Federal Air Force Education Benefits
By popular demand, the GI Bills are the most known ways that military has helped service members to fund for their education. The following bills are searched daily by the general public and Air Force servicemen and women. In this section, we will show you all the details on each types of education bills you or your family may be able to use.
Post 9/11 GI Bill
The Post 9/11 GI Bill is also applicable to all Airmen(enlisted and officers) in active duty. If you are qualified for more than one VA education benefits, you must pick and choose one to use at a time, and you can only receive a maximum of 48 months of benefit.
Here is a detailed breakdown of Post-9/11 GI Bill:
3 main components of Post-9/11 GI Bill
1a) covers all net cost for in-State tuition and fees for public higher learning institution
1b) or covers up to $23671.94 per year for private or foreign institution as of Aug 2018
2) monthly housing stipend equal to BAH at E5 with dependent level if living nearby your higher education institution
3) $1000 per academic year for books/supplies/equipment cost
Post-9/11 GI Bill may provide:
a) tutorial assistance up to $100/month but not exceed $1200 total
b) one time relocation and travel assistance for $500
c) Up to $2000 each for licensure and certification test
d) payment to cover national test for admission or gaining course credit at highered institution
It also offers enhance benefits for members with critical skills, who performed additional service, or attended school with Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program.
Furthermore, the Fry Scholarship officers additional education benefit to children of active duty member who passed away while performing duty. In fiscal year 2019. VA will be able to grant up to 9 extra months of limited entitlement to chosen post-9/11 GI Bill recipients through the Edith Nurse Rogers STEM Scholarship.
Eligibility of Post-9/11 GI Bill
1) on Active Duty for 36 aggregate months and are still serving
2) on Active Duty for 36 aggregate months and then discharged/released under specified condition(p23)
3) on Active Duty for at least 30 continuous days after 9/11/2001 and then discharged/released due to service-connected disability
4) awarded Purple Heart for service after 09/11/2001
Validity of Post-9/11 GI Bill
Usually 15 years since your last day of active duty service
No expiration date for whose active duty services ends after 01/01/2013
If you don’t wish to pursue education using your post-9/11 GI Bill any time after your service, you may be able to transfer all (36 months) or any of the unused months the GI Bill benefits to your spouse and children, or a mixed combination of spouse and children.
Who is eligible for transferring the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
1) Must be qualified for Post-9/11 GI Bill
2) Must be a member of Armed Force(AD, Selected Reserves, Officers or Enlisted) on or after 08/01/2009
3) Have at least 6 years of service on the date of approval, and agree to serve 4 years more since the date of election
4) Have at least 10 years of service on the date of approval, and serve the maximum time allowed if unable to service for 4 more years due to branch/DoD Policy or statute
5) Transfer must be submitted and approved when on active duty
Your immediate family members must be eligible for benefits and are registered in the DEERS (Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System)
Your child’s marriage or your spouse’s divorce after receiving the GI Bill transfer benefit would not affect their eligibility, but you retains the right to revoke or modify such GI Bill Transfer at any time.
Eligibility of Usage for family members after transfer
Spouse:
Can use the benefit while the service member(who transferred his/her GI Bill to spouse) is on active duty or after departing from active duty
Can use the benefit up to 15 years after the service member departed from active duty
No monthly housing stipend when service member is on active duty
Child:
Can only use the benefit after service member has served for at least 10 years (in the Armed forces
Can use the benefit while the service member is on active duty or after departing from active duty
Can only use the benefit between 18 and 26, or more precisely, after the child receive a secondary school diploma or equivalent certificate, and before turning 26.
Will receive monthly housing stipend when the service member is on active duty
Here is an FAQ that may help you answer some other GI Bill questions
Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty
Here is a detailed breakdown of Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty:
Main components of MGIB-AD
- Can be used for a variety kind of education programs, including:
- College degree and certificate
- technical/vocational training
- Flight training
- Apprenticeship/on-the-job training
- High-tech training
- License and certification tests
- Entrance exams
- Entrepreneurship training
- Correspondence course
- Usually valid for 10 years after you’re honorably discharged from active duty service
- Covers up to 36 months of education fee based on
- Type of training
- Length of your service
- College fund eligibility
- Whether you contribute to the buy-up program (if you pay extra into the MGIB-AD program up to $600, you may get up to additional $4500 in return for educational benefits)
Eligibility of MGIB-AD
- Be honorably discharged from active duty service
- Have a high school diploma or GED or 12 hours or college credit
- Agree to reduce $1200 total from your military pay ($100 per month for 12 months)
- You entered active duty after 06/30/1985 and
- Continuously served for 3 years
- Or served 2 years because that’s your initial enlisted duration
- Or served 2 years because you are obligated to serve in Selected Reserve, and you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty
There are exceptions to the above requirements for people who were on active duty at a specific time or period, see the category section for more information. Eligibility for those who entered the before 07/01/1985 are slightly different so feel free to call 888-442-4551 to get your questions answered.
Air Force Specific Education Benefits
Besides the general GI bills benefits that’s universal across all branches, the Air Force itself also provide its own learning opportunities for service members from technical training to college and graduate degrees. Whether you’re an enlisted member or officer, the generous education programs in the Air Force will satisfy your hunger for knowledge and progress on your career aspiration.
LEAD (The Leaders Encouraging Airman Development program)
This is a program for the enlisted Airmen who wish to obtain a college degree at the Air Force Academy and the Academy prep school. The application for LEAD is highly competitive, and services member must be nominated by their unit commanders to apply. Other requirements includes being a U.S citizen, unmarried, not pregnant, no legal dependents, and be between 17–22 years old at time of entering the Academy. Successful applicants will get tuition free college education by agreeing to serve as an officer for at least 8 years afterwards. For more information please click here. There’s also a 2018 version of LEAD program handbook that provide you some guidelines and general FAQs.
SOAR (Scholarship for Outstanding Airmen to Reserve Officer Training Corps)
SOAR offers about 50 enlisted Airmen each year with less than 6 years of service a chance to complete their Bachelor’s degree through the ROTC(Reserve Officer Training Corps) program. This two to four year scholarship provides $18000 per year in tuition and fee, plus another $600 textbook allowance. Enlisted Airmen must be nominated by their commanders for SOAR to apply, and successful applicant will be separated from Air Force and stay in U.S Air Force ROTC as a full time student to finish their degree in 4 years. During this time they will not be receiving any military pay (nor allowance). Upon completion, scholarship recipients will return to Air Force as a Second Lieutenant to serve at least another 4 years on Active Duty.
Requirements:
- Be a U.S citizen
- Be an active duty enlisted Air Force member
- Meet the current time in service (TIS) requirements
- Be nominated by their Wing Commander or equivalent
- Be admitted to a school offering AFROTC and the desired academic major
- Be under age 31 on 31 December of the commissioning year to receive a scholarship
- Meet the moral, medical, fitness, and other program entry standards
- Have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA for graded college coursework (does not include DANTES, CLEP or CCAF). If the member has no graded college coursework, he or she must have qualifying ACT/SAT scores(SAT-1100 math/critical reading composite, ACT-24)
- Be able to complete all undergraduate degree requirement in two years
- Not to be selected for reassignment prior to submission of the application (waiverable)
- Applicants already with a bachelor’s degree may not apply
ASCP (Airman Scholarship and Commissioning Program)
Airmen selected for the Airman Scholarship and Commissioning Program (ASCP) are released from active duty and enlisted into the Air Force Reserve (Obligated Reserve Section). They receive scholarships of up to $15,000 per year for tuition and fees and a $510-per-year textbook allowance. ASCP scholarships are available for two to four years and are open for technical and nontechnical degrees, including graduate studies. Airmen selected for ASCP may use Montgomery GI Bill benefits and also receive a tax-free monthly stipend of $250 to $400 depending on what year of school they are in. Upon completion, scholarship recipients will return to Air Force as a Second Lieutenant to serve 4 years on Active Duty and 4 years of Reserves.
Requirements:
- Be a U.S citizen
- Meet all moral requirements
- Have at least one year time in service (waiverable)
- Have at least one year time on station (waiverable)
- Be recommended by immediate commander
- Pass the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)
- Be world-wide qualified
- Be admitted to a school that offers AFROTC
- Enter active duty before age 35(non-technical majors) and be less than 30 years old at the time of application
- Have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA for graded college coursework (does not include DANTES, CLEP or CCAF). If the member has no graded college coursework, he or she must have qualifying ACT/SAT scores(SAT-1100 math/critical reading composite, ACT-24)
- Be under 31 years of age on 31 December of the commissioning year to receive a scholarship
- Have financial statements showing adequate financial resources to pay college living expenses and health care costs(E-3 and below)
- Not to be selected for reassignment prior to submission of the application (waiverable)
- Have not already completed a Bachelor’s Degree
POC-ERP (Personal Officers Course – Early Release Program)
This program allows enlisted Airmen to obtain a commission and a bachelor degree by joining the AFROTC. Selected applicants will separate temporarily from Air Force and become a full time student. They will not collect military pay being a full time student but only given a monthly non taxable stipend. They need to finish their first bachelor degree (in any major) and all the commission requirements in 2 years. Upon completion, they will return as a second lieutenant to serve 4 years in active duty and 4 years of reserves. This program is not applicable for those who already had a bachelor degree or want to resume school for graduate studies.
Requirements:
- Be a U.S citizen
- Meet all moral requirements
- Have at least one year time in service (waiverable)
- Have at least one year time on station (waiverable)
- Be recommended by immediate commander
- Pass the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment(PFA)
- Be world-wide qualified
- Be admitted to a school that offers AFROTC
- Enter active duty before age 35(non-technical majors) and be less than 30 years old at the time of application
- Have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA
- Be able to complete all undergraduate degree requirement in two years
- Not to be selected for reassignment prior to submission of the application
- Have not already completed a Bachelor’s Degree
NECP /DECP (Nursing Enlisted & Directed Enlisted Commission Program)
The NECP/DECP offers Airmen on active duty a chance to earn a bachelor degree in nursing. Selected recipients will receive up to $15000 per year tuition and $600 textbook allowance for a maximum 3 years. They will be a full time student at any college with a ROTC program while remain on active duty status, which means they are still entitled to military pay(and allowance).When they finished the degree, they can be commissioned after 3 steps—passing the National Council Licensure Examination, attended the Commissioned Officer Training, and the Nurse Transition Program.
TA (The Air Force Tuition Assistance)
The Tuition Assistance program is meant to help active duty Airmen(enlisted and officers) with any types of off-duty, voluntary education, including obtaining a degree from academic institutions. Regardless of the degree or courses they are taking, and whether online or in person, qualified individual can receive up to $250 per semester hour or 100% of the tuition cost with a cap at $4500 per fiscal year. TA is available at your permanent base.
AACF(Air Force Community College)
Even if you don’t participate in any of the above programs, as an enlisted Airmen, you’re automatically earning college credits(through the Air Force Community College) since your first day of basic training. By the end of your basic training you will earn 4 semester hours of Physical Education credits, and the following technical training will help you obtain an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science (AAS).
AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology)
Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio offers master, PhD degrees and other technical training courses in engineering and management for military personnels. Air Force Officers who are assigned to these graduate studies will be fully funded for their tuition. They can remain on active duty while pursuing their degree at AFIT. If any of the course in any is not offered by AFIT, students can choose to attend other classes in the participated civilian institutions including universities, hospitals, research institutions and industrial organizations through AFIT’s Civilian Institution Program. AFIT has a Center for Cyberspace Research that allows students to participate in cutting-edge cyber security and cyber operation research with affiliated faculties. AFROTC Cadets can apply for their Advanced Cyber Education course that takes place every summer for 10 weeks.
As an active duty Airman, once you have your bachelor degree, you will be able to qualify for becoming a commissioned officer. Those who already have a bachelor degree will have the option to keep pursuing a master or a PhD as well. An advanced degree in the Air Force not only brings you a wealth of knowledge, but also brings you more recognition and career advancement opportunities.