As a member of the military community, your service makes it
possible for the American way of life. One of the well-deserved benefits of being
a service member or military spouse is that the government has programs that can
assist you with pursuing your higher education.
You work hard and sacrifice to earn these benefits – take advantage of the
opportunity!
Our goal is to help members of the military community understand the valuable
education benefits that are available to them, and how to use these programs to
pursue a worthwhile higher education. By providing access to information about
military education benefits, our intention is simply to give you the knowledge
you need to take action with these programs. We encourage you to work with the
appropriate military education personnel to begin using these benefits.
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Hello and welcome. We hope you’re here because you’re interested in pursuing a higher education. Your decision to work toward a college degree is personal. That’s why we offer our services the old school way: in person, helping service members and military spouses face-to-face at military events nationwide.
This website provides a basic overview of military higher education and how we can assist you. We encourage you to check it out. But we’d rather help you on a more personal level – talking one-on-one about how you can achieve your life and career goals. Contact one of our helpful, experience representatives today.
Some of the education benefits available to
members of the military community are:
Federal Tuition Assistance
Members of the active Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine
Corps, Navy, Army National Guard and Army Reserve are eligible for Federal Tuition
Assistance (FTA). This benefit allows eligible service members to pursue a higher
education while currently serving our nation.
- Maximum of $250 per semester hour, paid up-front
- Not to exceed $4,500 per service member annually
- Not a guaranteed benefit – granted to service members based on “first come, first served” and availability of funds
This benefit is paid directly from the government to your school, covering tuition costs and therefore reducing your out-of-pocket expense. Service members must complete/pass each course paid for using FTA funds or be required to repay the government for the full tuition cost fronted.
VA Educational Programs
The Department of Veteran Affairs administers several military education
benefits:
- Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty and Veterans (MGIB-AD)
- Montgomery GI Bill for Select Reserves (MGIB-SR)
- Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP)
- Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP)
- Spouse and Dependents Education Assistance (DEA)
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Program (VR&E)
The Montgomery GI Bill, introduced near the end of World War II, and the newest GI Bill revamped during the Post 9/11 Era are generally considered the military's flagship educational benefits. Over the years, these programs, along with other VA educational benefits, has given
service members and their families the opportunity to achieve higher education
goals.
Due to the breadth of programs, and depth of information about
each, we encourage you to use all available sources of information to evaluate how
these benefits can help you. The resources listed below provide a brief overview of
each topic, and we encourage you to review those that apply to you. Of course, the
most comprehensive source is the VA itself: www.gibill.va.gov
For a comparison of the GI Bills and other VA benefits, visit www.gibill.va.gov/gi_bill_info/ch33/benefit_comparison_chart.htm
Military Spouse Benefits
Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
is an education benefit created to help spouses receive training in portable
career fields.
The program can provide up to $4,000 toward associate degrees, certifications and
licensures. Spouses of active-duty members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2 and O1-O2
are eligible. The maximum financial benefit is $4,000, with a fiscal year cap of
$2,000. Military spouses using the benefit are required to finish their program
of study within three years from the start date of the first course.
As a service member or military spouse, you have access to other benefits that can help you pursue a higher education. These include opportunities to convert your military experience into college credits, the option to “test out” of specific courses based on your training and knowledge, and other programs. Check out the resources below for more information.