, apprenticeship, flight training, and correspondence courses. There is some provision for remedial work but it has to be approved ahead of time. The benefits will be paid for 10 years after the individual is released from an active duty status.

There is also a selected reserve GI Bill under this category for individuals in the reserves of the Army, Navy, Air force, Marine Corp, Coast Guard, Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.

Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEA) — under this provision, when a service member is serving and acquires a disability that is both permanent and total, and the individual is in the hospital recovering from an injury or receiving outpatient care for their injuries, and they are likely to be discharged from their active duty because of the injury, their family members can be eligible for the GI Bill to pursue their education. This is based on a case by case basis and the individual must go through their local VA office to find out more about it.

When an individual goes into the military one of the ways the recruiters bring them in is by telling them about the GI Bill education benefit. Many people may not be aware of this but it is one of the ways that military personal pay for their education. The nice thing about the benefit is that it has a lot more available to the soldier than traditional grants and loans from the government.

There are actually nine programs that the military has put together, each with its own eligibility requirements. For the most part an individual has to be in active duty or a veteran to receive benefits. The longer the individual serves, the more they will receive in benefits. Currently, the benefits the receive total more than $47,000.

In each service category, when an individual is out of the service, they have up to 10 years to use their benefits. They can use them for just about any situation that is educational. Specifically, they can pursue a degree at a college, a certificate, they can go to a trade school and learn a trade, they can attend flight training or other technical school and they can even take correspondence classes. Where most financial aid will not pay for remedial or refresher course, the GI Bill will under certain circumstances; this is on a case by case basis.

In 2007, over 500,000 service members used the GI Bill to pursue their education. In some cases service members only receive a rate for going to school half-time and in this case, there is also a tutorial program available. This is helpful for those who find that they are having difficulty in a subject they are taking. Also, some students can receive the benefits of Work Study if they are going to school at least ¾ time. This is something that they can check into with their VA officer, because it is available for some of the GI Bills but not all of them.

One important feature when you are considering using the GI Bill for your education is that you must find a school where you can use the benefits to the fullest extent. Most schools will take these benefits but you want to make sure that it is a “military friendly” school so that they understand how to help you use the benefits in the best way possible.

When you are looking for a school, it is a good idea to check to see whether they have the program you want and whether it will train you for what you want to do with the degree or certificate. You should also check their accreditation, their policies for using CLEP and military experience credits (ACE); both of these options can cut down on the number of classes you have to take which means you will get to your degree or certificate sooner.

You should also consider whether online or face to face classes are best suited to your learning needs. This will depend on you as a student. Generally speaking the GI Bill will pay for your tuition, books and fees and some living expenses.

Many people forget that they have GI Bill benefits when they get out of the service or they are not sure what to do to apply for them. The process for applying is relatively simple and straight forward as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.

There are several ways to apply for benefits. You can call an application in, you can do one online or you can get an application form the school or other program where you are applying. Usually there is a VA Certifying official in the Financial Aid office who can help you fill out the forms and then send them to the VA. You can also apply online through the VONAPP website available through the main GI Bill website.

There are certain situations where you should apply online only — this is if you are changing schools or programs or if you are changing the type of educational benefit program.

In order to make the best out of your application process, follow these four steps:

1. Find a school – this is the most important step and it will take the longest. You will want to find a school or other program where you are eligible to use the benefits and where they have a program that you want to study. You are looking for a program that is approved by the VA. You can go to their website to search for the VA approved programs: http://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchInstitutionCriteria.do. This will take you directly to their website.
2. Once you find a school you will need to talk to the registrar’s office and to the individual who is in charge of working with VA benefits. Generally there is one person who knows the ins and outs of how to apply and where to send the forms. Many have the online website bookmarked for such occasions. It is also a good idea to find out about the GI Bill Buy Up program because this could get you extra money in the long term. You will need VA Form 22-1990 if you fill out the paper form.
3. In this step you just send in your application. Usually you can do that directly through the school so you don’t have to worry about it. You will receive information back within 4-8 weeks. This will be in the form of a letter that will explain the benefits or it may ask for more information. If they ask for more information make sure you get this into them quickly.
4. Once you start receiving benefit checks, your obligation to the GI Bill doesn’t stop. You will need to go to the VA’s Website called the Automated Verification of Eligibility (WAVE) to continue receiving your benefits. They will most likely ask you questions about whether or not you are still in school and other pertinent information around your coursework. You can either go online and do this through the VA website or call them at 1-888-GIBILL-1. Note: You will need to be in contact through W.A.V.E. on a monthly basis or you will stop receiving benefits.

When you are applying for GI Bill educational assistance it is a good idea to check out various programs first. There are thousands of programs for you to examine and when you do this homework ahead of time, it will be easier to get your assistance.

Although you don’t have to know what college or program you want to attend in order to apply, it makes good sense to get started in this way so you don’t have to wait. Many colleges have a career department that may be the place to start in looking for the type of program you may want to enter.

Generally speaking there are a variety of programs to look for and they are not just traditional colleges. You can enroll in different types of programs depending on your career goal. Some of the programs you can enroll in are:

• A degree at a qualified college or university
• A certificate for a trade or other training
• A technical college like a flight school, welding or other type of program that teaches a technical skill.
• A school that sends your lessons through the mail, technically called a correspondence school.
• An apprenticeship program or a job that offers on the job training.

Sometimes, in order to get ready to go to a program someone may need to take a certification test. As an example, in some colleges a high score on an SAT or an ACT will give you a better placement in your beginning course. These tests are approved to be paid for by your GI Bill. Also, the GRE (Graduate school), or LSAT (law school) can be paid for by your GI Bill educational benefits.

After your education, when you need a certain type of license for cosmetology or an attorney license these can be paid for by the GI Bill as well as C++ Certification or other types of professional licenses. Check with your local VA office to find out if the one you need is eligible or go to the VA website and use their search tool.

Here are some examples of how you can use your GI Bill for and their requirements:

College or university — many community colleges, four year colleges or universities are eligible; you can also go for advanced training. You may attend 6-12 hours which is part-time to full time. At the graduate level the college determines the amount of time that means full vs. part-time. In this situation it is a good idea to keep in contact with them because you can use your GI Bill for more than one degree. Also, if you need to attend more than one college at a time in order to get your requirements done (providing that both colleges accept the other school’s work) the GI Bill may pay for this also.

Non-college degree programs — this category fits for technical training like truck driving school, EMT Training or Barber or Beauty School. This category also includes on the job services like Plumber, Hotel Management or firefighters.

The Reserve Educational Assistance Program otherwise known as REAP was created in 2005 as part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act. It was put into place to assist those service people who are in the Reserves that are called to active duty during a national emergency or in wartime. This is a newer aspect of money that is granted from the Department of Defense and the eligibility for anyone in this program is determined by The Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.

The REAP program is administered by The Department of Veterans Affairs as one of the many GI Bill educational programs. However the funds from this program are given by the Defense Department.

In order to be eligible for this program members of service have to have served at least 90 days of active duty, consecutively after September 11, 2001. Although an individual is automatically eligible after serving 90 days or more, the Secretaries of the various military services and the Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security (Coast Guard) have the ultimate say as to who is eligible and how the program will give out these benefits.

REAP actually pays a percentage of the 3 year Chapter 30 enlisted rate that currently is $1,101 depending on the amount of service you have spent. As an example, if you have served at least 90 days but less than a full year, the percentage you will receive is 40% of the rate for active duty. However, if you have served at least one year but less than 2 years your rate goes up to 60%. So, the longer you serve, the more percentage is paid for your education.

You should also know that under the REAP benefits; you are reimbursed for your educational program and only for actual costs of your tuition and fees. Since it does not state that your books are paid for under this provision it is a good idea to check with your VA officer when you accept these benefits.

Also, there is a buy up program that some Reservists are eligible and this is something to check into because it can mean more money. According to the guidelines, if you are eligible, you can contribute $600 and receive an extra $5400 in REAP benefits.

All Reservists are able to use up to 36 months of REAP benefits but if they are also using a GI Bill, they can only use a total of 48 months all together from any VA Educational type programs. In other words, if they have used 20 months of REAP they only have 28 months for any other program; however, you have up to 10 years to use any of the benefits once you have left the service. You should also note that you can’t use more than one educational benefit at a time.

In some cases an individual may have to leave the service early because they are hurt or injured and this injury could result in disability. When this happens, they can still receive benefits even when they have served less than 90 days.

There are several benefits that an individual who serves in the armed forces can receive and they are all based on the amount of time that someone spends in the service. These benefits can change sometimes depending on who is in the office of President but there are certain standard ones that seem to always be available.

These various programs help with financial and medical needs and there may be ones for other types of assistance. Generally they are available to anyone who has a general discharge from the service or if they were honorably discharged.  There are basically four programs:

Veteran Disability Compensation

If you have received a disability in the line of duty you could receive benefits of up to $3,000 per month. If you received an injury or a disease developed while you were in active duty or if you contacted a disease that became worse because of the duty you had in the military, these benefits may be what you need to apply for and you do not have to pay taxes on these benefits. In some cases you can receive travel reimbursement and if you have loss of limbs or dependants your benefit can be more. Usually you can receive a benefit of between $117 and $3,000 depending on the injury.

Veteran’s Pensions

Veterans who have served in wartimes and who are 65 and older may qualify for these benefits. This benefit is for those who are not able to work anymore. The challenge is that many people who could receive this benefit don’t realize they could have it. They are on fixed incomes which can qualify them to get an additional stipend from the government. In order to be eligible, the individual’s income must not exceed a certain amount that is established by law. Their current income is taken into consideration and subtracted from an amount that is already established. The application process involves filling out VA Form 21-526, the Veteran’s Application for Compensation or Pension form.

Veteran’s Health Care

Healthcare is another area for benefits that some people aren’t aware of that they may be eligible to receive. These benefits are administered through Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the Department must provide these services to veterans who are eligible; this is required by law.  These benefits must be “needed” which means they must be given in areas that will promote or preserve a veteran’s health or restore it. They are entitled to treatment, supplies, services and any procedures that are needed. Specific programs are listed here: http://www.military.com/benefits/veterans-health-care/veterans-health-care-overview.

Educational Programs

Under the GI Bill, individual members of service can receive payments for their educational pursuits. They are not limited to only four year universities or colleges, but they can take two year programs, apprenticeship, technical training or correspondence training. Most programs say that you must be in the service for a certain amount of time, but they offer several options within these programs.

Eligibility

As stated in some of the programs, most of these programs are based on the amount of time spent in the military and the type of discharge received. All must have served in active duty.

Many veterans don’t know that the GI Bill can cover many of their expenses depending on their service in the military and their type of discharge. Here are some of the most common Q&As:

Question:  I have had financial aid before. Will the Montgomery GI Bill work like financial aid?

A: Although you receive a stipend, the financial aid offices don’t see this as traditional financial aid because it comes directly to you. In the case of financial aid, it goes to the institution instead of the individual. Instead, you will sing a promissory note that says you will pay it or they may want you to sign up for a school loan just incase you don’t pay with your GI Bill.  Because of this, you can also apply for other types of financial aid like scholarships and grants. Your GI bill will be counted in the amount of “income” you receive in order to determine other financial aid.

Question: What if I don’t know what I want to do you. Is there a time limit on when I have to use my GI Bill?

A: You actually have 10 years from the time you separated from service to use your benefits. In the event that you start active duty again and are in for at least 90 days, the 10 year period will be reset to adjust to the new time. In general, keep in mind that you have 10 years from your most recent discharge as long as it was an honorable one.

Question: What if I need to stop my GI Bill because of family emergencies or something and it causes a break in my education. Can I start using it later?

A: Although most people think that once you apply you have to use it all up, this is not true.  You can stop and start again if you need to. You would have to let the VA know that you are stopping for a period of time and then reapply when you are ready to start again.

Question: How often will I get my benefits?

A: Generally speaking most GI Bill benefits are given monthly. However, you will have to make sure that you contact W.A.V.E. which stands for the Automated Verification of Enrollment program, either by phone or through their website. You will then receive your benefits via direct deposit within five days after.

Question: Do I have to pay taxes on my GI Bill?

A: No. The GI Bill educational stipend is non taxable.

Question: Can I receive more than one benefit under my GI Bill

A: Yes, you can. However, you will have to make a choice as to which one you want to use first, because you can only use one benefit at a time.

Question: How Do I start using my benefits?

A:  The first step is to find a school or program you want to attend. This will make things a little faster. Next, apply for the educational benefits by using VA Form 22-1990. You will have a waiting period of about 4-6 weeks for processing.

When you are looking for a college or university where you can use your GI Bill, it’s important to understand that they need to have some experience in dealing with these benefits. You want to get the most out of them that you can.

Understand that although many times recruiters say that by joining the service you can get a “free ride” to college, there are many issues that may determine whether this is a free ride or not. As an example, in many colleges, they want to guarantee that they are going to get paid by you so they may ask you to signup for a student loan.

Also, depending on the charge that the school has for their courses you may or may not have it all covered by the GI Bill; you may want to check out other scholarships or work study just in case.

The Veteran’s Administration, under the GI Bill website has a way to search for specific colleges according to your state or your country. You can reach this college locater here: http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/search_programs.htm.

Another program, called Military Advanced Education, recently did a study that can also help you locate specific colleges. In their survey, they created the Top 30 schools that are military friendly. They based this information on the number of students from the military that the college already had, the types of financial aid available, the number of military contracts the college had and other criteria.

It is important to note that many of their schools are located near bases and that they are open to both active duty and non-duty service members. They provide a wide range of opportunities to the individual who wants to go to a traditional college. Some of these programs will also take into consideration military status for special scholarships or financial aid and will aid families as well.

Here are the top 5 of their top 30 in no particular order:

1. Colorado Technical University
2. American Military University
3. Thomas Edison State College
4. Webster University
5. Saint Leo College

In order to find out more about these colleges and the reasons why they were chosen, you can access the article about all 30 at this website: http://www.military-advanced-education.com/article.cfm?DocID=2294.

One of the challenges for students who go to college is that they think they will figure out their career choice once they start. This is a sure fire way to waste money, time and energy. There are a variety of resources on the Internet that you can check out to find career information. Here are two great sites to get you started:

O*Net Online

http://online.onetcenter.org/

This website is one that the government uses to classify various jobs. You can go here and read about different occupations, what they do and how they work. This is great basic information.

What Color Is My Parachute? Online

http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/

This website will give you lots of ways to discover who you are and what type of job you are well suited for. Although this information is geared towards job hunters, you will find a wealth of information about websites, networking and more.

In the first part of military benefits we covered Disability, Veteran Pension, Health Care and Education. There are several more benefits that you should know about that we will cover in this article.

There are a variety of benefits that many people may not know about and they cover everything from buying a home to getting assistance with certain conditions that happened during times of war. Here are more of the benefits available to veterans:

Housing and Home Loan Guarantees

Since the economy is having difficulty with home lending agencies and other things, it is a good idea for you to know about this benefit. If you are going to purchase a home in the future, you will want to do it under the VA home loan program. This is a guarantee program rather than a loan program and it is operated through Department of Veterans Affairs. In this case, if you qualify to buy a home, the VA may guarantee more money than you originally qualified for which allows the lender to help you in a bigger way.

Loans to Start a New Business

If you have an idea for a business and need the money to start one you may qualify for a loan through the Small Business Administration’s Office of Veterans Business Development. There are several programs that are listed that start with the Patriot Express Pilot loans as well as Military Reservists loans. You can find out about all of these and how you can qualify here: http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/ovbd/index.html.

Franchise Opportunities

Some people would rather have a franchise than start their own business. The military through their VetFran (The Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative) program also offers this benefit. This program allows the person in the military that has an honorable discharge to receive what they are calling financial incentives to acquire a franchise. Find out more here: http://www.vetbiz.gov/StartBusiness/Franchise.htm

Burial and Memorial Benefits

Although most people don’t like to think about their death it is important that veterans think about this for many reasons. These benefits can cover everything from your burial to headstones. In the event that the veteran dies the spouse and children may also be eligible for benefits. There is so much information about this that it is easier to go to their website and click on the information you need. You will find out more through their pamphlets and other informant: http://www.cem.va.gov/.

PTSD Support

When a service member endures combat and is consistently in a life-threatening situation they may suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This can happen if hey are in a situation where they are under personal threat of harm, helping out in a natural disaster or dealing with a combat zone. The challenge for people who experience PTSD is that they can be prone to flash backs, nightmares or insomnia from the incident. This is common for veterans and each area of the service will have programs for this situation. The point is that you shouldn’t have to deal with this on your own because of the programs available as one of the general benefits for veterans.