There are a number of benefits that are available to Servicemembers under the GI bill. Some of the benefits are either not well known, or in some cases are new. The GI bill has undergone a number of revisions and tweaks by Congress, resulting in different programs that a Servicemember may qualify for. Some of these benefits include:
Accelerated Benefits: There is the possibility that you may be eligible for up to six thousand dollars in educational benefits. The benefits are for jobs in the high tech sector that would lead to a high tech type job. To find out more one should visit the VA web site.
Transferability: Some of the traditional GI Bill benefits can now be transferred. This is to allow certain types of benefits to benefit the dependents of Veterans, and can be sometimes transferred to one or more dependents of a qualified VA program or GI Bill Veteran. The NDA Authorization Defense Act for 2002 resulted in the ability of certain Montgomery GI bill Active duty benefits to be transferred.
Each military branch has the ability and discretion to decide if they will offer the benefits under this program. Each service has implemented it in a little different manner, but each has offered some version of this program.
To be eligible for this program, in any of the military services, Servicemembers must meet the following criteria:
-Complete Six years of active duty Armed Forces service.
-Have a critical skill or military training that is approved by the Secretary of your service. This is for a skill for transferability, or a specific vital needed military specialty.
-Enter into an agreement for at least four more years of Armed Forces Active duty service.
Army Pilot Program: Under this transferability option, the U.S. Army has started a pilot program to transfer and shift Montgomery GI Bill benefits to their spouse. This program is in its early stages, so it will remain to be seen how well or how much this is used.
Military Buy Up/MGIB Kicker Program: This is a feature to allow Servicemembers to receive an additional one hundred fifty dollars above the regular MGIB rate of pay.? Total benefit increase could be as much as fifty four hundred dollars. The U.S. Air Force calls this program the MGIB bill kicker.
To qualify for this program you must be:
-A qualifying Category I active duty Servicemember.
-Decide to contribute up to six hundred dollars additional before you separate from the service. This would be six hundred in addition to the twelve hundred mandatory MGIB benefit contribution, bringing your total up to eighteen hundred dollars.