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Home : Military Professional Development : Veterans Information
Student Work Study Allowance Program
( Courtesy Veterans Administration: Public Reference Document ) Department of Veterans Affairs
SUMMARY OF
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS UNDER THE MONTGOMERY GI BILL-ACTIVE DUTY EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CHAPTER 30 OF TITLE 38 U. S. CODE
Introduction
The Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (chapter 30 of title 38, U. S. Code) is an educational assistance program enacted by Congress to attract high quality men and women into the Armed Forces. The program is administered by VA (Department of Veterans Affairs). It provides education and training opportunities to eligible persons. 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 the full 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 education benefits as a veteran or serviceperson under one of the following categories. Category 1 - You entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985, and served continuously for three years. However, only two years of active duty are required if:
In Category 1, you must have your military pay reduced by $100 a month for the first 12 months of active duty. If you elect not to participate in this program, you may not change this decision at a later date unless you qualify under Category 3 below. You may also be eligible if:
You must obtain a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate before your first period of active duty ends. Completing 12 hours toward a college degree meets the requirement. SPECIAL EXTENSION If you were on active duty on August 2, 1990, and were discharged without obtaining a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate, you may qualify if you received either document before October 28, 1994. Under this extension, you may not use 12 hours toward a college degree to meet the requirement. Category 2 - You had remaining entitlement under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance program (chapter 34 of title 38, U. S. Code) on December 31, 1989, you served on active duty for any number of days during the period October 19, 1984 to June 30, 1985, and you continued on active duty without a break from July 1, 1985 through:
You must have obtained a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate before December 31, 1989. Completing 12 hours toward a college degree meets the requirement. Category 3 - You may be eligible under Category 3 if you elected to participate in chapter 30 before being involuntarily separated. You may qualify:
You may also be eligible under Category 3 if you elected to participate in chapter 30 before being voluntarily separated under either the VSI (Voluntary Separation Incentive) or SSB (Special Separation Benefit) program. If you were eligible for the Post Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (VEAP, or chapter 32 of title 38, U. S. Code), you must elect to receive benefits under chapter 30 and apply for a refund of your contributions to chapter 32. In Category 3, you must have had your military pay reduced by $1,200 before your discharge. You must have obtained a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate before you apply for benefits. Completing 12 hours toward a college degree meets the requirement.
Category 4 - You may be eligible under Category 4 if you were on active duty on October 9, 1996 and you were a VEAP participant with money in the VEAP fund. To establish eligibility, you must have elected chapter 30 and paid $1,200 by October 9, 1997. You may also be eligible under Category 4 if you served on full time active duty in the National Guard between June 30, 1985, and November 29, 1989. You must have elected to have your National Guard service count toward establishing eligibility for that benefit by July 9, 1997.
DISCHARGES AND SEPARATIONS Your discharge must be "honorable." Discharges "under honorable conditions" and "general" discharges do not establish eligibility for chapter 30. A discharge or release for one of the following reasons could result in a reduction of the required length of active duty:
OTHER ISSUES You are not eligible under Categories 1 or 2 if you graduated from a service academy and received a commission after December 31, 1976. You are not eligible under Categories 1 or 2 if you received a commission after completing an ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) scholarship program after December 31, 1976. This scholarship pays a stipend and all educational expenses, i.e., tuition, fees, books, and supplies. If you are a graduate of an ROTC program, you may still be eligible for chapter 30 under one of the following conditions:
The following types of active duty do not establish eligibility:
HOW MANY MONTHS OF BENEFITS CAN YOU GET? You may be entitled to receive up to 36 months of education benefits under this program after completing the full period of your enlistment. This applies if you were discharged for the convenience of the government after completing: 20 months of an enlistment of less than three years; or 30 months of an enlistment of three years or more. However, you will earn only one month of entitlement for each month of active duty after June 30, 1985, if you were discharged for other specific reasons before completing your enlistment period (for example, a discharge based on a service-connected disability, a medical condition pre-existing service, hardship, or a reduction in force). You may also earn one month of entitlement for each four months in the Selected Reserve after June 30, 1985. 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 under chapter 30, you could have a maximum of 18 months of entitlement remaining. If you used 27 months under chapter 34 before December 31, 1989, and are eligible for chapter 30, you could have a maximum of 21 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 the equivalent of one month of full-time benefits. If your full-time rate is $528.00, and you receive $1,584.00 for a correspondence course, the entitlement charge is three months. If your full-time rate is $429.00, and you receive $5,148.00 for flight training, the entitlement charge is 12 months. If you pursue a cooperative program, you use one month for each month of benefits paid. For apprenticeship and job training programs, the entitlement 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. VA can extend entitlement to the end of a term, quarter, or semester if the ending date of your entitlement falls within a term, quarter, or semester. If the school does not operate on a term basis, entitlement can be extended for 12 weeks. HOW MUCH EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE WILL YOU GET? BASIC EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE If you first entered active duty after June 30, 1985, and your first service obligation was more than two years, you will receive the following monthly rates: Rates for Schooling
Rates for Apprenticeship and Job Training
You will also receive the above rates if:
If you first entered active duty after June 30, 1985, and your first service obligation was two years, you will receive the following monthly rates: Rates for Schooling
Rates for Apprenticeship and Job Training
RATES FOR OTHER TYPES OF 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. INCREASES IN EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE If you are eligible under Category 2, you will receive a higher rate of payment. In addition to your basic chapter 30 rate, you will receive an amount equal to one-half of the chapter 34 rate. You will receive this rate only as long as you have chapter 34 entitlement remaining. After that, you will receive the basic chapter 30 rate. VA pays an additional amount, commonly known as a "kicker," if directed by DOD (Department of Defense). If you are eligible under Category 3 and had a chapter 32 "kicker," VA pays the basic chapter 30 rate and an additional amount based upon the amount of the remaining kicker.
TRAINING WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY OR AT LESS THAN ONE-HALF TIME If you are on active duty or training at less than one-half time, we will pay you the lesser of:
If you are training at less than one-half time, we will issue payment to you in one sum for the whole enrollment period. Here is how we decide the monthly rate of your payment. If, while on active duty, you train full time for the period June 1, 1999, through June 30, 1999, and the total charges for your courses are $300, your monthly rate would be $300. However, if the total charges are $1,200 for the same period, your monthly rate would only be $528.00 (or $429.00 if your service obligation is less than three years). This is the maximum monthly rate payable based on your training time. The following amounts can be added to your monthly rate if you are training while on active duty or at less than one-half time:
Benefits end 10 years from the date of your last discharge or release from active duty. VA can extend your 10-year period by the amount of time you were prevented from training during the period due to:
VA can extend your 10-year period if you reenter active duty for 90 days or more after becoming eligible. The extension ends 10 years from the date of discharge or release from the later period. Periods of active duty of less than 90 days can qualify for extensions only if your discharge or release was for one of the following reasons:
If your discharge is upgraded by the military, the 10-year period begins on the date of the upgrade. CATEGORY 2 ELIGIBILITY If you are eligible under Category 2 and your discharge was before December 31, 1989, you have until January 1, 2000, to use your entitlement. In most instances VA will subtract periods you were not on active duty between January 1, 1977, and June 30, 1985, from your 10-year period. ELIGIBILITY BASED ON THE 2 BY 4 PROGRAM If you are eligible based upon two years of active duty and four years in the Selected Reserve, you have 10 years from your release from active duty, or 10 years from the completion of the four-year Selected Reserve obligation to use your benefits, whichever is later. You may receive benefits for a wide variety 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 the 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. 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 while you were on active duty or after your release. There is an entitlement charge for these courses. ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE? You may receive a special allowance for individual tutoring 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 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 for 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:
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:
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 inform you if anything else is needed. If you have started training, take your application 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 both 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. You must file an appeal within one year of the date you receive notice 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 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 based on certified training time. If you are in a degree program at a college or university, or 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 such 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 attend school, you should receive your 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 education benefits under chapter 30 and you have not received your monthly verification form. The person answering the telephone will take the information and forward it to the appropriate VA regional office for processing. If you have submitted the form but have not received a check after two weeks, immediately contact the nearest VA regional office. Explain that you are receiving education benefits under chapter 30 and have submitted your verification form. The person answering the telephone will record the necessary information and determine the status of the check. VA will contact you by letter or telephone with information about the 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 rates. 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. 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, you will have an overpayment that VA is required to collect from you if you cash the check. If you think the amount of a VA check is incorrect, contact VA before cashing the check. CAN YOU GET PAYMENTS SENT THROUGH DIRECT DEPOSIT? You can get your chapter 30 payments sent directly to your savings or checking account. VA does this through Direct Deposit/Electronic Fund Transfer. For information about how to get your payments sent through direct deposit, contact your local VA office or your bank. 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 SELECTED RESERVE STATUS If you receive increased benefits or additional months of entitlement due to Selected Reserve service, notify the appropriate VA regional office if you change reserve status. If you do not satisfactorily complete your four-year Selected Reserve obligation, you may not receive increased benefits. Examples of changes you must report are:
You do not need to report changes of units or components. CHANGE IN DEPENDENCY If you receive chapter 30 benefits and one-half of the chapter 34 rate (based on Category 2 eligibility), your allowance may include an additional amount for dependents. Dependents include your spouse, natural children, adopted children, stepchildren, and dependent parents. You must report any change affecting your dependents. Examples of changes you must report are:
VA requires documentary proof to establish dependents. The preferred evidence is a copy of the public or church record of a marriage or birth. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CHANGE YOUR ENROLLMENT? If you withdraw from one or more of your courses after the end of the school's drop period, VA will reduce or stop your benefits on the date of reduction or 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 grades were due to mitigating circumstances. HOW CAN YOU PREVENT OVERPAYMENTS? 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 the amount of a VA check is wrong, contact VA before cashing the check. Return any checks for the wrong amount to VA. If you cash a check for the wrong amount, you will be liable for repayment of any resulting overpayment. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE AN OVERPAYMENT? 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:
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/ 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 22-90-2, dated February 1998 |
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