Military Education, military education, service programs, G.I. Bill - Military Times

Guard and Reserve: Education

Education benefits offered to service members will get a major upgrade as of Aug. 1, 2009, under the newly approved Post-9/11 GI Bill, which is far more generous than the current Montgomery GI Bill.

Most reservists who have been mobilized for active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, will be able to qualify for at least some benefits under the new program. See Page 46.

MILITARY EDUCATION — PERSONAL

Air Force Voluntary Education Branch. This branch oversees all Air Force education centers and counselors, administration of tuition assistance, testing and other voluntary education-related services.

DANTES spouse testing program. Spouses of Air Force Reserve personnel are authorized to take DANTES-funded College Level Examination Program general and subject exams and DANTES subject standardized tests through an Air Force Reserve, Army and Air National Guard DANTES Test Center.

Contact: Call the Air Force Reserve Personnel Center Military Training Division at (800) 525-0102, ext. 71330, or visit http://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil.

Air National Guard members are eligible for all DANTES credit-by-examination programs, Community College of the Air Force associate degree programs, federal and state tuition assistance, the Student Loan Repayment Program and the Montgomery GI Bill.

Many states and territories offer tuition assistance and other financial aid in addition to other federal benefits. Contact your state National Guard or Air National Guard office to ask about current available funding.

Army Correspondence Courses. Available through the Army Institute for Professional Development, these are open to soldiers seeking to learn basic and professional skills online at their own pace. Some courses can be taken online while others can be ordered and delivered by mail. Some count as college credit.

Federal tuition assistance for Army National Guard soldiers. The Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) ARNG Program provides financial assistance to part-time Guard soldiers in support of their professional and personal self-development. It is not a guaranteed benefit; it is offered on a “first come, first served” basis. The program’s features include:

å 100 percent of tuition and fees, with tuition caps of $250 per semester hour and $167 per quarter hour.

å No more than one credential from the associate, bachelor’s, master’s or first professional degree.

å $4,500 maximum payment per soldier, per fiscal year.

Testing programs. The Army offers free college-level equivalency exams, though a registration fee may be required when not testing at a military testing facility. Some tests significantly decrease the number of traditional college courses required to complete a degree program.

Before taking a credit exam, check with your college or university to ensure it will accept the credit. Most Army Education Centers have study guides and aids to help prepare for these tests, including:

å General Educational Development.

å American College Testing Assessment Program.

å Scholastic Assessment Test.

å Graduate Management Admission Test.

å Graduate Record Examinations.

å The Praxis Series.

å College Level Examination Program and Excelsior College (formerly Regents College) Examinations; free for Army National Guard spouses and civilians.

å DANTES Subject Standardized Tests; free for spouses of both Army Reserve and Army National Guard members and civilian employees.

In addition to the programs listed above, most states offer Army National Guard members state-funded tuition assistance that can be used in conjunction with federal education benefits. Check with your Army National Guard Education Services officer or unit commander to find out what’s available in your state.

Some of these programs include:

å Reserve Officer Training Corps simultaneous membership program. ROTC cadets who enlist as members of a National Guard unit and serve in both programs receive Guard pay, a ROTC stipend and tuition assistance and may qualify for GI Bill benefits and/or a GI Bill “kicker.” They are paid as E-5s unless they previously held a higher rank.

å Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, Guard. Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium colleges and universities help service members and their families get college degrees.

Military students can take courses in their off-duty hours at or near military installations in the U.S. and overseas.

Contact: http://www.soc.aascu.org.

å National Guard Student Loan Repayment Program. For those who already have student loans, the National Guard will help repay loans up to $20,000. After completing a qualifying year, the Guard will pay a minimum of 15 percent of the loan amount or $500, with a cap of $3,000 per year. Loans must be acquired prior to enlistment, extension and re-enlistment.

A nonprior-service individual must enlist for six years, become qualified in their occupational specialties and enlist into a unit vacancy up to 125 percent of the assigned unit’s wartime strength.

Prior-service individuals will enlist or re-enlist for six years, be skill-qualified, enlist in a critical unit or critical skill and have not used the SLRP before.

Current members may extend their contract at any time to qualify for the Student Loan Repayment Program.

Army Reserve benefits are similar to the National Guard programs listed above, with the exception of state education benefits. Commissioning and ROTC programs detailed above also apply here. Through DANTES, members and their spouses can take free CLEP and DANTES equivalency tests.

Reserve Officer Training Corps simultaneous membership program. Cadets who enlist in a reserve unit receive reserve duty pay, the ROTC stipend and tuition assistance and may be eligible for Montgomery GI Bill and/or the kicker bonus.

Concurrent Admissions Program. ConAP allows new soldiers to delay starting college, for financial or other reasons, by applying for college when they enlist in the Army Reserve.

When soldiers enlist, recruiters encourage them to enroll in the program and select a Concurrent Admissions Program college. New reservists must send a College Referral and Intent to Enroll form, stating their intent to enroll during or after enlistment.

Colleges acknowledge the intent and provide guidelines about applying for admission not more than one year before the expected entry date, beginning the college academic experience, using distance learning, and staying in touch by e-mail and the college Web site. Those accepted for admission have their enrollments deferred for up to two years after completion of Advanced Individual Training.

ConAP is a joint program between the Army Recruiting Command and more than 1,800 community colleges, four-year colleges and universities.

Contact: For more information, see http://www.soc.aascu.org/conap.

Army Reserve College Loan Repayment Program. The Army Reserve helps soldiers pay approved Perkins, Stafford or other federally guaranteed student loans. The Army Reserve may pay up to $20,000 for a six-year enlistment.

The following loans qualify for the Army Reserve loan repayment program:

å Auxiliary Loan Assistance for Students.

å Stafford Student Loan or Guaranteed Student Loan.

å Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students.

å Federally Insured Student Loan.

å Perkins Loan or National Direct Student Loan.

å Supplemental Loan for Students.

Most soldiers can qualify for payment of 15 percent of the principal, or $1,500 per year, whichever is greater, for each successfully completed year of enlisted active-duty service.

SERVICE PROGRAMS — COAST GUARD RESERVE

Most Coast Guard reservists drill at active-duty sites and have access to nearly all educational programs available to active-duty members.

Contact: The Academic Development Division Institute, (405) 954-2437, (405) 954-1360 or (405) 954-0072, or visit http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cgi.

Voluntary education programs for reservists come under the Corps’ Lifelong Learning Programs.

The Montgomery GI Bill Kicker is available to Marine Reserve members who agree to a six-year enlistment in a high-priority unit or critical career field. Qualified reservists get this benefit once they have passed their mandatory drill stop date. The Marine Corps Reserve Kicker adds up to an additional $350 per month in GI Bill payments. MarAdmin 170/08 has more details.

Contact: Marine Corps Mobilization Command, 5303 Andrews Road, Kansas City, MO 64147-1207; (800) 255-5082, ext. 3395/3396/3397/3398; http://mcrsc.mfr.usmc.mil.

More information on the Lifelong Learning Program is available at http:// www.usmc-mccs.org/education/lll.cfm.

Navy reservists can attend a variety of military schools and courses on their annual training, complete correspondence courses and enroll in a number of education programs such as:

å The Reserve Allied Medical Personnel program. This program is available to actively drilling enlisted hospital corpsmen and dental technicians who attend civilian training at a local college for certain critical Navy skills, such as physical therapy, respiratory therapy and biomedical repair.

Tuition, fees, books and required clothing and equipment are paid for. RAMP participants also are authorized to use GI Bill benefits, if eligible.

Contact: For more information, call (800) USA-USNR or the RAMP program manager at (301) 295-9947.

å Specialized Training Assistance Program for Health Professionals. This is open to commissioned critical health care professionals and registered nurses in certain critical skills in the Navy Reserve. Payments are monthly. For each year of financial assistance, participants incur a two-year drilling obligation in the Navy Reserve after finishing the training program. They get drill pay in addition to the monthly stipend, which is paid at the same rate as that of the Armed Forces Health Professionals Scholarship Program.

Contact: Naval Operational Medicine Institute, http://www.nomi.med.navy.mil.

Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership. The Navy College Program has partnerships with colleges and universities to offer sailors rate-related degrees via distance learning.

This partnership provides associate and bachelor’s degree programs for each rating, and makes maximum use of military professional training and experience to fulfill degree requirements. Courses are offered in a variety of formats, such as CD, paper or Internet.

Contact: The Navy College Center at (877) 253-7122; https://www.navycollege .navy.mil.

Marine and Navy reservists can get credit for their active and reserve schools and experience through the Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript. SMART is an official transcript endorsing and recommending college credit for military education and training and recognized by the American Council on Education.

Contact: Transcripts can be viewed and printed online from the Navy College Program Web site at https:// www.navycollege.navy.mil.

TROOPS TO TEACHERS

This partnership between the Defense and Education department helps eligible military personnel begin careers as teachers in public schools. The DANTES-managed program provides counseling and assistance with certification requirements and programs, as well as placement services.

Service requirements. The program is open to applicants with a bachelor’s or advanced degree who has separated with six or more years of service on or after Oct. 1, 1990, or current Selected Reserve members with six or more years of creditable service toward retirement.

Educational requirements. Candidates must have a bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited school at the time of registration, the equivalent of one year of college with six years of experience in a vocational or technical field, or must meet state requirements for vocational/technical teacher referral.

Eligibility for financial assistance. Financial aid may be provided to qualified service members as a stipend or bonus for teacher certification expenses in exchange for a commitment to teach for three years.

Teachers receiving a $5,000 stipend must teach in a school in a district with at least 20 percent of its students from families living below the poverty level, or in a school where at least 50 percent of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch programs or have a high percentage of students with disabilities, so long as that school’s district has between 10 percent and 20 percent of its students from poverty-level families.

In lieu of a stipend, participants may accept a $10,000 bonus if they are employed as a teacher in a school district that has at least 10 percent of students from families living below the poverty level and are teaching in a school where at least 50 percent of the student population is eligible to receive the free or reduced lunch program, or in schools with a high percentage of students with disabilities.

Reserve component personnel must meet one of the following specific requirements:

å Be retired from the Selected Reserve.

å Be currently serving in the Selected Reserve with 10 or more years of creditable service toward retirement and commit to serving an additional three years or until eligible for retirement.

å Be separated from the Selected Reserve due to a physical disability on or after Jan. 8, 2002. They must register within four years of separation.

å Transitioned from active duty on or after Jan. 8, 2002, served six years on active duty immediately before separation and committed to three years with a Selected Reserve unit. They must register within four years of separation.

Contact: Call DANTES at (850) 452-1241 or (800) 231-6242, or visit http:// www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_Web/ troopstoteachers/index.asp.

MILITARY EDUCATION — PROFESSIONAL

National Defense Intelligence College. This school at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., awards master’s degrees in strategic intelligence and a certificate through its postgraduate and undergraduate intelligence programs.

Reservists have two options: a one-year, in-residence program where they study alongside their active-duty counterparts, or a two-year, part-time program designed to fit into drill schedules. Opportunities vary by service.

Contact: Joint Military Intelligence College, Admissions Office, 200 MacDill Blvd., Washington, D.C., 20340-5100; (202) 231-3319 or (202) 231-4545; http://www.ndic.edu.

Naval Postgraduate School. This school in Monterey, Calif., provides fully funded graduate study in more than 40 programs.

Contact: Director of Admissions, Naval Postgraduate School, 1 University Circle, Monterey, CA 93943-5100; (831) 656-2023; http://www.nps.edu.

Air Force Senior NCO Academy. The academy is for senior master sergeants, those selected for promotion to that rank, and select master sergeants. Six times per year, it holds six-week classes that teach communication, leadership and management.

The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve each send 150 people per year. Applications are handled by unit training coordinators. The school has an extension program for those unable to attend a resident course.

Contact: Call the Air National Guard liaison at (334) 416-1544; the Air Force Reserve liaison at (334) 416-1657; or visit the Air Force Senior NCO Academy at http://www.au.af.mil/au/cepme/sncoa.

U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. This school at Fort Bliss, Texas, operates the Sergeants Major Course for first sergeants and master sergeants selected for promotion. Army National Guard and Army Reserve senior NCOs attend a two-year nonresident version of the course, which culminates in a two-week resident phase.

Contact: U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, 11291 Sgt. E. Churchill St., Fort Bliss, TX 79918-8002; (915) 568-8585; https://www.bliss.army.mil/ usasma/usasma.asp.

U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Academy. This school, located in Petaluma, Calif., is for newly promoted E-7s. It has a Reserve class designed to be accomplished during a reservist’s annual active duty for training, so class duration is 14 days. Classes convene 16 times a year, with class size limited to 32 people.

Contact: Commandant (G-WTL-2), U.S. Coast Guard, 2100 Second St. SW, Washington, D.C., 20593-0001; (202) 267-0777; http://www.uscg.mil/hq/tcpet/ cpoa/index.shtm.

Marine Corps Staff Non-Commissioned Officers Academy. Formal professional military education is available for enlisted Marine reservists at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. The academy offers three reserve courses: Advanced, Career, and the Sergeants’ Reserve Courses.

Contact: Commanding Officer, Attn: Director, Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academy, 3078 Upshur Ave., Quantico, VA 22134; (703) 784-2875/3138; DSN 278-2875; http://www .mcu.usmc.mil.

Navy Senior Enlisted Academy. The academy provides a six-week curriculum focusing on communications skills, leadership and management theories, national security affairs and Navy programs.

In fiscal 2008, Navy officials are opening the school to all senior enlisted sailors E-7 and above. A correspondence version of the course is available for those unable to attend the residence course. The academy is open to active-duty and reserve E-8s and E-9s from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard and foreign navies. Students are selected for attendance in November and May.

Contact: Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, 1269 Elliot St., Newport, RI 02841-1525; (401) 841-4221; DSN 948-4221; https://www.netc.navy.mil /centers/cnl/sea.

Air Command and Staff College. This school at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala., provides intermediate development education for select mid-career officers, normally majors. The 10-month course admits about 600 students each year. Selection is competitive. The college has one resident school and one nonresident school.

Contact: Air Command and Staff College, 225 Chenault Circle, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, AL 36112-6426; (334) 953-2295; http://wwwacsc.au.af.mil.

School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. This is the most advanced of all Air Force schools. Selected students attend a one-year residence program focused on airpower and warfare.

Contact: (334) 953-7537; http://www .maxwell.af.mil/au/saass.

Army Command and General Staff College. This is the Army’s senior tactical institution, which develops war-fighting skills at corps and division levels in a 10-month curriculum that includes the Command and General Staff Officer’s Course. Limited opportunities exist for reservists to attend in residence.

Contact: U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 1 Reynolds Ave., Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-1352; (913) 684-2913; http://cgsc.leavenworth .army.mil.

Army Management Staff College. With a main campus at Fort Belvoir, Va., this school offers the new Civilian Education System, a sequential leader development program for Army civilians in four courses: Foundation, Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. In addition, the college offers a new pilot course for senior civilian leaders.

Contact: Registrar at (703) 805-4757 or DSN 655-4757; e-mail: registrar@ amsc.belvoir.army.mil; 5500 21st St., Suite 1206, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5934; http://www.amsc.belvoir.army.mil.

Marine Corps Command and Staff College. Located in Quantico, Va., the college offers a 10-month intermediate course and an advanced intermediate course of professional military education to field-grade officers. Its two resident schools are the Command and Staff College and School of Advanced Warfighting.

Contact: (703) 784-3330; http://www .mcu.usmc.mil/csc.

Marine Corps College of Continuing Education. This school in Quantico, Va., is the Corps’ primary institution for Advanced Distributed Learning. It designs, develops, delivers and manages distance learning products and programs via a global network of satellite campuses, learning resource centers and video tele-training centers.

Contact: Marine Corps College of Continuing Education, Daly Hall, 2079 Barnett Ave., Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA 22134-5118, (800) 992-9210 or (703) 784-2999; http://www .tecom.usmc.mil/cce.

MarineNet. This enterprise delivery network allows active and reserve Marines and the civilian work force to access Professional Military Education classes, computer training and professional development and job aids from a computer.

All personnel entered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database are authorized to use MarineNet for free. Family members can take online professional and personal development courses in addition to the Lifestyles Insights Networking and Skills Course for Marine Spouses. Many online courses are accepted for college credit.

Contact: Help desk, (888) 435-8762; http://www.marinenet.usmc.mil.

Navy College of Naval Command and Staff. See Naval War College, below.

Air War College. This school at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala., is the Air Force’s senior professional school. Studies are divided into five core and four elective blocks of instruction, including a regional studies seminar and graduate level research project. The nonresident program serves some 6,000 students through seminar and correspondence courses.

Contact: Director of Student Affairs, Air War College, 325 Chennault Circle, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, AL 36112-6427; (334) 953-2119; DSN 493-2119; http:// www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awchome.htm.

Army War College. Located at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., the Army’s senior service college for civilian leaders, lieutenant colonels, and colonels offers graduate-level education in a 10-month resident program or two-year distance learning program, as well as a nonresident course open to reservists.

Contact: Registrar, U.S. Army War College, 122 Forbes Ave., Carlisle, PA 17013-5234; (717) 245-4372; http:// www.carlisle.army.mil.

Marine Corps War College. In Quantico, Va., this 10-month, senior service school provides Phase I (Senior Level) Joint Professional Military Education.

Contact: Director, Marine Corps War College, C401, MCU, 2076 South St., Suite 2, Quantico, VA 22134-5067; (703) 784-4081; http://www.mcu.usmc.mil/ mcwar.

National Defense University. Located at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., this school offers advanced national security studies, focusing on policymaking and strategy, with an emphasis on joint and interagency perspectives.

Contact: National Defense University, Building 62, 300 5th Ave. SW, Fort McNair, Washington, DC 20319; (202) 685-3938 or http://www.ndu.edu.

Naval War College. Located in Newport, R.I., the Navy’s senior school is for mid-grade and senior military officers and career civilians. Qualified graduates of the College of Naval Warfare and College of Naval Command and Staff are awarded master of arts degrees in national security and strategic studies and Phase I Joint Professional Military Education certification.

The Naval War College Distance Education Program is available to actively drilling reserve officers.

Contact: http://cde.nwc.navy.mil.

In addition, the Naval War College Fleet Seminar Program is offered at 20 locations nationwide. It offers Navy and joint intermediate level professional military education through a set of three courses: strategy and policy, national security decision making, and joint maritime operations. It is available to Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard officers in grades of O-3 and above and other service officers in grades of O-4 select and above, as well as senior-level civilians. There is no tuition fee and books are provided on a loan basis. Seminars meet one evening per week for 35 weeks.

Contact: College of Distance Education, Naval War College, 686 Cushing Road, Newport, RI 02841-1207; http://cde.nwc .navy.mil.

Navy College of Naval Command and Staff. This school is the Navy’s intermediate school and is part of the Naval War College. Between 240 and 260 students in mid-grade officer and career civilian equivalents attend each class.

Contact: Naval War College, 686 Cushing Road, Newport, RI 02841-1207; (401) 841-2220; http://www.nwc.navy .mil/academics/colleges/cncs.aspx.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Selected Reserve members can qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill — Selected Reserve, available to reservists who have completed Initial Active Duty for Training, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and enlist or extend for six years.

Reservists who became eligible for the program on or after Oct. 1, 1992, have 14 years to use their benefits, during which they must remain in good standing in a Selected Reserve unit.

The only exception is for mobilized members of the National Guard and Reserve, who can use the MGIB-SR after they separate from service for the same number of months they were activated plus four more months. They also may add multiple periods of activation to further increase this extension, or portability.

Reservists may receive up to 36 months of payments. Monthly payments are $317 for full-time students; $237 for three-quarter-time, $157 for half-time and $79.25 for less than half-time.

The Montgomery GI Bill Kicker Program, managed by each service, is available to qualifying reservists who enlist in high-priority units or critical skill fields. The kicker is an additional $200 to $350 per month in GI Bill benefits for full-time students.

Mobilized Guard and Reserve members who serve continuously for at least 24 months on active duty may pay the $1,200 enrollment fee and qualify for the more generous active-duty GI Bill. For full-time study, the active-duty program is paying $1,101 per month in fiscal 2008.

Contact: VA regional offices at http:// www.va.gov/sta/guide or http://www .gibill.va.gov

Benefits provided through an overhauled GI Bill, enacted June 30, 2008, are available for education or training pursued on or after Aug. 1, 2009.

To be eligible, National Guard and Reserve members must have at least 30 days of continuous active duty service after Sept. 11, 2001, and be discharged for a service-connected disability, or have an aggregate of 90 days of active service and, among other criteria, be honorably discharged or discharged for reasons such as hardship.

Qualified service members typically receive up to 36 months of entitlement under the new bill.

Those who qualify for the current Montgomery GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve or the Reserve Educational Assistance Program can choose to receive benefits from the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Service members are entitled to a percentage, based on their time in service, of the following:

å The amount of tuition and fees charged, not to exceed the most expensive in-state public college.

å A monthly living stipend equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to an E-5 with dependents in the same ZIP code as the school.

å An annual stipend for books and supplies of up to $1,000 a year.

å A one-time payment of $500 to certain individuals relocating from highly rural areas.

The housing allowance and stipend for books and supplies are not available to service members on active duty. The housing allowance is not available to those pursuing training at half time or less or those taking distance learning.

Full benefits are available to those who have at least 36 months of active duty or at least 30 continuous days of active duty and be discharged due to a service-connected disability.

Those with less active-duty service receive a lesser percentage of the full benefits rate, down to a minimum of 40 percent for those with at least 90 days but less than six months of active duty.

Members are eligible for these benefits for 15 years from their last period of active duty of at least 90 consecutive days. Benefits also are available for tutorial assistance and to reimburse a licensing and certification test.

For more information, visit http://www.gibill.va.gov.

The Reserve Educational Assistance Program provides educational assistance to members of the reserve components ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the president or Congress.

The program makes certain reservists activated for at least 90 days after Sept. 11, 2001, eligible for education benefits or increased benefits. REAP benefits are a percentage of full-time payment rate for the active-duty Montgomery GI Bill.

Reservists who serve at least 90 days but less than one year of active duty may get 40 percent of the active-duty GI Bill rate, while those who serve at least one but less than two years of active duty may receive 60 percent of the active-duty GI Bill rate.

A major change in eligibility for maximum REAP payments was approved in early 2008. Previously, the maximum payment was 80 percent of the active-duty GI Bill rate for reservists who served 24 months of continuous active duty. Now, reservists are eligible for the 80 percent rate if they have two years of continuous service or three years of cumulative service over multiple mobilizations.

Eligible reservists may receive up to 36 months of full-time REAP entitlement. However, participants may not use more than 48 months of entitlement under any combination of VA education programs. For example, a reservist who has used 20 months of benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill — Selected Reserve would be eligible for only 28 months of REAP payments.

Retroactive payment. REAP payments are retroactive and cover all qualifying mobilization periods since Sept. 11, 2001. Retroactive payments under REAP are based on GI Bill rates in effect at the time. For example, the full-time monthly GI Bill payment in June 2002 was $800, so someone receiving the 40-percent rate for school enrollment in June 2002 would receive $320 in benefits for that month.

Accelerated payments. Effective Oct. 1, 2008, REAP will begin offering advance payments of earned benefits to pay for technical schools and courses. Payments will be available for high-cost or high-tech training leading directly to employment. The Veterans Affairs Department will maintain a list of eligible programs. Accelerated payments are available only when the up-front costs of a course exceed four months of GI Bill benefits. Only courses started after Oct. 1 will be covered.

Buy-up option. The 2008 Defense Authorization Act also extends a “buy-up” option that allows REAP participants to get up to an additional $150 per month in GI Bill benefits. Under this option, members contribute extra money, up to $600 total, to earn extra benefits on top of their basic benefits.

The maximum $600 buy-up contribution is worth $5,400 in extra college money if the service member has 36 months of REAP eligibility.

Attendance verification. As of April 1, 2008, REAP participants must verify their school attendance each month. This can be done online at https:// www.gibill.va.gov/wave/ or by calling toll-free (877) 823-2378.

Contact: http://www.gibill.va.gov/ GI_Bill_Info/benefits.htm; click on the REAP link under “Education Benefits.”

Most states and territories offer National Guard members tuition assistance or waiver programs that go beyond the GI Bill. In most cases, these can be used in conjunction with active or reserve tuition assistance.

State benefits can vary from year to year in some states due to availability of funds. Consult your state’s education services officer. (See chart, Page 44)

State tuition assistance programs may be used with GI Bill benefits, even exceeding 100 percent of tuition costs.

Contact: http://www.guardfamily.org, “Family Issues and Guard Benefits.”

Some of the services offer help with repayment of educational loans. Congress limits the maximum amount of payment by federal law to $65,000 per individual. However, within these limits, each service applies its own cap. Some services have additional eligibility requirements, and payment formulas also vary. Visit your local installation education office for details.

Air Force. Repays up to $10,000 for nonprior-service active-duty enlistments. The Air National Guard will repay loans of up to $20,000 to personnel in critical skills with manpower shortages. The Air Force Reserve currently does not repay loans.

Army. Repays the maximum allowed by law, $65,000, for nonprior-service active-duty enlistments, and up to $20,000 for Army National Guard and Army Reserve enlistments.

Coast Guard. Currently does not repay educational loans.

Marine Corps. Currently does not repay any educational loans.

Navy. Repays the maximum allowed by law, $65,000, for nonprior-service active-duty enlistments, and up to $10,000 for Navy Reserve enlistments.

The 2008 Defense Authorization Act expands the types of education loans that the military may repay for Selected Reserve members and also makes both officers and enlisted members eligible. Additional education loans that now may be repaid include those made by any lender that is:

å A state institution.

å A financial or credit institution supervised by the state or federal government.

å An approved pension fund.

å A nonprofit entity designated and regulated by a state government.

See installation education offices for details.