Types of Benefits

A veteran may be eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31) benefits if he or she:

• Received, or will receive, a discharge other than dishonorable conditions; Incurred or aggravated a service-connected disability which entitles him or her to VA disability compensation; and is in need of vocational rehabilitation because his or her disability creates an employment handicap.
• Vocational rehabilitation may be provided for up to 48 months. An eligible veteran generally has 15 years from the date he or she is notified of entitlement to VA compensation to use their Chapter 31 benefits. VA may approve an extension of time and/or length of training in certain cases.
• Entitlement for vocational rehabilitation on services is determined on an individual basis following an evaluation of the veteran’s interests, aptitudes, education, work experience, and vocational abilities. Each school is assigned a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist to assist Chapter 31 students and school officials responsible for certifying Chapter 31 students. Full tuition, fees, and books are paid to the school by the VA. In addition, the student gets a subsistence allowance depending on the training status.

The Montgomery GI Bill® (Active Duty), also known as Chapter 30, is a program of education benefits generally for individuals who enter active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985 and have contributed to the College fund. Active Duty for benefits purposes includes full-time National Guard duty after November 29, 1989. The participant generally must serve continuously on active duty for three-year or greater initial enlistment, or, for a lesser benefit, two years of an initial active duty obligation of less than three years. An individual also may qualify for the full benefits by initially serving two continuous years on active duty, followed by four years of Selected Reserve service. In the latter case, the participant must enter the Selected Reserve within one year of the release from active duty. The participant must meet the requirements for a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate before the first period of active duty ends. Completing 12 credit hours toward a college degree meets this requirement. Individuals, who initially serve a continuous period of at least three years of active duty, even though they were initially obligated to serve less, will be paid at the higher basic rate. Snead State Community college does not participate in advance pay.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill® is a new education benefit program for individuals who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. The benefits are payable for training pursued on or after August 1, 2009. No payments can be made under this program for training pursued before that date. You may receive up to 36 months of entitlement under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. Once you elect to receive benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, you will no longer be eligible to receive benefits under the program from which you elected before the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. A monthly housing allowance (MHA) based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school (for BAH rates, please visit https://www.va.gov/education/ ) is associated with this benefit. For those enrolled solely in distance learning, the housing allowance payable is equal to 1/2 the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents for the 2011 academic year (Active duty students and their spouses cannot receive the MHA). An annual books stipend of $1,000 is paid proportionately based on enrollment.

This program provides benefits for members of the Selected Reserve and National Guard who enlisted, re-enlisted, or extended their enlistment for a period of six years after July1, 1985. To find out more about eligibility requirements, please contact Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO) at 1-888-442-4551.

REAP was established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a Department of Defense educational benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the President or congress. This program makes certain reservists who were activated for at least 90 days after September 11, 2001, either eligible for education benefits or eligible for increased benefits.

Dependents’ Educational Assistance provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. This program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training. If you are a spouse, you may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.