GI Bill®: Educational Benefits for a Bright Future in the Skilled Trades

Did you serve on active duty after September 10, 2001? You could qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.

Eligible Parties

• Service members, veterans and dependents who qualify for the GI Bill®.
• Military members and veterans who served on active duty for at least 90 days without a break after September 10, 2001.

Costs Covered

• Fees and tuition.
• Living expenses for students in school more than half-time
• Up to $1,000 per school year for supplies and books

The amount of benefits you could qualify for depends on how long you served on active duty since September 10, 2001, the school you go to and how many training hours you’re taking.

Duration of Benefits

You have 15 years from your last separation date from active service to use your Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits, unless your service ended on or after January 1, 2013. There’s no time limit for veterans whose service ended on or after this date.

Benefits for Military Spouses and Children

Yes. Qualified service members may transfer all or part of their benefits to their child or spouseⁱⁱⁱ.

Post-9/11 GI Bill® Help

• Current payment rates: Click here.
• Frequently asked questions: Click here.
• Post-9/11 GI bill pamphlet: Click here.
• Transferring benefits to your spouse or child: Click here.

Did your parent or spouse die in the line of duty while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001? You may be eligible for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry
Scholarship (Fry Scholarship).

Eligible Parties

• Surviving spouses and children of active duty members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001.
• Children become eligible on their 18th birthday or graduation date from high school.
  After either of those events, they qualify until their 33rd birthday. If they became eligible on or after January 1, 2013, there is no age limit for receiving benefits.
• Surviving spouses qualify for the benefit until they remarry. The benefit is good for 15 years. Spouses who became eligible on or after January 1, 2013, are not subject to this time limit.

Those who qualify for both Dependent Educational Assistance (DEA) and the Fry Scholarship must choose one, unless their parent died in the line of duty prior to August 1, 2011. Only one program can be used at a time in these cases, and benefits are capped at 81 months of full-time training.

Costs Covered

• Up to 36 months of benefits for vocational training.
• Payments for tuition and fees capped at a statutory maximum.
• Allowance for housing.
• Stipend for books and supplies.
• As much as 100 percent coverage ^iv,^v.

Fry Scholarship-Post 9/11 Help

• Payment Rates: Click here.
  Fact Sheet: Click here.

Did you serve for at least 2 years on active duty? You could qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty (MGIB-AD) program.

Eligible Parties

• Service members and veterans who served for a least 2 years on active duty.
• Service members who were honorably discharged.
• Service members who meet the requirements in one of four categories. Learn more here.

Costs Covered

• Up to 36 months of funding for vocational training and test fees.
• Benefits payments made on a monthly basis.

The amount of coverage depends on multiple factors:

• Your category
• Duration of service
• Type of training program
• The amount you paid into the $600 Buy-Up program
• Whether you qualify for a college kicker or fund^vi

Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty Help

• Montgomery GI Bill® Active Duty Pamphlet: Click here.

Are you a member of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Air National Guard, Marine Corps, Coast Guard Reserve or Army National Guard? You might be eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) program.

Eligible Parties

• Military members committed to a 6-year service obligation in the Selected Reserve.
• Military members who have earned a high school diploma or GED and completed initial active duty training.
• Military members who are in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit.

Costs Covered

• Benefits payments of up to $384 a month for vocational training.
• Those in co-op training may also get help with the cost of housing and books.
• You may be reimbursed for test fees.
• Courses needed to enter trade school like math could be covered in some cases^vii.

Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve Help

• Current Payment Rates: Click here.
• Frequently Asked Questions Search Tool: Click here.

Are you the dependent child or spouse of a veteran who was totally and permanently disabled while in the line of duty? Are you a surviving spouse or child of a veteran who died while on active duty? You may qualify for the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program.

Eligible Parties

• Dependent spouses or children whose spouse or parent is totally and permanently disabled due to a condition related to service.
• Surviving spouses and children whose spouse or parent died as a result of a service-related condition while on active duty.

Costs Covered^ix

• Vocational training tuition
• Supplies and books
• Living expenses

Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program Help

• Current Payment Rates: Click here.
• DEA and Fry Scholarship Benefits Comparison Chart: Click here.

Are you a veteran with a service-related disability who received a general or honorable discharge, or were you discharged under honorable conditions? You may qualify for the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services for Veterans with Disabilities (VR&E) program.

Eligible Parties

• Veterans who meet the requirements for an employment handicap and have a combined service-connected disability with a rating of at least 20 percent or more.
• Service members who have suffered a severe injury while on active duty and are awaiting discharge for the resulting medical condition.
• Veterans who meet the requirements for a serious employment handicap and have a combined service-connected disability rating of 10 percent.
• Service members who have a VA memorandum rating of 20 percent or higher and are awaiting an expected honorable discharge upon separation from active duty.^x

Costs Covered

• The cost of approved training and services that are part of the veteran’s rehabilitation plan, except programs that are coordinated through other providers.
• A subsistence allowance is included.^xi

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services for Veterans with Disabilities (VR&E) Program Help

• VR&E Subsistence Allowance Rates: Click here.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VR&E Webpage: Click here.