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Home : Military Professional Development : Veterans Information
Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve Complete Pamphlet
( Courtesy Veterans Administration: Public Reference Document ) Department of Veterans Affairs
SUMMARY OF EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS UNDER THE MONTGOMERY GI BILL - SELECTED RESERVE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CHAPTER 1606 OF TITLE 10 U. S. CODE
Introduction
The Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve (chapter 1606, of Title 10, U. S. Code) is an educational assistance program enacted by Congress to attract high quality men and women into the reserve branch of the Armed Forces. This program is for members of the Selected Reserve of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and the Army and Air National Guard. The reserve components decide who is eligible for the program. VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) makes the payments for the program. Chapter 1606 assists eligible persons to further their education after high school. It provides educational assistance for people enrolled in approved programs of education or training. It is the first such program that does not require service in the active Armed Forces in order to qualify. This pamphlet provides a general description of the education benefits. It includes information to help you understand how you receive payments under the program. It offers suggestions on where to go for help and how to get more detailed information. The information may be of help to you in making a decision to enter training. You should read the pamphlet carefully to understand fully the range of benefits available. This pamphlet is a summary of the benefits available under this program. Do not rely on it to determine if you are eligible for education benefits. To receive a formal decision from VA, you must file a claim for benefits. You may be eligible for chapter 1606 benefits, if you:
Beginning on October 1, 1990, a member of the Selected Reserve with a bachelors degree can become eligible by signing a new contract that will result in a six-year reserve obligation. Beginning on November 30, 1993 a member of the Selected Reserve can become eligible for graduate degree training. A new six-year contract is not required in order to pursue graduate training. If you enter active duty in the Selected Reserve (AGR, TAR, FTS) after November 29, 1989, you must have been eligible before November 29, 1989, in order to remain eligible. HOW MANY MONTHS OF BENEFITS CAN YOU GET? You may be entitled to receive up to 36 months of education benefits. You may receive a maximum of 48 months of benefits under more than one VA education program. For example, if you used 30 months of Dependents' Educational Assistance (chapter 35 of title 38, U. S. Code) and are eligible for chapter 1606, you could have a maximum of 18 months of entitlement remaining. You are charged one full day of entitlement for each day of full-time benefits paid. For correspondence and flight training, you use one month of entitlement each time VA pays one month of benefits. If your full-time rate is $251.00 and you receive $753.00 for a correspondence course, you use three months. If you pursue a cooperative program, you use one month for each month of benefits paid. For apprenticeship and job training programs, the charge changes every six months. During the first six months, the charge is 75% of full time. For the second six months, the charge is 55% of full time. For the rest of the program, the charge is 35% of full time. HOW MUCH EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE WILL YOU GET? After you become eligible for the chapter 1606 program, you will receive the following monthly rates for periods of school attendance or training: Rates for Schooling
Rates for Apprenticeship and Job Training
If you take cooperative training, you may receive payment at the rate to which you are entitled for institutional training. Cooperative training is full time only. If you take a correspondence course, you receive 55% of the approved charges for the course. If you take flight training, you receive 60% of the approved charges for the course, including solo hours. If you are pursuing independent study courses, payment will be at the rate to which you are entitled for school attendance shown above. If you stay in the Selected Reserve, benefits end 10 years from the date you become eligible for the program. VA can extend your 10-year period if you could not train due to a disability caused by Selected Reserve service. You can still use your full 10 years, if you leave the Selected Reserve because:
In all other case, if you leave the Selected Reserve before completing your obligation, your chapter 1606 benefits will stop. You may receive benefits for a wide variety of training. You may seek an undergraduate degree at a college or university. Beginning November 30, 1993, you may also seek a graduate degree at a college or university. You may also take an accredited independent study program leading to a standard college degree. You may take technical courses for a certificate at a college or university. If you have a six-year commitment that begins after September 30, 1990, you may take the following types of training:
If you would like to study abroad, education benefits are payable only for programs leading to a college degree. A State agency or VA must approve each program offered by a school or company. If you want to know if you may receive benefits for a program, contact your nearest VA regional office. ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR REMEDIAL, DEFICIENCY, AND REFRESHER TRAINING? You may be eligible for benefits for remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses, if you have a six-year commitment that began after September 30, 1990. Remedial and deficiency courses are intended to assist a student in overcoming a deficiency in a particular area of study. Remedial and deficiency courses must be necessary for pursuit of a program of education. Refresher training is for technological advances that occurred in a field of employment. The advance must have occurred during or after your Selected Reserve service. There is an entitlement charge for these courses. ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE? You may receive a special allowance for individual tutoring performed after September 30, 1992, if you enter school at one-half time or more. To qualify, you must have a deficiency in a subject, making the tutoring necessary. The school must certify the tutor's qualifications and the hours of tutoring. If eligible, you may receive a maximum monthly payment of $100. The maximum total benefit is $1,200. There is no entitlement charge for the first $600 of tutorial assistance. To compute the charge for payments beyond $600, divide the amount paid by your full-time rate for schooling. To apply, complete VA Form 22-1990t, Application and Enrollment Certification for Individualized Tutorial Assistance. Give it to the certifying official in the office handling VA paperwork at your school to complete. ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR WORK-STUDY? You may be eligible for an additional allowance under a work-study program. The work-study program allows you to perform work for VA in return for an hourly wage. You may perform outreach services under the supervision of a VA employee, prepare and process VA paperwork, work at a VA medical facility, or other approved activities. You can also work at a DOD (Department of Defense) facility if your work is related to chapter 1606. You must train at the three-quarter or full-time rate. The maximum number of hours you may work is 25 times the number of weeks in your enrollment period. Payments will be at the Federal minimum wage or your State minimum wage, whichever is greater. To apply, complete VA Form 22-8691, Application for Work-Study Allowance. Send it to the nearest VA regional office. ARE THERE RESTRICTIONS ON TRAINING? There are some restrictions on training. Benefits are not payable for the following courses:
VA must reduce benefits if you are in a Federal, State or local prison after being convicted of a felony. You may not receive benefits for a program at a proprietary school if you are an owner or official of the school. If you seek a college degree, the school must admit you to a degree program by the start of your third term. CAN YOU BE ELIGIBLE FOR MORE THAN ONE BENEFIT? Yes, you can be eligible under more than one education benefit. If you are, you must elect which benefit to receive. You cannot receive payment for more than one benefit at a time. The benefits are:
You cannot use the same period of service to establish eligibility for both chapter 1606 and the Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty Educational Assistance Program (chapter 30 of title 38,U. S. Code).
Counseling is available if you are:
If you meet one of these qualifications and you request counseling, VA will provide services to help you understand your educational and vocational strengths and weaknesses and to plan:
Contact the nearest VA regional office for more information or to schedule a counseling appointment. ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION? You may be eligible for Training and Rehabilitation for Veterans With Service-Connected Disabilities under chapter 31 of title 38, U.S. Code if:
You may also be eligible if you have a service-connected disability or disabilities rated by VA at 10%, and:
Vocational rehabilitation helps disabled veterans become independent in daily living and to the greatest extent possible, to select, prepare for and secure employment that is compatible with their interests, talents, skills, physical capabilities and goals. To apply for vocational rehabilitation, complete VA Form 28-1900, Disabled Veterans Application for Vocational Rehabilitation. Send it to the nearest VA regional office. If you change your educational, professional or vocational objective and this change requires a change in the courses you are taking, VA considers this a change of program. The law permits one change of program without prior VA approval if your attendance, conduct and progress in the last program were satisfactory. VA may approve additional changes if the proposed programs are suitable to your abilities, aptitudes and interests. VA will not charge a change of program when you enroll in a new program provided you successfully completed your immediately preceding program. MUST YOU MAINTAIN SATISFACTORY ATTENDANCE, CONDUCT, AND PROGRESS? Once you start receiving benefits, you must maintain satisfactory attendance, conduct, and progress. If you do not meet the standards set by your school, the certifying official must notify VA. VA will stop your benefits if the school reports unsatisfactory attendance, conduct, or progress. VA may resume benefits if:
If you do not reenter the same program at the same school, VA may resume benefits if:
Your unit will give you a Notice of Basic Eligibility, DD Form 2384 or DD Form 2384-1, when you become eligible for the program. The unit will also code your eligibility into the DOD personnel system when you become eligible. The DD Form 2384-1 is used for persons who establish eligibility on or after October 1, 1990. Once you find a school with a program you want or a company or union offering an apprenticeship or job training program in your field, there are two important steps.
VA will review your application and let you know if anything else is needed. If you have started training, take your application and your Notice of Basic Eligibility to your school, or to your employer or union if you are in a job training program. Ask the certifying official to complete VA Form 22-1999, Enrollment Certification, and send all the forms to VA. One of the following VA regional offices has jurisdiction over your claim. Check the map to see which office has jurisdiction over the state where you will train.
Eastern Region
Southern Region
Central Region
Western Region
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU DISAGREE WITH A VA DECISION? You may appeal VA decisions on education benefits. Examples of VA decisions are: training time; change of program; and school or course approval. You must file an appeal within one year from the date of a decision. Each notice of decision issued by VA contains your legal rights and appeal procedures. You may request a personal hearing on your claim. If you disagree with a decision about your basic eligibility, you must contact your unit , National Guard Education Officer, or Army Reserve Education Services Officer. VA does not have authority under the law to reverse eligibility determinations. If your eligibility status is corrected, VA will pay benefits for periods during which you were eligible. If you need assistance in filing an appeal, contact the nearest VA regional office or a veterans service organization. HOW DO YOU RECEIVE MONTHLY PAYMENTS? After selecting a school and submitting your application to VA, ask the school official to complete an enrollment certification. The school official will send the enrollment certification to the appropriate VA regional office. If you have basic eligibility for benefits, and your program or course is approved, VA will process your enrollment and issue payments based on your certified training time. VA will accept your Notice of Basic Eligibility to pay benefits for 120 days after your eligibility date. If your eligibility date is more than 120 days before your training program starts, VA will not approve your claim unless the DOD personnel system shows that you are eligible. Only your reserve component can update the DOD personnel system. VA cannot change your eligibility record. When VA approves your claim, you will get a letter with details of your benefits. You will get your first payment within a few days after that letter. If you are in a degree program at a college or university, you will receive payment after the first of each month for your training during the preceding month. If you are in a certificate or diploma program at a business, technical, or vocational school, you will not receive payment until you have completed a form to verify your attendance. You will receive a form each month and you must complete and return it to the appropriate VA regional office. After processing, VA will release a check. If you are in an apprenticeship or job training program, you will receive a form to report the hours worked each month. Sign the form and give it to the certifying official for the company or union. The certifying official must complete the form and send it to the appropriate VA regional office. After processing, VA will release a check. If you are taking a correspondence course, you will receive a form each quarter on which you should show the number of lessons you completed that quarter, i.e., March, June, September, and December. Send the form to the school for certification of the number of lessons serviced during the quarter. The school will send the form to the appropriate VA regional office. After processing, VA will release a check. Payments are based upon the number of lessons serviced by the school. VA sends flight schools a supply of blank monthly certification of flight training forms. The school completes the form by entering the number of hours, the hourly rate, and the total charges for flight training received during the month. Review and sign the completed form and send it to the appropriate VA regional office. After processing, VA will release a check. The law prohibits schools from cashing VA checks under a power of attorney agreement. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A CHECK OR VERIFICATION FORM? If you are taking courses leading to a degree at a college or university, you should receive your check for each month by the fifth of the next month. If you do not, immediately contact the nearest VA regional office. Explain that you are receiving chapter 1606 benefits and you have not received your check. The person answering the telephone will take the information and determine the status of the check. VA will contact you by letter or telephone with information about the check. If you are taking courses leading to a certificate or diploma from a business, technical, or vocational school, you should receive a verification form for each month by the fifth of the next month. If you do not, immediately contact the nearest VA regional office. Explain that you are receiving chapter 1606 benefits and you have not received your monthly verification form. The person answering the telephone will record the necessary information and ensure that your verification is processed promptly. After processing, VA will release a check. Whenever you contact VA, have your VA file number readily available. If you are unable to attend full-time, consider going part-time. Benefit rates for part-time training are less than the full-time rate. Likewise, the entitlement charge for part-time training is less than the charge for full-time training. For example, if you receive full-time benefits for 12 months, the charge is 12 months. If you receive one-half time benefits for 12 months, the charge is six months. VA will pay for less than one-half time training if you are not receiving Tuition Assistance for those courses. CAN YOU GET AN ADVANCE PAYMENT? You may receive an advance payment for the initial month or partial month and the following month, if:
VA will mail an advance payment check, made out to you, to the school for delivery to you at registration. VA cannot issue the check more than 30 days before classes start. Before you request an advance payment, ask the certifying official if your school has agreed to process advance payments. Your request for an advance payment must be on VA Form 22-1999, Enrollment Certification, or a sheet of paper attached to the enrollment certification. If you receive an advance payment at registration, be sure that the school certifies to VA that you received the check. If you reduce your enrollment or withdraw from all courses during the period covered by an advance payment and you case the check, you will have an overpayment that VA is required to collect from you . If you think the amount of a VA check is incorrect, contact VA before cashing the check. WHAT ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES? CHANGE IN YOUR ENROLLMENT If you change your enrollment, immediately tell the certifying official at your school. Request the certifying official to notify the appropriate VA regional office of the change. Also notify the appropriate VA regional office of the change yourself. If VA does not receive prompt notice of a change, you could be liable for an overpayment of benefits.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Promptly notify the appropriate VA regional office of any change in your address. Send your complete new address, including the ZIP code. CHANGE IN RESERVE STATUS If you have a question about your eligibility, contact your unit. Your unit determines your eligibility. You will receive benefits only if your unit has properly notified VA of your eligibility through the DOD personnel data system. VA cannot change the information received from your unit. Ask your unit to promptly report changes in your reserve status. If you change units or components, make sure both your old and new units report the change to VA through your component's eligibility data system. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CHANGE YOUR ENROLLMENT? If you withdraw from one or more but not all of your courses after the end of the school's drop period, VA will take one of the following actions:
If you withdraw from all courses, VA will stop your benefits effective the date of withdrawal. If you withdraw from a course after the end of the drop period, you may have to repay all benefits for the course unless you can show that the change was due to mitigating circumstances. VA defines "mitigating circumstances" as unavoidable and unexpected events that directly interfere with your pursuit of a course and are beyond your control. Examples of reasons VA may accept are:
Examples of reasons VA may not accept are:
The first time you withdraw from up to six credit hours, VA will "excuse" the withdrawal and pay benefits for the period attended. Remember, this only applies to your first withdrawal. If you receive a grade that does not count toward graduation, you may have to repay all benefits for the course. You should check your school's grading policy with the registrar or the office handling VA paperwork. The school may have "non-punitive grades." VA defines "non-punitive grades" as those not used to compute graduation requirements. Common examples are:
If you receive a non-punitive grade, the school will notify VA. Upon receipt of the notice, VA may reduce or stop benefits. You may not have to repay the benefits if you can show that the grade was due to mitigating circumstances. HOW CAN YOU PREVENT OVERPAYMENTS AND PENALTIES? OVERPAYMENTS OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE An overpayment is an incorrect benefit payment that is more than the amount to which you are entitled. If you promptly notify VA of changes affecting your benefits, you can prevent or reduce overpayments. In addition, you should use reasonable judgment when you accept and cash a check. Carefully read all letters from VA about the monthly rates and effective dates of your benefits. If you think a VA check is wrong, contact VA before cashing the check. Return any checks for too much money to VA. If you cash a check for the wrong amount, you will be liable for repayment of any resulting overpayment. UNSATISFACTORY PARTICIPATION IN THE SELECTED RESERVE PENALTY If you do not participate satisfactorily in the Selected Reserve, your eligibility ends. Your component can require that you pay a penalty based on a portion of payments you have received. You can avoid this by following all requirements for satisfactory reserve participation. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE AN OVERPAYMENT OR PENALTY? VA OVERPAYMENTS VA must take prompt and aggressive action to recover overpayments. You have the right to request a waiver of the overpayment or verification that the amount is correct. If an overpayment is not repaid or waived, VA may add interest and collection fees to your debt. VA may also take one or more of the following actions to collect the debt:
RESERVE PENALTIES Your reserve component will act to collect penalties caused by unsatisfactory participation in the reserve. For forms and information, one or more of the following offices or representatives can assist you:
Consult a telephone directory under United States Government, Department of Veterans Affairs, for the telephone number of the office nearest you. Toll-free telephone service is available in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands. Call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442 -4551). If you do not have access to this number, call 1-800-827-1000, or for the hearing impaired call 1-800-829-4833. VA supervisory personnel occasionally monitor telephone calls. They do this to ensure that the public receives accurate information and courteous responses. The person monitoring a call does not keep a record of the caller's name, address, file number, or telephone number. You can also reach us on the World Wide Web (Internet). VA Education Service maintains a Home Page on the Web. You can get information about education benefit programs and send us questions about your claim for education benefits. The Home Page address is: http://www.va.gov/benefits/education/ Follow the prompts under the "Claim Inquiry" option on the main menu to inquire about your claim for education benefits. To obtain information on other sources of assistance, contact the financial aid office at your school. RESCISSION: VA Pamphlet 22-90-3, dated January 1998 |
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