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Stay up-to-date with news and information about your military education. You can get the information you need to make informed decisions about your online and military correspondence programs. Learn what's going on with military education and how you can make a smooth military transition. Your civilian career awaits you!

Have You Signed Up for the New G.I. Bill?

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Make the most of your service -- the new military G.I. Bill pays more and lets you transfer benefits. The VA is now accepting applications for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. This new educational benefits package, known as Chapter 33, offers additional benefits beyond paying for tuition -- including a new housing stipend.

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill goes into effect on August 1, 2009. You are eligible if you served a minimum of 90 days on active duty after September 10, 2001. You don't have to pay into this benefit each month; and you can transfer your benefits to your spouse or children.

What You'll Get

- Full tuition and fees
- Monthly housing stipend*
- Money for books and supplies
- Transferability of entitlement
- Kicker -- if you receive it now, you'll still get it with the new benefits

The amount paid under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill will vary depending on your state of residence, number of units taken, and amount of post-9/11 active-duty service.
Here are the percentages that are available:

Percentage of Payment -- Amount of Military Service
100% -- 36 or more months
100% -- 30 or more consecutive days with disability-related discharge
90% -- 30 total months
80% -- 24 total months
70% -- 18 total months
60% -- 12 total months
50% -- 6 total months
40% -- 90 or more days

The Department of Veterans Affairs started accepting applications on May 1, 2009. If you are already enrolled in the Montgomery G.I. Bill and also meet the criteria for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, you have the option to transfer your remaining MGIB benefits to the new program. Although the new bill offers comprehensive benefits, you may find that the original Montgomery G.I. Bill better suits your needs.

One of the biggest additions of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill is the option for service members to transfer their benefits -- if you are an active-duty service member with at least six years of experience, you can shift your G.I. Bill benefits to your spouse or children if you commit to at least four additional years of service.

You can enroll online at www.gibill.va.gov or call (888) 501-5221 to learn how you can make the most of your new benefits. Your educational options just got better -- enroll in a certificate program without paying anything, plus receive additional benefits.

*Restrictions apply

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Posted by Heather Brunson @ 3:28 PM • 0 comments

Vocational Rehabilitation for Veterans

Monday, May 11, 2009

When we think of war veterans, many people picture graying old men who fought in Europe during World War II or in Korea. Yet nowadays we must remember that there are thousands of young men and women in America who are veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These younger veterans often have service-related injuries that hamper their efforts to find and hold good-paying jobs. To help these men and women, the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) offers veterans a vocational rehabilitation program known as Chapter 31.

What services does the DVA provide for this special group of veterans?

  • Rehabilitation evaluation to assess a person's skills
  • Counseling and rehabilitation planning
  • Job finding skills like resume help and interviewing
  • Help finding and keeping a job, including the use of special employer incentives
  • On-the-Job Training (OJT) and apprenticeships
  • Post-secondary training at a college, vocational, technical or business school
  • Case management, counseling and referral services


Who can take advantage of this program?

    The veteran must have:
  • an honorable discharge
  • a service-connected disability rating of at least 10%
  • completed an application for the program

The DVA then sets up appointments with vocational rehabilitation counselors who will interview the veteran and determine whether the veteran can receive services. The counselors will look at the veteran's disabilities and consider how they will impact the person's skill set.

Once the DVA has a good handle on a veteran's situation, they will set up a rehabilitation plan which will lay out a strategy for getting that individual retrained, if necessary, and ready to secure a new position.

If veterans need career retraining, one option that counselors and veterans can look at is online vocational schools with vocational rehabilitation training programs. A veteran can enroll in an online program and train for a career as a real estate agent, medical coder or a pharmacy technician, for example, and all from the comfort of their home with 100% online courses.

This distance education option often solves a lot of problems for veterans like commuting to a campus, securing reliable transportation, as well as finding babysitters or family friends who can help with children. 100% online career training is a great way for veterans to retrain and prepare themselves for a new career.

Online schools normally offer student support representatives that veterans can call during business hours if they have any questions about their course or are experiencing any technical difficulties.

When looking at online vocational rehabilitation schools, veterans and their counselors should make sure that the school is nationally accredited by an accrediting body such as the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

Veterans should also speak with a school's admissions representative and ask how long the school has been in business, and whether they accept state or federal vocational rehabilitation training vouchers.

And of course there is nothing like "word-of-mouth" information; veterans should ask fellow disabled veterans for a school recommendation – there's nothing like an endorsement from someone you trust!

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Posted by Allied Blogger Admin @ 2:18 PM • 0 comments