Financial Aid for Military Family Members and Dependents

Scholarships, Grants & Tuition Assistance for Service Members to Attend School

In 2014, more than 800,000 veterans used their Post 9/11 GI Bill® to further their post-secondary educations, which is a 67 percent increase from 2009. The rapid rise in enrollment is evidence in the value service members place on education. For many, it's the single best way to increase the post-military quality of life. Sometimes, however, GI Benefits aren't enough to fully cover the cost a degree. Depending on the amount of shortfall, it can strain a family's budget to pay the difference. This guide delves deeply into the financial aid programs available to veterans, spouses and dependents. We've included information on the GI Bill®, scholarships and grants, along with some important programs you may not know about. You'll also find links to financial aid sources for veterans, dependents and students in general.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA). More information about educational benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Financial Aid for Military Dependents

According to a Pew Research study analyzing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the income gap for workers between the ages of 25 to 32 with just a high school diploma and a those with a college degree is widening. Currently, it's $17,500 more annually for the college degree holder. Over the course of a 30-year career, that's at least an additional $525,000. That additional money increases the quality of life for both individuals and their families.

Money from the GI Bill can help cover education costs, but it has its limits. For example, the Post 9/11 GI Bill only pays up to $21,970.46 per year to attend a private school, but some colleges charge that per semester. To help cover the shortfall, many students turn to various financial aid sources available to them based on their eligibility of being a military family member. Below are five such grants. Links to each one are included for more information, such as application procedures and deadlines.

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

Students who had a parent die while serving in the military in Iraq or Afghanistan after 9/11 and are not eligible for a Federal Pell grant based on Expected Family Contribution amount may be eligible for a grant worth up to $5,815. Recipients must be under the age of 24 or were enrolled in college at the time of the parents passing.

Air Force Aid Society Education Grant

Based on need, selected recipients can receive grants ranging from $500 to $4,000. Eligibility is based in part on being a dependent under the age of 24 at the time of starting school. For this grant, a dependent is defined as a son, daughter or spouse of a military member serving on active duty, Title 10 AGR Reserve, Title 32 full-time AGR, retired, or deceased, who is in school full-time and pursuing undergraduate studies.

Scholarships for Military Children

Funded through the Defense Commissary Agency, this scholarship has provided over $15 million dollars in its 16 years of existence to eligible dependents. For the 2017/2018 school year, 700 scholarships of $2,000 each will be awarded. To apply students must be enrolled full-time in at least a two-year school and maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Eligibility of family members are restricted to sons and daughters of active duty, Selected Reservists and retirees.

The Air Force Sergeants Association

Through their scholarship programs, awards from $500 to $3,000 are made annually to sons or daughters of Total Air Force enlisted members (active duty, Air National Guard or Reserve, retired/veteran) pursuing an undergraduate degree at an accredited post-secondary school.

MyCAA

Spouses of lower-graded military members, including active duty, National Guard and Reserves and even spouses themselves on Title 10 orders) can get up to $4,000 to pursue licenses, certificates, certifications, or associate degrees in certain high-demand portable career fields and occupations. Eligibility is limited to spouses of service members in the following grades:

• Enlisted E-1 to E-5.
• Warrant Officer W1 to W2
• Commissioned Officer O1 to O2

Training must be completed no later than three years from starting the program.

Bridging the Gap: Scholarships for Veterans

The GI Bill benefits available today are the most generous they have been since the program started back in 1944 with the signing of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act. But as good as they are, sometimes they are not still enough to pay today's education costs.

Entitlement usually equates to one month of school benefit for each month of service, up to 36 months (in most cases; having two GI Bills can increase that amount). If used wisely, that is enough for four nine-month academic years or enough to get a four-year degree. However, if a student veteran plans on pursuing an advanced degree, there may not be any GI Bill benefits left to use.

Another limitation is the time to use benefits. Many veterans coming off active duty today want to wait a bit before going to school. One year runs into two, two into three, and before long, the 15-year limitation on the Post 9/11 GI Bill or 10 years on the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) have passed and benefits are no longer available to use.

Furthermore, even when using GI Bill benefits, not all costs are necessarily covered. With the MGIB, a student can get up to, $1,857 per month, but has to pay tuition, fees, books and living expenses; under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, tuition may be paid in full if attending a public school, but not if going to a private or foreign school. In the latter case, either the student must pay the difference, or rely on other sources of financial assistance. For some, a feature of the Post 9/11 GI Bill called the Yellow Ribbon program can help make up the difference, but some schools do not offer the program, and the ones that do often have limited slots they can fill. In many cases, the demand far outweighs the supply. Eligible students not selected are left to their own resources to meet their financial obligations.

Scholarships, Grants & Tuition Assistance

If veterans or their dependents want to go to school, there is money available for them to do so. Scholarships and grants do not have to be paid back, so using them cuts down on student debt. Below are some sample sources of money for school listed in five different categories.

• Collapse All
• Expand All

General

This category of financial assistance is not specific to any one group. General sources of financial aid are abundant and easily found. Listed below are some rather unique ones not readily found in the other categories listed in this guide.

Google SVA Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: Google

• Amount:Up to $10,000

• Application Deadline: usually the first Friday in November

Honorably discharged veterans going to school and majoring in computer science are eligible to apply. Selected students also receive invites to attend Google's Scholar Retreat during the summer.

ICC Military Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: International Culinary Center

• Amount:Up to $7,052

• Application Deadline: varies

oFor veterans wanting to pursue a career in the culinary arts. When combined with the Post 9/11 GI Bill and Pell Grant, the out-of-pocket cost to most eligible veteran students is $0.00.

Richie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)

• Amount:Up to $10,000

• Application Deadline: January 17th

Eligibility is open to students showing an interest in pursuing a career in fraud examination. Award is paid directly to the student's school and includes a one-year membership to the ACFE Student Associate Membership Program.

Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: VFW

• Amount:Up to $5,000 per scholarship limited to one per family per semester

• Application Deadline: April 30th for the fall semester with the award in August; November 15th for the spring semester with the award in January.

Scholarship money awarded is paid directly to the school and can only be applied toward tuition and fees.

The Sergeant Major Douglas R. Drum Collegiate Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: VFW

• Amount:Up to $5,000 per scholarship limited to one per family per semester

• Application Deadline: April 30th for the fall semester with the award in August; November 15th for the spring semester with the award in January.

Scholarship money awarded is paid directly to the school and can only be applied toward tuition and fees.

Women

Women are a force within the force. As a result, some scholarship programs apply only to them, such as the two listed below.

Legacy Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: Army Women's Foundation

• Amount:Up to $2,500

• Application Deadline: January 15th

Scholarship amounts vary per the type of program pursued. Students enrolled in community college and non-degree programs can be awarded up to $1,000; four-year or graduate programs at colleges and universities can get up to $2,500. Women must have served or currently serving in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve or Army National Guard.

Spouse Career Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: National Military Family Association

• Amount:Awards are between $500 and $2,500 depending on what type of training pursued.

• Application Deadline: The next open application period will be May 1st through June 30th.

Applicants must have a valid military ID, married to a military member, active, reserve, retired or fallen. Spouse may also be a serving military member.

Disabled

Veterans in this category deserve all the financial help they can get so they can get trained in a skill commensurate with their limitations. Many different scholarships and grants are available, including the ones listed below.

De Anza College Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: De Anza College

• Amount:$2,000

• Application Deadline: n/a

Applicant must be disabled from an injury sustained while serving in a combat zone. Award is based on financial need. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 and carry a minimum of 6 credits per quarter.

War Veterans Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA)

• Amount:Up to $2,500

• Application Deadline: April 15th

Disabled veterans or active duty personnel that served in Iraq or Afghanistan 2003 to present may apply for merit-based scholarships to pursue an undergraduate degree in one of the STEM programs. Money is paid directly to the school and may be applied toward tuition, fees, books and labs.

Dependents

While many dependents have received transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits from their military member sponsor, they often do not cover all the expenses each year or are enough to complete a degree. Fortunately, there are dozens of different forms of education money available. Below are some examples.

American Legion Legacy Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: American Legion

• Amount:Up to $20,000 per year based on financial need

• Application Deadline: April 20th

In 2016, 31 scholarships, averaging $1,612 per awardee, were given out. Eligibility is limited to children of fallen service members dying after September 11, 2001 or children of post 9/11 veterans who are rated at least 50% disabled by the VA.

AMVET Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: American Veterans

• Amount:Up to a $4,000 award available to current high school seniors who are either children or grandchildren of veterans and active duty personnel.

• Application Deadline: is May 1st

Money is awarded based on financial need, merit and academic promise, and may be used for part-time or full-time education programs at accredited schools.

Fry Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: Department of Veterans Affairs

• Amount:Up to $21,970.46 per year (private school) or 100% tuition at public school.

• Application Deadline: Benefits must be used by age 23 for children and 15 years from date of the servicemember's death for spouses

Mirrored to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, it provides up to 36 months of paid education benefits consisting of tuition, monthly housing allowance and annual book stipend. Available to children and surviving spouses of service members killed in the line of duty after September 10, 2001.

ThanksUSA Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: ThanksUSA

• Amount:On average, $3,000

• Application Deadline: is May 15th

Their mission is to provide college, technical and vocational school scholarships on a need basis to the children and spouses of U.S. military personnel. Since 2006, this private program funded primarily through donations has awarded 4,000 scholarships worth $12 million.

Veterans United Foundation Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: Veterans United Foundation

• Amount:Up to $20,000 each award with up to five given out each year

• Application Deadline: Application can begin on September 28th and will close once the number of applicants agreed upon this year is reached, but no later than October 18th.

To apply for this scholarship, applicants must be either a surviving spouse or child of a deceased military veteran. The applicant must also either be currently enrolled in an associate's degree program or higher, or planning to enroll by the spring semester in the academic year in which the award is granted.

Specific Branches

The military tends to take care of their people. As to be expected, many of the branches either directly or through one of their member associations, offer scholarships to their own. Here are some of the more popular military-specific ones offered.

Army Nurse Corps Association

• Sponsoring Organization: Army

• Amount:Up to $3,000

• Application Deadline: is March 31st

Students must be enrolled in a four-year program in nursing and either be a serving member or have previously served in the Army: active, Reserve or National Guard. The student must not be receiving education benefits funded by a component of the Army, including GI Bill and ROTC benefits.

Coast Guard Foundation Scholarships

• Sponsoring Organization: Coast Guard

• Amount:Up to $5,000

• Application Deadline: is April 15th

Open to any Team Coast Guard member active or retired and dependents including Civil Service, Exchange and MWR personnel working for the Coast Guard.

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation

• Sponsoring Organization: Marine Corps

• Amount:Up to $10,000 per year (for up to four years)

• Application Deadline: not stated

There are two Hero Tribute Scholarships; one for Children of the Fallen and another for the Children of the Wounded. Under the first one, the child may receive up to $7,500 each year for four years if they had a parent killed as a result of a terrorist or combat operation during specific time frames as noted on their website. For the second one, scholarships can range from $1,500 to $10,000 per year for up to four years if the parent was wounded or retired as result of a service-connected injury. Eligibility includes both the Marines and Navy Corpsman.

Navy College Fund

• Sponsoring Organization: U.S. Navy

• Amount:Up to $20,000 when enlisting into job having a particular skill or need.

• Application Deadline: to use is the same as for GI Bills.

Known as a “kicker,” the total amount is divided equally between 36 months of school and that amount is attached to the GI Bill payment, thus increasing the total amount received each month.

RCG Academic Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: Air Force

• Amount:Up to $500

• Application Deadline: is May 31st

oThe RCG Academic Scholarship is open to dependents of enlisted Air Force personnel stationed or retired in the Robins Air Force Base area.

Women's Marine Association Scholarship

• Sponsoring Organization: Women's Marine Association (WMA)

• Amount:Up to $3,000

• Application Deadline: is February 28th

Applicants must be first sponsored by a WMA member. Applicant must have served in the Marine Corp or its Reserve, be a dependent child of an honorably discharged Marine, or have been a Marine Corps JROTC program participant.

The Path to College for Most Veterans Starts with the GI Bill

The various GI Bills throughout the years have been a boon to both military members using their benefits while serving, veterans after getting out, or spouses and dependent children using transferred benefit of the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Benefits are limited in scope and vary by time served.

• For example, serving 90 days on an active duty order establishes minimum eligibility of 40 percent.
• Additional time increases eligibility incrementally by 10 percent for each six-month period of service, finally topping out at 36 months of eligibility after serving three years.
• Benefits must be used no later than 15 years from date of discharge and are normally used to pay for attendance at a vocational or public/private post-secondary school.

Post 9/11 GI Bill

Most military members who meet the following criteria have education benefits they can use to go to school:

• Enlisted after September 10, 2001 and were still serving at the time this GI Bill was enacted on August 1, 2009, or
• Have a service-connected disability having served a minimum of 30 consecutive days

Known as the “New GI Bill,” the Post 9/11 GI Bill can also pay for training leading to certificates, licenses, certifications, or even some flight training, in addition to several other forms of training.

The pay structure of the Post 9/11 GI Bill sets it apart from other GI Bills.

• With 100 percent eligibility, the VA pays tuition and authorized fees in full when attending a public school, or up to $2I,970.46 per year for attendance at either a private or foreign school.
• While in school, students receive a monthly housing allowance based on the school's zip code and number of credits taken.
• Up to $1,000 per year in book stipend money helps defray the cost of books and supplies. The actual amount is determined by the number of credits taken and is paid to the student at the beginning of each enrolled semester.
• Tuition, fees, housing allowance and the book stipend are all subject to pro-rated reductions based on eligibility percentage for students with less than 100 percent eligibility.
• To apply, fill out VA Form 22-1990 from the eBenefits website.

Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP)

This feature of the Post 9/11 GI Bill can be beneficial for students attending private school where tuition exceeds what their Post 9/11 GI Bill can pay. Under the YRP agreement between the VA and respective school, the school declares how much of the difference they will pay; the amount can go as high as 50 percent.

In turn, the VA agrees to pay an equal amount, on top of the tuition and fees it already pays, thus potentially reducing the student's out-of-pocket costs to zero. However, if the percentage in the agreement is less than 50 percent, the VA ends up paying less, leaving an unpaid amount that becomes the responsibility of the student to pay. Students must use the Post 9/11 GI Bill to use the Yellow Ribbon Program feature. However, not all schools have YRP agreements with the VA and those that do often have limited slots available. Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)

Named after the U.S. Representative from Mississippi, Gillespie “Sonny” Montgomery, this was the main GI Bill most veterans had coming off active duty between 1984 and 2009. Some veterans are still using it today.

Since 2009, many veterans have both the MGIB and the Post 9/11 GI Bill. When used sequentially (MGIB first and Post 9/11 GI Bill next), they can increase entitlement from 36 months to 48. What many people don't know, and what causes some confusion, is there are actually two MGIBs – the MGIB-AD for active duty personnel and the MGIB-SR for Selected Reservist, which includes the National Guard and the different Reserves of the Armed Forces.

Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

• When enlisting, active duty personnel had to “buy” their Chapter 30 GI Bill if they wanted it. If they did not decline it, then $100 per month for the first 12 months was taken out of their pay check as a “contribution fee.”
• This entitled service members serving three years or more to 36 months of entitlement they could use either while still serving or after they got out.
• The current rate of pay for a full-time student is $1,857 per month. Unlike the Post 9/11 GI Bill, students are responsible to pay their own tuition, fees, books and other education-related expenses from this once-a-month payment.
• Entitlement expires on the date of discharge of the 10th year, and the application is the same as it is for the Post 9/11 GI Bill – VA Form 22-1990.

Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

While this GI Bill Chapter 1606 MGIB-SR shares its name with the Chapter 30 MGIB-AD, that is about all they have in common; otherwise they are as different as night and day.

• For personnel serving in the Selected Reserve, eligibility is established with a six-year enlistment. They can start using their GI Bill after receiving their Notice of Basic Eligibility DD Form 2384-1.
• Unlike the MGIB-AD, it does not require a contribution fee, but also does not have any residual benefits after 10 years of service or upon discharge. It does provide up to 36 months of entitlement to eligible personnel, but the pay structure is quite paltry in comparison to its sibling - $369 per month as a full-time student.

While the pay structure has nowhere kept pace with education increases in tuition, many Selected Reservists who have been mobilized are also eligible for some coverage under the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

• For example, most one-year deployments authorize 60 percent eligibility. This means tuition, fees, housing allowance and book stipend would be paid at 60 percent instead of 100% percent.
• The remaining 40% would be the responsibility of the student which is where other forms of financial assistance can be beneficial.
• As with the other GI Bills, VA Form 22-1990 must be submitted to start using it.

Fast Snapshot Comparison

GI Bill	MGIB-AD	MGIB-SR	Post 9/11
Duration (in years)	10	10	15
Entitlement (in months)	36	36	36
Cost	$1,200	$0	$0
Monthly Payment	$1,857	$369*	$3,852**
Transferrable	No	No	Yes

NOTE:

* - May be used in conjunction with Federal Tuition Assistance, MGIB-AD and State provided education benefits, if any.

** - Amount is not exact as it varies if the school is public or private, the number of credits takes, and zip code of the school Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)

Because REAP was a forerunner to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, many of its benefits are the same. The whole purpose of REAP was to give Selected Reservists mobilized after September 10, 2001 some additional education benefits in a pre-Post 9/11 GI Bill world.

REAP is changing due to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016. Because veterans with REAP/Chapter 1607 GI Bill usually have similar coverage under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, eligibility was terminated for veterans not using the benefit by November 25, 2015. However, they may convert any remaining coverage over to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, if eligible. Veterans using REAP on the November date may continue to do so until November 25, 2019. Any remaining entitlement at that time will then convert to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Application is the same as for the other GI Bills.

Payment under REAP is based on the amount of time served.

For veterans serving at least 90 days of consecutive service but less than one year, payment is $742.80 per month; one year of service, but less than two pays up to $1,114.20; two or more consecutive years of service increases it to $1,485.60 per month.

Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP)

Prior to the Montgomery GI Bill coming out in 1984, most service members left the military with this GI Bill. Because the MGIB provided more benefits, veterans were given several “windows of opportunity” to convert, with the last one closing in 2001. Since the MGIB only has a 10-year “shelf life”, any remaining unused entitlement of those that converted expired in 2011; veterans who did not convert during the last window lost any remaining entitlement, however they may request a refund of their contribution by submitting VA Form 22-5581-ARE.

Top-Up Program

Officially known as the Tuition Assistance Top-Up program, or just Top-Up, this education financial aid program applies only to personnel on active duty and has no residual entitlement after getting out. The program is a combination of Tuition Assistance (TA) and the GI Bill. Because TA has a per credit and yearly cap in most of the active duty military branches, Top-Up is a secondary program that can be used to pay the difference between what TA pays and the school charges, or use it to continue taking classes if reaching the TA yearly cap early in the academic year. Using Top-Up does reduce the amount of remaining GI Bill entitlement.

Coordinate for TA and Top-Up from the Base or Post Education Office. Complete VA Form 22-1990 indicating “Top-Up” in Item 1A. Send in TA approval form and VA Form 22-1990 to the VA Regional Office in charge of your area. Should Veterans fill out the FAFSA?

In most cases, yes and here is why. Most non-military related financial aid assistance requests start with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The results show what financial aid a student is authorized to receive based on the information in the application. However, in the case of also receiving GI Bill payments, it can get confusing as whether that money needs to be declared on the application or not.

Because GI Bill money is treated as a resource and not income, as far as Federal Aid is concerned, it should not be reported as income on Worksheet B in most cases. However other non-education veteran's benefits (such as disability) should be reported as untaxed income. Reporting veterans benefits wrong can end up reducing the amount of financial aid authorized. Veterans interested in online education, such as those pursuing an online bachelor's degree or considering an online master's program, should also fill out the FAFSA in most cases.

More Help for Veterans Attending College

HEROES Act of 2003

The Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act of 2003 was signed into public law with the mission of ensuring military members are not penalized, or adversely affected in any way, because of their military service. The three classes of students covered under the Act include:

• Military personnel on active duty during a war, military operation or national emergency, to include selected reservists activated for a period of more than 30 consecutive days.
• People who live or work in an area declared as a disaster area by any federal, state or local official or agency.
• People who suffer economic hardship because of a declared disaster by the president.

If affected by one of the above situations, students should notify their school and holders of their student loans. Once verified, one or more waivers can be issued that could range from changing the formula resulting in the amount of student aid granted, to extending out the time to pay back student loans, to granting relief in other financial aid situations too numerous to mention here.DANTES

The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) helps service members and veterans pursue their educational goals and earn degrees or certifications both during and after their service. The way the program works is eligible members can take end-of-course college exams without having to endure taking the course. The exams are usually for introductory-type first or second year college classes.

Passing a test awards the same college credits as taking and passing the course. Not only does using DANTES save time to a degree, but it conserves GI Bill entitlement that can be used later, toward an advanced degree.

There are three different DANTES test categories:

• College Level Exam Program (CLEP) – Of the three, CLEP tests are the most popular. There are 33 typical freshman-level exams in five subject areas: composition and literature, world languages, history and social sciences, science and mathematics and business.
• Excelsior College Exams (ECE) – For service members having experience in healthcare or teaching, ECE tests are a good choice as they are more focused in those two areas. The 55 exams fall into six categories: business and technology, education, humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, nursing and social sciences and history.
• DANTES Subject Specialized Tests (DSSTs) – These 36 tests are divided into the following six categories: business, humanities, math, physical science, social science, and technology.

Most DANTES tests take around 90 minutes to complete. With each exam awarding on average three credits, taking 33 CLEP tests alone could earn 123 credits. However, be sure to check the school's policy on transferring in credits as most would not accept that many on a transcript. But by combining DANTES and the ACE conversion credits awarded for military service, veterans could be well on their way to a degree. The power of DANTES is great, yet highly under-utilized.

U.S. Military Education Centers

Military Education Centers found on most posts and bases are an asset worth their weight in gold. From helping fill career and education needs while serving, to planning and assisting with transition to the civilian world when getting out, they are a broad-spectrum education resource. While most Education Centers fill basic education and transitional needs, each military branch work a little differently and because of this difference, additional services provided are highlighted below.

• Counselors working in the Army Education Centers advise and help plan soldiers education and career goals; part of their job entails processing applications for Tuition Assistance and Top-Up.
• The Navy Education and Training Command's motto “Right Sailor … Right Time … Right Place” helps develop sailors professionally so they end up in the right job based on their interest and aptitude.
• Based out of Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas, Air Education and Training Command's mission is to take recruits and mold them into functioning airmen by teaching them the culture, core values, excellence and service-before-self within the Air Force community.
• The Training and Education Command of the Marines (TECOM) ensures their training programs prepare Marines to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, wherever those challenges end up being in the world.
• Education Service Officers at Coast Guard Education Services helps personnel with college education choices, processes Tuition Assistance and Supplemental Education Grant applications, administer various Coast Guard examinations and apply to use the GI Bill.