Educate yourself on VA’s back to school benefits: VetXL roundup

Learning the mix of public and private-sector education and training benefits available to you means digging into an alphabet soup of programs, some with complex eligibility rules.

On Aug. 27, we broke some of these down for you during our most recent Veterans Experience Live event, “Back to School: Live Q&A with community partners.” Viewed by an audience of more than 100,000, the session featured representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Easterseals, Service to School, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and others. Officials answered your questions and highlighted ways to advance your education and skills, often at no cost.

(Read our previous VetXL event roundup here: (https://rly.pt/3j1GO2i)

Here are some of the resources mentioned, with links to more information:

Agriculture. Did you know USDA hired nearly 2,000 veterans last year? LCDR Bill Ashton, acting division director for Strategic Initiatives and Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison at USDA, invited you to check out the many resources available at USDA in employment, education and entrepreneurship. In addition to careers, USDA offers training and apprenticeships in farming, direct assistance to farming start-ups and extension programs that support veteran-owned small businesses. Info: https://rly.pt/3mMe3c1.

Easterseals Veteran Staffing Network (VSN). Easterseals VSN is another resource to tap once you’re trained and ready to enter the job market. Easterseals VSN links veterans and military spouses to employers just as a staffing agency would. Jobs run the gamut — temporary-to-permanent, contract and direct hire. Easterseals has other resources for veterans, including job training to help you leave homelessness. Info: https://rly.pt/3iZplaA.

Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Scholarships. Interested in nine more months of post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and a high-demand technology career? If you plan to study STEM as an undergraduate or earn a graduate teaching certificate in STEM, you may qualify for a Rogers STEM scholarship of up to $30,000. Info: https://rly.pt/3hU42WI.

GI Bill. Most of you know about the GI Bill, both its promise and its limitations — the main one being the restriction for veterans in transferring benefits. However, scan the question-and-answer session for a variety of tips about this program, including when the 15-year benefit usage rule kicks in and other programs you can use if you’re not longer eligible for the GI Bill, such as VA’s Veterans Readiness and Employment program or Veterans Upward Bound (see below). Info: https://rly.pt/33XCwCM.

Onward to Opportunity (O20). The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University provides an array of career-focused training programs if you’re a veteran, transitioning service member or active duty military spouse. One such program is O2O, which offers free career skills training in high-demand careers such as business management, customer service excellence and information technology, including cloud practitioner and SAS certifications. Training is tailored to meet the needs of employers ready to hire. Info: https://rly.pt/3i7lFTa.

Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC). This popular pilot program, currently accepting applications for programs that begin after Oct. 1, 2020, is for those of you who have at least one day of unexpired GI Bill benefits and want to get a certification in the IT field. VET TEC pays for tuition and housing in a VA-approved high-tech training program in computer software, programming, data processing, information science and media applications. If you take the online program, you receive half the housing stipend. Info: https://rly.pt/3j3YF8A.

Veterans Upward Bound (VUB). In response to a question from Cpl Kevin Adams, who asked about educational resources as a veteran who is homeless and in transitional housing, MSgt Jennifer Lemon suggested VUB. Lemon, a Veteran Education Outreach Specialist at STRIPES-VUB, said local area VUBs are part of the federal Education Department TRIO program. They offer free higher education benefits if you meet service and other eligibility requirements (e.g., are low income and a first generation college student). She noted that there are 70 such programs around the nation. “Typically,” she said, “a university will host the grant but the veteran can attend any school, program, or location and still receive assistance.” Info: https://rly.pt/363pgPF.

Confused by it all? Not to worry, said CPT Christine Schwartz, chief executive officer of Service to School. Her organization offers you free mentorship in the process of applying to college or graduate school. Get personal feedback, guidebooks and free and virtual resources. Info: https://rly.pt/3crBW3O.

Learn more

Check out the full session here: https://rly.pt/3lpfQTJ