Education: Reserve Educational Assistance Program - Military Education & G.I. Bill Information - Military Times

Education: Reserve Educational Assistance Program

A special program created for National Guard and reserve members mobilized for at least 90 consecutive days since Sept. 10, 2001, in support of qualifying contingency operations, provides up to $880.80 per month in education benefits for 36 months.

The benefit depends on the length of service, with rates set as a percentage of Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty rates. The minimum for full-time students is $547.20 per month, 40 percent of the current MGIB active-duty rate, for those with continuous service of 90 days to one year. The maximum payment is for consecutive service of two or more years, worth 80 percent of the MGIB active-duty rate, or $1094.40 per month for a full-time student.

Under a recent change in law, the 80 percent rate also is available to reserve component members who served multiple mobilizations cumulatively totaling three years or more.

Those released from active duty with less than 90 days of service because of a line-of-duty injury, illness or disease qualify for 40 percent of the active-duty rate.

REAP pays for college and university classes, vocational courses, flight training, independent study and distance learning, correspondence courses, on-the-job training and apprenticeship courses, and programs and entrepreneurship training.

Contact: www.gibill.va.gov