Selecting the right school for your education and career goals is likely the first step in your education journey, and knowing how to finance it is undoubtedly the second. The United States is a nation that is grateful for your service, and in thanks, it has assembled several sources of financial aid for military members regardless of status. It doesn’t matter if you are on active duty, a veteran, a member of the Guard or reserves, or even a dependent…there are resources available to include grants, scholarships, and loans. Explore our Finance Center to learn what you may be eligible for.

Active Duty Education Benefits

Active duty members receive some of the most generous benefits of all. If you are still on active duty, it behooves you to take advantage of these benefits before you separate or retire. Once you leave the service, this benefit ends. While you likely will be eligible as a veteran for some GI Bill money for college, it only makes sense to maximize your active duty Tuition Assistance (T/A) now and save your GI Bill benefits for additional education later. It may even be possible for you to transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to your dependents, so making the best use of your active duty T/A now can translate into a significant college fund for your eligible spouse or children.

The following resources will help you understand how your particular service approaches T/A, what you are eligible for, and the basic process involved to receive it. Be sure to check with your servicing Education Services Office (ESO) for assistance and guidance.

Veterans Education Benefits

Beginning with the WW II-era Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, the United States has continuously sought to provide some level of financial aid to the veterans who have kept us safe. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the latest and most generous benefits bill in our history. In between were the Veterans Educational Assistance Program and the 1984 Montgomery GI Bill which many current veterans may still use. Below you will find some tools and information to help you understand which program you may be eligible for, what your benefits are, and how to go about obtaining your GI Bill benefits.

Post-9/11 GI Bill: At its basic level, you are eligible for some financial aid if you were honorably discharged and served at least 90 days aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001 or were discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. How much you will receive depends on how long you served. Use the following benefits calculator to determine what your level of benefit is: VA’s Benefits Estimator.

Note: Tuition and fees are capped at the state’s highest in-state tuition rate. To determine what the cap is for your state, visit the VA’s Maximum In-State Tuition and Fees Chart. If the school you selected has higher tuition and fees than the maximum shown in the chart, you may be eligible for a special benefit to help offset the higher costs. Visit the VA’s Yellow Ribbon Program guide for additional information.

There are some additional key features of the Post-9/11 GI Bill which have made this particular bill stand out as a significant improvement over prior GI Bills:

Monthly Housing Stipend: The housing allowance amount payable is determined using the location of the school certifying your enrollment. The amount payable is prorated based on your benefit level (40% to 100%), and is based upon the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate for an E-5 with dependents at the zip code for where the school is located. Use the Defense Finance and Accounting Service’s BAH Calculator to determine what the stipend is for your school’s location. Note: This benefit is not available for online programs, and you must meet minimum course load requirements.

Book and Supply Stipend:You may receive an annual book stipend of up to $1,000 if you are a veteran or member of the Guard or Selected Reserve. This stipend will be paid at the beginning of each term. It is paid proportionately based on the number of credits taken by each student at $41 per credit hour. NOTE: Servicemembers currently on active duty are not eligible for the Book Stipend.

One-Time Relocation Allowance:You may also receive a one-time rural relocation benefit payment of $500 to help cover the cost of relocating from a rural location to attend school. To qualify you must: be an otherwise eligible veteran, reside in a county with 6 persons or less per square mile (as determined by the most recent decennial census) and, either physically relocate at least 500 miles to attend an educational institution or travel by air to physically attend an educational institution if no other land-based transportation exists.

Benefit Transferability:The Department of Defense (DoD) is authorized to allow individuals who, on or after August 1, 2009, have served at least 6 years in the Armed Forces and who agree to serve at least another 4 years in the Armed Forces to transfer unused entitlement to their Spouse. Once the member has reached their 10 year anniversary they may choose to transfer the benefit to any dependent(s) (spouse, children). The Department of Defense may, by regulation, impose additional eligibility requirements and limit the number of months transferable to not less than 18 months. The VA has prepared a Factsheet that explains how this program works.

Other Benefits:In addition to the tuition, fees, housing, and relocation benefits, you may also qualify for a one-time reimbursement of up to $2,000 for a certification or licensing exam, work-study programs, and $100 a month for tutorial assistance.

Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB): Depending on when you served on active duty, when and how you left the service (voluntary or involuntary separation), and whether you paid into the program or not, your MGIB benefits will vary. The VA breaks MGIB-eligible veterans down into five categories for benefits. Since the rules and requirements are too detailed for inclusion here, visit the VA’s MGIB Website for more information.

Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP): Many veterans are eligible for benefits under the VEAP program. It was a short-lived program that was meant for individuals who entered active duty service between January 1, 1977 and June 30, 1985. Visit the VA’s VEAP Website for more information on eligibility and benefits.

In some cases, a vet may be eligible for one or more of these GI Bill programs. Depending on your circumstances, you may find using your MGIB or VEAP benefits more advantageous than using your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The VA has a great Step-by-Step Tool to help you decide.

National Guard Education Benefits

As a member of either the Air or Army National Guard Bureaus, you are a part of the Total Force construct. When you are activated, mobilized, or deployed, you serve in a federal capacity. The rest of the time, you serve as a member of your state’s militia. This means you may be eligible for education benefits from both the federal government as well as your state.

Visit the National Guard Bureau’s Virtual Armory for more information about your federal education benefits.

For information about state-level benefits, visit the Air Guard’s website and use the tool for searching by state for what may be out there for you.

In addition, MilitaryTA.com has a great resource for learning about additional state benefits that may be available to you regardless of military status: Military Education Benefits by State.

Reserve Education Benefits

Like the active duty force, T/A benefits for the reserves vary across the services. Each individual’s circumstances will be different from the next, so we recommend you contact your servicing ESO for guidance specific to your particular situation. The following sites will help you understand the basics with regard to reserve T/A:

Selected Reserve: If you have served as a member of the Selected Reserve, portions of the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) may make you eligible for additional benefits. Explore the information on the VA’s MGIB-Selected Reserve website for additional information.

Reserve Education Assistance Program: You may also be eligible for the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP). The VA’s REAP website has more information about eligibility and benefits.

Finally, you may qualify for one or more of these programs, to include the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Go to the VA’s Step-by-Step Tool to help you understand which benefits you are eligible for, and which will provide the maximum benefit depending on your circumstances.

Scholarships

There are many scholarships available to the military community, to include active duty, reserve, National Guard, veterans, and dependents. Check with your installation’s Education Services Office (ESO) for local scholarships that you may be eligible to receive, and visit MilitaryTA.com’s scholarship page, as well as its state listings site with state-specific military scholarships:

Spouses and Other Dependents

At Education Connection, we salute the spouses and dependents of our heroes in uniform. We understand the special dedication it takes to be a part of the military family, and the tremendous sacrifices you make to support your loved ones who protect us all. We’ve assembled some resources to help you learn more about financial aid for which you may be eligible because of your status as a military dependent.

Tuition Assistance: Military spouse T/A is mostly available for spouses who are stationed with their military sponsors in an accompanied overseas location. This is true across the services except for the US Army, which also has a stateside spouse T/A program.

You can find general spouse T/A information as well as details about the Army stateside program at the following MilitaryTA.com websites:

Post-9/11 GI Bill Transferability: If your sponsor meets eligibility requirements, this is a wonderful benefit made available in the recently-passed GI Bill.The Department of Defense (DoD) is authorized to allow individuals who, on or after August 1, 2009, have served at least 6 years in the Armed Forces and who agree to serve at least another 4 years in the Armed Forces to transfer unused entitlement to their Spouse. Once the member has reached their 10 year anniversary they may choose to transfer the benefit to any dependent(s) (spouse, children). The Department of Defense may, by regulation, impose additional eligibility requirements and limit the number of months transferable to not less than 18 months. The VA has prepared a Factsheet that explains how this program works.

Scholarship for Dependents: There are many scholarships available to spouses and dependents of military members. A great place to find these resources is MilitaryTA.com’s scholarship page, as well as its state listings site with state-specific military scholarships:

In addition, here’s a list of scholarships uniquely-designed for spouses and dependents: