It’s no secret that the costs of higher education continue to increase exponentially. Americans that are graduating from high school and becoming adults are practically expected to receive a higher education. And it’s very expensive! Consider a military education. After September 11, 2001, the GI Bill in the United States became even more attractive to entice young men and women to serve the country. In doing so, they entitle themselves to benefiting from the following:
- Books, fees, tuition and other expenses, along with an individual stipend, for up to 36 months for all service members who are:
- On active duty;
- On reserve duty;
- Honorably discharged;
- Permanently disabled;
The new GI Bill also provides other lesser benefits that are awarded depending upon the individual service member’s length of service. In-part or full tuition is paid for all veterans who attend state schools. Additionally, if a veteran needs assistance with additional expenses involved with maintaining a household while earning an education, there are programs available including:
Yellow Ribbon Program
- The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (aka VA) offers this program that can accommodate the differences between the maximum allotment from the GI bill for state school tuition and the cost of tuition at a private institution.
Dependent and Survivor Benefits
The family members of any active soldier that is permanently disabled or killed while in service are entitled to:
- A maximum of 45 months of assistance for costs associated with higher education;
- In order for a spouse to use this assistance, there is a 10-year window;
- Dependent children of a deceased veteran may take advantage of these funds between the ages of 18 and 26;
- This assistance is available not only for undergraduate and graduate programs of study, but are also available for certification training, 2-year programs and vocational training as well. The condition is that all schools, and the programs they offer, must be pre-approved by the Veterans Association.
Give serious consideration to obtaining a higher education funded by the military. A United States military education is one of the finest types available. The sacrifice of your time and service will be well worth it.