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.
Army College Fund (ACF)
Army active duty service members who are enrolled in MGIB may be able to qualify for the Army College Fund if they are enlisted in a certain critical Military Occupational Speciality (MOS). Anyone who meets the criteria must have the Army College Fund incentive written in the enlistment agreement, otherwise it will not be counted. They will also receive the Form 3286-66 upon enlistment as an ACF recipient.
Army Specific Education Benefits
Besides the general GI bills benefits that’s across all branches, the Army itself also provide education support and incentives for active duty service members who choose to pursue knowledge off-duty.
Loan Repayment
Cancellation of Federal Student Loans
This program provide active duty Soldiers who have served in a combat zone an opportunity to cancel their Federal Student Loans—either the Federal Perkins Loan or National Direct Student Loan—up to 100 percent. The Stafford loans or PLUS loans do not count.
Those active duty soldiers who served in a hostile fire areas or received imminent danger area pay for at least a year may be able to cancel their Federal Perkins Loan.
College Loan Repayment Program
If you’re an enlisted soldier in one of the critical Military Occupational Specialities(MOS), you may be able to get your college loan debt repaid by the Army up to $65,000. To qualify, you need to have the Loan Repayment Program written in your enlistment contract using DA Form 3286-66, and also decline the enrollment of MGIB using Form 2366. Besides, you should have at least a high school diploma, an ASVAB(Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) score higher than 50, and no prior military service experience.
Other Educational Support
Concurrent Admission Program(ConAP)
The Concurrent Admission Program allows service members to transfer into one of the more than 1900 colleges participated in the program after your active duty service. These programs will count your job training and course in the army for college credits, puts you on an accelerated path towards obtaining a degree. To qualify you have to be an enlisted Soldier and join the Future Soldier Program.
Military Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO)
The Military Spouse Education and Career Opportunities provide eligible military spouse career counseling service, resources, and education supports for licensing, credentials, employment readiness to assist them with their career development regardless of where they are.
Examples of resources include:
Military OneSource SECO Career Center that provides counseling service for free
My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship that offers up to $4000 for education, training and licensing
Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) that connects military spouse with more than 270 employers that promised to recruit and retain them in moveable career.
TA (The Army Tuition Assistance Program)
The Tuition Assistance program is meant to help active duty Soldiers with any of their 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. No TA is available for pursuing beyond a master degree. Officers who choose to use Tuition Assistance must agree to serve two extra years afterwards. Service members who wish to register for the TA must do so through GoArmyEd website.
ROTC Minuteman Scholarship
Minuteman Scholarship is intended for high school graduates and college students to join the U.S Army Reserve Officer Training Corp on college campuses while studying full time. Selected recipients will have full tuition covered or $10,000 in room and board. In addition, they may also receive annual book allowance up to $1200, a monthly stipend of $300 to $500 and a salary from their respective army reserve unit. In return they must agree to serve as a commissioned officer in the army after graduation.
Professional Graduate Degree Scholarships
There are a few scholarships for service members to pursue a professional graduate degree in law, medicine or seminary. The Funded Legal Education Program(FLEP), Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), or The Chaplain candidate Scholarship Partnership (CCSP), just to name a few. Selections to these scholarships are very competitive and interested candidates should start early for the application.
As an enlisted soldier, 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 graduate degree as well. An advanced degree in the Army not only brings you a wealth of knowledge, but also brings you more recognition and career advancement opportunities.