First step to this is knowing what the top paying jobs are in the US and what education requirements for that are.  A key note here is that these jobs do change and so do the salaries.  So being aware of this on a consistent basis will be of benefit.  An econimics evaluation company, EMSI, did an evaluation of top paying jobs from 2011 to 2012.  Here are thier results.  You can also view the infographic at this link

• Health-related positions, airline pilots and air traffic controllers, and several technical management positions — ranging from natural science managers to education administrators — are at the top of the heap. The average hourly wage for these 20 occupations is $56.13 — nearly $117,000 annually — and the highest is oral and maxillofacial surgeonsat $84.22 per hour.
• The fastest-growing job over the last five years on this list is petroleum engineers(38%), while pilots, engineering managers, general/operations managers, and judges have declined since 2006.
• The only occupation that does not require on average at least a bachelor’s degree is air traffic controllers. Six of the top 10 call for an advanced professional degree, and eight of 20 require a degree plus work experience.

From EMSI follow this link for more information

Understanding what job you would like to do and what jobs you may qualify for is important.  The next step would be to determine the approrpiate degree for your new career.  While there is no tried and true method to doing so you have to be careful to remain true to a end point.  Many universities have minimum credit requirements in order to graduate.  All students must have these minimum courses, both in terms of credits and specifici courses.  These constitute a “well rounded” student.  It is sometimes best to achieve these minimum requirements first while taking a few courses in your desired degree.  This way you can find out if a career field is what you want without wasting a whole lot of time, energy, and valuable education benefits in the process.

The key is to create goal and understand the steps to get to it.  Then applying your benefits to achieve those goals.  This is not unlike managing your military career where you had to balance both assignments, millitary schools (Airborne, Air Assualt…), and positions at new units.  Though unlike the military there is not standard career path for many, if not, all career fields.  there are proven pipelines for success but even still there are no guarentees that one path will yield better of the same results that some one else experianced.  Being goal oriented will go a long way to ensuring tha tyou are on the right path to fully use your military benefits as well as enjoy your post service life.

Disability Pay or Pension

Any veteran who has sustained an injury or diseases while on active duty or due to military service is eligible for Disability pay. Moreover some veterans are given disability pay because they have suffered injuries or sickness while being under VA care and these benefits are not taxable.
Veterans who have been discharged honorably or under medical conditions are eligible for these benefits. The benefits may vary according to the severity of the veteran’s conditions, moreover those with dependants or disabled spouse will get more as will those with extreme injuries resulting in loss of limbs. The pension amounts are according to the number of years service and pay grade at the time of retirement.

Survivor’s Benefits

Surviving members of a veteran’s family are entitled to death pensions. Surviving spouse and children or next to kin family members are offered different compensation such as Dependent Indemnity Compensation, a Death Gratuity payment, as well as TRICARE benefits.
If a military person dies in the line of duty then his spouse and children are living in government quarters are entitled to stay there for 365 days or they can relocate to another place and re3ceive one year of Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) or Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA)

Burial Benefits

Burial allowances are limited compensation of a qualified Veteran’s burial and funeral costs. Payments made for burial allowances are divided into two parts:
• Service Related Death: For deaths on and after September 11, 2001 $2,000 is paid for burial services whereas for deaths proceeding September 10, 2001, $1,500 is paid.
• Non-service-Related Death- For deaths on and after October 1, 2011, a burial allowance of $700 for burial and funeral expenses and a $700.00 plot-interment allowance is given. If the veteran is not hospitalized by VA then $300 is allotted towards burial and funeral expenses

Education Benefits

The new Post 9/11 GI Bill offers a host of wide-ranging educational assistance programs to veterans than ever before, and offering several other benefits to dependants and family members.

Medical Benefits

Medical benefits for veterans includes several facilities such as preventive services, outpatient services, emergency services, medical and surgical care, chiropractic care, mental health care, bereavement counseling, and substance abuse counseling.

The Air Force Combat-Related Special Compensation program is managed by the USAF Physical Disability Division of the Air Force Personnel Center. The CRSC board is made up of former military and civilian personnel whose experiences include war-time duties, flying duties and medical training. The review board conducts a detailed analysis of your application to determine if in-service evidence exists to confirm your conditions were the direct result of a combat-related event or injury. If so, the board will authorize a special monthly payment to you called CRSC.

COMBAT RELATED DISABILITIES

Department of Defense guidance defines a combat-related disability in one of the three following ways:

1. A Purple Heart disability, which is a disability with an assigned medical diagnosis code from the Veterans Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities, or VASRD, that was attributed to injuries for which the member was awarded a Purple Heart.
2. One with an assigned medical diagnosis code from the VASRD that was:
   * incurred as a direct result of armed conflict;
   * as a result of hazardous service;
   * in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war; or
   * through an instrumentality of war.
3. One with an assigned medical diagnosis code from the VASRD that was deemed presumptive or “presumed” by the VA to be incurred as a result of combat operations.

More

APPLYING FOR CRSC

To apply for CRSC, you must first determine your eligibility; then complete an application for CRSC, using DD Form 2860,Application for Combat-Related Special Compensation.

CRSC APPROVAL

Once CRSC claims are approved, AFPC will send approval documents to both you and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. DFAS will then calculate and begin CRSC payments within 60 to 90 working days of receiving the approval letter.

CRSC UPDATES

Agent Orange
Regulation Takes Effect for 3 More Agent Orange-related Diseases: As of October 30, 2010, eligible Vietnam-era Veterans exposed to herbicides and disabled by chronic b-cell leukemias, Parkinson’s disease, or ischemic heart disease, may begin receiving disability and health care benefits on approved claims. Vietnam Veterans may apply for disability compensation for these diseases using VA’s Fast Track Claims Processing System.

Veterans with Thailand Service: Vietnam-era Veterans who served in Thailand on or near the perimeters of military bases may have been exposed to herbicides and may qualify for VA benefits. Learn more ….

Chapter 61 Updates
The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed into law on Jan. 28, 2008. Guidance to implement this program was received June 9, 2008. It expanded the eligibility of CRSC to include anyone receiving military retired pay. This includes Medical Chapter 61, Temporary Early Retirement Act (TERA) and Temporary Disabled Retirement List (TDRL) retirees. These new eligible components for CRSC went into effect Jan. 1, 2008. Medical and TERA retirees must still provide documentation that shows a causal link between a current VA disability and a combat-related event. To apply, individuals need to complete a DD Form 2860 with the required documentation attached. For more information, call 1-800-525-0102, Option 5, Option 1.

Combat-Related Special Compensation
CRSC is part of a legislative initiative designed to restore a veteran’s military retirement pay that has been offset (reduced) by Veterans Affairs compensation when the veteran’s disabilities are combat-related. CRSC was enacted by Congress through Public Law 107-314, Dec. 2, 2002, and later expanded under Public Law 108-136, Nov. 24, 2003.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay
CRDP is similar to CRSC. It is also designed to restore military retired pay that has been offset by Veterans Affairs compensation; however, there is no combat-related requirement for this pay. To be eligible, you must have a total disability rating from the VA of 50 percent or more. CRDP is automatic, so no application is needed, but payments are on a phased-in schedule.The Defense Finance and Accounting Service manages this program.

InterCoast College is not accepting Post 9/11 GI Bill for on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and non-college degree programs.

1. What does G.I Bill covers for your training at InterCoast?  InterCoast college offers 13+ career training courses from health care to paralegal.
• ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICAL ASSISTANT
• ALCOHOL & DRUG COUNSELING STUDIES
• BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY & ADMINISTRATION
• COMPUTERIZED ACCOUNTING
• ELECTRICAL TRAINING PROGRAM
• HVAC TECHNICIAN
• PRACTICAL NURSING
• MASSAGE THERAPY
• MEDICAL ASSISTANT
• MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION TECHNICIAN
• MULTIMEDIA SPECIALIST
• PARALEGAL SPECIALIST
• PHARMACY TECHNICIAN
2. How much does it cost to attend InterCoast College?  It depends what program you are taking and tuition assistance program can cover your tuition if you are eligible for tuition assistance.   To request more information about their tuition, please contact InterCoast College.
3. Why InterCoast College?  Choose InterCoast College to get the career training you need to make a smooth transition into your post-military life. You can prepare for a career in as little as 24 weeks with easy-to-use online courses.   Also,  you can also learn from 12 local campuses in California, Main, New Hampshire.

The Armed Forces themselves offer many benefits for active duty soldiers, veterans, reservists, and military spouses and families when it comes to education. DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support), Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC), and a number of other programs help with TA (Tuition Assistance). Occasional programs even help with the cost of equipment, transportation, and textbooks.

Many programs are tuition only, however, and do not cover one of the most unexpectedly expensive higher education costs: textbooks. In 2010, college students spent an average of more than $1,000 per year on textbooks; often, students don’t factor this in before thinking about the cost of a college education, and the added hundreds to thousands of dollars can cause a problem.

At Abraham Lincoln University, active duty military, veterans and spouses need not worry about the cost of textbooks. Whether undertaking a diploma program online or beginning our flagship Juris Doctor (J.D.) law degree program, the cost of textbooks will be covered for military personnel through the textbook grants that the University offers. At ALU, textbook grants cover all textbook costs—even if your military education benefits only cover tuition, textbook costs need not be a worry.

Textbook grants are just one of the many ways that military students receive a benefit at Abraham Lincoln University. For more information visit www.alu.edu.

How the New GI Bill 2.0 would change?

Main points included in the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Improvements Act are:

• Expanded Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility for National Guardsmen, retroactive to Aug. 1 of 2009.
• Eliminates restrictions on non-degree granting institutions, which includes vocational training, apprenticeship programs, certification programs, and on-the-job training.
• Establishes an annual cap on tuition at private colleges of $17,500 per year. For the 36 months of the bill’s benefit span, veterans can receive up to $52,500 for study at private colleges.
• Eliminates the state-by-state cap on tuition and fees and pays for all tuition and fees at state-sponsored schools.
• Expands the eligibility for veterans taking online courses to receive a monthly housing stipend.
• Expands the annual book stipend to include active duty personnel and their spouses.
• Licensing and certification.  The $2,000 benefit for these types of courses no longer would be a one-time benefit.
• Vocational and non-degree classes.  On the job training and apprenticeships would become covered by the Post 9-11 Gi Bill with participants eligible to receive living stipends.

The new GI Bill fix also offers eligible caregivers of wounded veterans an extension on the 10-year deadline to use their GI Bill benefits. Many of the new tuition payments and expanded military education benefits don’t go into effect until August of 2011, while others go into effect on Oct. 1.

Be sure to contact the VA at 1-888-GIBILL-1 to learn about your personal G.I. Bill 2.0 benefits situation.

Please visit Allied American University for more detail about Veteran Education Benefits. AAU has the best supporting team in terms of getting veteran education benefits in Post 9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, and Survivors & Dependents Assistance for you

The Army Correspondence Course Program

The Army Correspondence Course Program (ACCP), is a type of distance education and the formal nonresident extension of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) service schools’ curriculum.

In the U.S. military, servicemembers are afforded the opportunity to take higher education courses for credit. For example, in the U.S. Army, correspondence courses provide personnel with a way to receive an education and work toward a degree. Formally, the Army Institute for Professional Development (AIPD) provides distance learning through the Army Correspondence Course Program (ACCP). This program is an extension of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), which oversees Army training and standards.

Army correspondence courses are designed to prepare soldiers for advancement within their military careers. According to TRADOC’s website, Army servicemembers can receive one promotion for every five hours of completed ACCP, and the total number of points that can be counted for military education is twenty. The benefits of receiving an education and working toward your military promotion are clear. For many of today’s Army servicemembers, where deployments and service rotations are at increased operational tempo, distance learning may be a viable alternative to traditional classroom training.

How to Register the Army Correspondence Course Program?

1. Click on the link http://www.train.army.mil and click on Access ATIA.
2. You must register using your AKO User ID and PASSWORD and click on Login to ATIA.
3. At the next screen click on My Courses.
4. At the next screen click on the TYPE field drop down button and change the selection to Distributed DL Keyword, the next field titled Document Type click on the drop down button.
5. Change the selection to Distributed DL Course at the next field type in Action Officer and click on the Search button.
6. The Action Officer Development Course (131 P00) will be displayed for your selection.

What are the benefits of the The Army Correspondence Course Program

The ACCP provides an invaluable source of professional development and career-specific education for a junior soldier. Courses also earn promotion points for a soldier. For every five correspondence course credits earned, a soldier can receive one promotion point. This benefit is capped at 100 promotion points. College credit can be earned with some correspondence courses. The NCO Guide is a valuable resource for leaders and soldiers on the benefits of Army correspondence courses

You may also receive an application form at the school or training establishment you wish to attend. The VA Certifying official at the school (usually located in the Registrar’s or Financial Aid office) should have the forms available, can assist you in filling them out, and will submit them to VA.

Step 1: Determine Your Best Benefit

(Please answer the following questions to determine your best benefit.)

What Type Of Training Do You Plan To Take?

GED

This training is not covered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers only degree programs. That means it covers Associate, Bachelor, and graduate degrees at a college or university.

Associate, Bachelor, Or Graduate Degree

These are covered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Your degree program must be from an Institution of Higher Learning. The programs must be accredited and approved by a State Approving Agency.

On-The-Job Training, Apprenticeship, Flight Training, Or Other Professional Training

The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers approved programs offered at institutions of higher learning. That means it covers an Associate, Bachelor, or Graduate degree, or a non-college degree program offered at a college or university. You may be able to receive benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill for on-the-job, apprenticeship, flight, or other professional training if you have entitlement under another VA education program that covers such training.

Non-College Degree Training

This type of training is not covered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill if it is not pursued at a college or university.

Licensing & Certification Tests

Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you will be eligible for only one licensing or certification test not to exceed $2,000.00.

Where Will You Take Classes?

Online/Distance Learning Only

If you’re only taking distance or online classes, you won’t qualify for the monthly housing allowance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, but you can still receive the basic education allowance under the Montgomery GI Bill.

At Least One On Campus Course

If you’re taking at least one course on campus and your rate of pursuit is greater than ½ time you qualify for the monthly housing allowance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Do You Currently Have Any Time Left Under Another Education Program Such As The Montgomery GI Bill?

Yes: If you have remaining entitlement under the Montgomery GI Bill you can exhaust that entitlement (use up all that time) and then get up to 12 months of benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

No: You may apply for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Where Will You Be Living When Pursuing Training?

Tuition, fees and your monthly housing allowance are state specific.

More About Tuition And Fees

How much you receive depends on what state you will live in.

Your tuition and fees paid under the Post-9/11 GI Bill are based on the maximum allowed in your state

More About The Monthly Housing Allowance

Your monthly housing allowance is based on the E-5 with dependent rate: Basic Allowance for Housing for the zip code where your school is located.

What Rate Will You Study?

Full-Time

If you study full-time and take at least one in-residence course, you qualify for the monthly housing allowance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Exception: Active duty members are not eligible for the monthly housing allowance.

Greater Than Half-Time

If you study at greater than the half-time rate, you qualify for the monthly housing allowance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Half-time or less You will not qualify for the monthly housing allowance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill unless you are pursuing training greater than the half-time rate.

If You Are Active Duty, Do You Want To Transfer Entitlement Of Benefits To Family Members?

Yes: You may be able to transfer some of your education benefits to family members. The rules for transferring benefits are set by the Defense Department and the military services. You can find the latest Department of Defense information on policy and rules for transferability of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits is on the Department of Defense website.

No: Ok. If you ever want to transfer benefits to family members, you can find information on policy and rules for transferability of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits on the Department of Defense website.

Step 2: Collect Your Paperwork And Information

(You will need a few documents to complete the application. Please review the list below to make your you have everything you need to complete the process)

Dates And Service Status For Each Period Of Military Service.

Dates and service status for each period of military service is used to determine yourpercentage of entitlement.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit level is based on your aggregate qualifying active duty service, which is total service, including separate periods.

Payback time for ROTC or Service Academy does not count as qualifying service.

The Number Of Months Of Eligibility Remaining For Benefits Under One Or More VA Education Programs.

If you have used benefits under one or more VA education programs, you may be entitled to additional benefits under another program.

For example, an individual who has remaining entitlement under the Montgomery GI Bill can exhaust that entitlement and may still receive up to an additional 12 months under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Whether You Have Participated In The $600 Buy-Up Program.

You must be a member of a Ready Reserve component (Selected Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve, or Inactive National Guard) to participate in the Buy-Up Program.

Members of a Ready Reserve Component may contribute up to an additional $600 to the GI Bill to receive increased monthly benefits. For an additional $600 contribution, you may receive up to $5400 in additional GI Bill benefits. The additional $600 contribution is not payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

All Necessary Documents.

The documents needed are: DD214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty for most recent period of active duty.

Transcripts for all periods of education after high school.
Kicker Contract (the Department of Defense may be able to provide this information if you cannot locate a copy of the contract.)

OPTIONAL: The Routing Or Transit Number And Account Number Of A Bank Account To Allow Direct Deposit Of Benefits.

If you are entitled to direct payment of benefits, such as the monthly living allowance, a stipend for books and supplies, and/or the one-time rural benefit payment, the funds can be deposited directly to your bank account, giving you the fastest access to your payments. The routing or transit number and the number of the account will be required during the application process.

Step 3: Find A School

(If you’ve decided to pay for college using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you’ll need to get some information about each school you might attend.)

What Is The Maximum In-State Tuition For The State Where You Are Planning To Go To School?

The maximum in-state tuition for a public school in the state where you plan to go to college and your benefit level sets the maximum payment that the VA can give you through the Post-9/11 GI Bill. In order to figure out how much you could be paid, you will need to know the maximum in-state tuition and fees for each state where you might attend school and the benefit level you are eligible for.

NOTE: The maximum does not apply to active duty personnel. The Department of Defense pays the full cost of tuition and fees for service members in approved education programs.

What Is Your School’s Zip Code?

The monthly housing allowance paid under the Post-9/11 GI Bill is based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for the zip code where your school is located

NOTE: Active duty personnel (or spouses using transferred education benefits while the transferor is on active duty), those whose Rate of Pursuit is ½ time or less, or those entirely pursuing distance learning are not eligible for the monthly housing allowance.

How Much Does Your School Charge Per Credit Hour?

What are your school’s mandatory fees? You can figure out whether the Post-9/11 GI Bill will cover all of your tuition & fees costs by comparing the maximum tuition covered in the state where you want to go to school to the cost that your school charges and the maximum fees to your school’s fees. To do this, you will need the tuition per credit hour and mandatory fees charged by each school for the courses you want to take.

How much money can I get for books and supplies? You can get up to $1,000 per year – how much you get depends on your benefit level and the number of credit hours you are taking during the term.

NOTE: this does not apply to active duty personnel or spouses using transferred education benefits if the transferor is still on active duty.

Is the cost to me higher than what the VA will pay for my school? Do your tuition and fees exceed the maximum benefit VA will pay?

There are a few cases in which your school might charge you more than the maximum benefit you can get using the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The most common cases would be if you go to a public school as an out-of-state student, go to graduate school, or choose a private or professional school. If you think that your tuition will be higher than the tuition payment you get from the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you should find out whether your school participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. If your school is part of this program, you may be able to reduce the amount that you have to pay.

To find out more, you can:

Check the list of Yellow Ribbon participants, or ask the school directly.

If your school is part of the program, find out how much of the difference your school will cover. Each Yellow Ribbon Program school sets limits on the additional amount they will pay, and VA will match this amount. So, if your school is part of the program, and sets a $500 limit on what they will pay, then you will get your Post-9/11 payment based on the state maximum tuition, $500 from your school, and an additional $500 from VA.

Determine if you are eligible for other funding – scholarships, loans, grants – that will cover the additional cost of attending a program where costs exceed the state maximum.

Do You Know How Much Your Living Expenses Will Be?

Comparing your living expenses to the housing allowance that the Post-9/11 bill can provide may help you decide which school you want to attend. To do this, you will need to figure out how much you expect to pay for your living expenses (housing, food, transportation, parking, etc.) in the community where each school is located.

Step 4: Calculate Your Benefits

Which Benefit Would Pay You More? Estimator

The VA has created a tool that will give you a rough estimate of the benefit you will receive under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Estimator will ask you to enter some data, and will use that information to provide you with an estimate of your payments.

Please be aware, this is only an estimate and will vary depending on multiple factors. We have developed table of options that may be of use in narrowing your choices.

DISCLAIMER: Estimates are only provided for tuition and fees and the monthly housing allowance. Estimates do not include benefits for books and supplies, kickers, or the Yellow Ribbon program. The values displayed are estimates and subject to change.

Step 5: Compare The Programs

Determine Benefit Program and School:

Side by side chart

If you are eligible for another benefit program as well as the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), you should review the side-by-side comparison of benefits under each program.

While each individual’s situation is different, this may help you determine which of the programs provide the most benefit for your individual situation. You should now have enough information to decide whether you want to apply for the Post-9/11 GI Bill or another benefit program. Remember, if you give up another program to receive the Post-9/11 GI Bill, it is an irrevocable choice – this means that once you have selected the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you cannot switch back to the program you gave up. At this time, you also will have to determine which school you will apply to for enrollment.

Step 6: Apply For Benefits

When you have decided which education benefit is best for you, you’ll need to submit your application. You can either submit your application online or by mail, or, if you know what school you plan to attend, your school may be able to help you prepare and submit your application.

How Will You Submit Your Application?

I’m Planning To Submit My Application Online

You can use the VONAPP Veterans Online Applications website to fill out and submit your application online. You can use the information you gathered while using this tool to help complete your application.

You may be asked to provide some additional forms if you apply online. If you have access to a scanner, you can scan these forms and submit them online.

If you have trouble with the application process, you can call a VA Education Case Manager (1-888-GIBill1) to ask for help.

I’d Like To Submit A Paper Application

You can submit a paper application called on Form 22-1990 by mail to the VA Regional Processing Office. You can mail the form to the region of your home address, or, if you know what school you want to attend, the VA Regional Processing Office for the region of the school’s physical address.

1. It will make it easier for the VA to determine what benefits you qualify for if you send a copy of the following documents:
2. Your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD form 214) for all periods of active duty service
3. DD Form 2384, also known as the Notice of Basic Eligibility, if applying for the Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserves (chapter 1606)
4. Copies of orders if activated from the guard/reserves
5. Supporting documents (e.g., vouchers, statements) for buy-up or buy-in contributions, which may allow you to make a small initial payment so that you can receive a higher monthly payment.
6. College fund “kicker” contracts for additional monthly payments that you may receive from the Department of Defense through your branch of the Service.

If you have trouble with the application process, you can call a VA Education Case Manager (1-888-GIBill1) to ask for help.

I’m Still Having Trouble Filling Out My Application

Many schools have staff members who will help you prepare and submit your application for education benefits (which is also sometimes called Form 22-1990 Form 22-1990). You may be able to work with this individual, referred to as the School Certifying Officer, to fill out your application. To make the process easier, you should bring along these documents:

1. Your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD form 214) for all periods of active duty service
2. DD Form 2384, also known as the Notice of Basic Eligibility, if applying for the Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserves (chapter 1606)
3. Copies of orders if activated from the guard/reserves
4. Supporting documents (e.g., vouchers, statements) for buy-up or buy-in contributions, which may allow you to make a small initial payment so that you can receive a higher monthly payment.
5. College fund “kicker” contracts for additional monthly payments that you may receive from the Department of Defense through your branch of the Service.

After working with you on your application, the school will send the application, along with paperwork from the school itself, to a VA Regional Processing Office.

If you have trouble with the application process, you can call a VA Education Case Manager (1-888-GIBill1) to ask for help.

I’ve Submitted My Application

Once you have finished and sent in your application, three things will happen:

1. The Regional Processing Office will process the application and determine your eligibility. If you are certain of your eligibility, do not delay in enrolling in classes.
2. Your school will send its request to VA for tuition and fees, which will be paid directly to the school.
3. Other benefits that you receive, like a monthly housing allowance, books & supplies stipend or rural benefit payment, will be paid directly to you through direct deposit to your bank account.

The amount of time it takes to process your application will depend on whether the VA needs more information to figure out what benefits you qualify for.

I Have Already Received My Certificate Of Eligibility

Congratulations on successfully completing the application process! You can enroll in classes at the school you have chosen at any time.

And thank you for your service! Go to class. Get good grades. Enjoy life.

Here’s how to get your college career off the ground:

SHOP FOR A SCHOOL.

Browse the Web, talk to friends and consult your education service officer to find out which schools have the best programs in the subject you want to pursue.

ASK ABOUT TRANSFER CREDITS.

Colleges with a track record for serving military students often give credits for your military service or training. You could already have a number of courses out of the way if you’ve picked a major related to your military occupational specialty.

LIST REQUIREMENTS.

Take a careful look at a school’s prerequisites before you send off the application. Most schools look at your high school grade-point average and SAT or ACT scores. If you haven’t already, you may need to take one of these tests.

COMPILE MATERIALS.

Some schools require essays and recommendation letters in addition to your high school transcript and test scores. You may also need to provide proof of military training to receive credit.

MAKE THE DEADLINE

Don’t delay your degree by a semester just because you didn’t check the application deadline.

Click here to learn more about GoArmyEd.