What VA benefits are available to help pay for a graduate degree (already used Post 9/11 GI bill for undergraduate degree)?

2016-05-09T14:01:12-04:00

I am used the Post 9/11 GI Bill to pay for a BS in Business Administration. I'm looking at getting an MS in IT-Applications Development. I'm wondering if there are any benefits available from the VA after exhausting the Post 9/11 GI Bill available to me. Or any grants and/or scholarships I should investigate.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 9 at 2016 2:05 PM

2016-05-09T14:05:08-04:00

http://www.veterantraining.va.gov/
http://vets.syr.edu/education/employment-programs/
http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/veterans.htm
http://www.scholarshipsandgrants.us/veterans-scholarships/
https://jtspratley.com/blog/scholarships-that-could-help-you-today
https://jtspratley.com/blog/from-the-military-to-college

Veteran Training Home

This new VA website is designed to provide easy access to training courses that can help you to learn new skills to manage stress and improve problem-solving. These courses are open to all Veterans the public, not just to VA patients. And you don’t need to register or provide any identifying information to take them.

Response by CPT John Sheridan made May 9 at 2016 2:39 PM

2016-05-09T14:39:36-04:00

I looked at your profile and it looks like you are in Sacramento. Check with the California Department of Veterans Affairs http://www.calvet.ca.gov. They have an office at 2007 19th St, Sacramento, CA, 95818. I don't know California, but in my state there were benefits unique to the state and they had easily accessible counsellors who could walk you through things.

Beyond that, if you are currently employed, check with your HR department. Some companies provide tuition reimbursement up to $5,250 per years.

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Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made May 10 at 2016 12:07 AM

2016-05-10T00:07:55-04:00

Look at new online MBA prog of Univ of the people http://www.uopeople.edu apparently tuition free other than purely admin and or exam costs. Also, http://www.excelsior.edu used to be part of NY state govt split off privatized very svc mbr and or vet friendly I got a 2nd Bach math from them while part of NY state a friend got a Bach math then went to an OCS using it so I know they're very real, promise, hope was of use, be most eager for any thoughts honest , hope it helps . uopeople just got accred by DETC formerly NHSC use Google you'll see good deal of info on it promise I just don't know how viewed yet by svcs VA and or industry though still seems worthwhile being a nonprofit at aprntly little cost for their programs I gather.

UoPeople - The world's first tuition-free online university

Welcome to the world’s first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited, online, American university. Follow your dreams. Your career starts here.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made May 10 at 2016 12:09 AM

2016-05-10T00:09:26-04:00

Also uopeople has Assoc and Bach inmcomp sci and bus admin I think they're going to have other majors just don't know for sure which or when, honest.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made May 10 at 2016 12:10 AM

2016-05-10T00:10:23-04:00

For so little cost, you have nothing to lose asking VA if they might accept them you know ?

Response by SGT Adam Pankow made May 10 at 2016 6:21 AM

2016-05-10T06:21:06-04:00

Have you looked at Western Governors University? They are a competency based, well reviewed, non-profit university, so if you already know it you can test out, and their costs are quite low. They may have some programs available to further reduce costs, and you can always go for federal grants and/or loans, as well as apply for scholarships. I have many co-workers attending right now, in addition to myself, and we all have nothing but great things to say about it. Check it out and if it interests you then let me know, I get a gift for referring you, and you get the $65 application fee waived.

Response by SPC William Hinesley made May 10 at 2016 8:58 AM

2016-05-10T08:58:30-04:00

Your post doesnt say what state you are from but as a Vet from Texas we have the Hazelwood program that cover 150 hours of college be it pre or post graduate work. Alot of states have similar programs. Your VA rep at the school of your choice should have info on all of these programs

Response by Cpl Javier Enriquez made May 10 at 2016 9:13 AM

2016-05-10T09:13:15-04:00

Shoot me an email @ [login to see]

Response by SMSgt Steve Neal made May 10 at 2016 9:13 AM

2016-05-10T09:13:48-04:00

Yes, I used my Post 9/11 GI Bill nearly all the way up last year to complete my MAS through Embry-Riddle. I looked into pilot ground-school training and other vocational training, but never took the time to apply. Various VA funded flight training courses required I already have a pilot's license, so those were a non-starter for me...

Everyone eligible out there should use their VA benefits NOW, rather than wait until they are cut-off by federal budget adjustments. Remember, YOU and your dedicated service to our nation are just "numbers" to those elected officials trying to stay in office...

Response by SFC Jim Smith made May 10 at 2016 9:13 AM

2016-05-10T09:13:54-04:00

SSgt Briggs,
If you have a disability rating of 30% or more you can qualify for the VA rehabilitation program. They will pay 100% of your college tuition and books. That is the only program that I am aware of.

Response by SFC Dr. Fred Lockard made May 10 at 2016 9:14 AM

2016-05-10T09:14:00-04:00

The only possible way the VA can help, as far as I know, is if you can show that your disabilities (assuming you are a rated vet) impact your ability to work given your current level of education, and that you would thus need a higher level degree in order to find/keep suitable employment. Then you may be able to request/use Chap 31 Voc Rehab benefits. I used Voc Rehab to get a Masters Degree but, I did not use any other benefits prior to that. I am not sure you can use voc rehab and Post 9/11 consecutively. But you can apply and the worst thing that can happen is you get denied.

Response by SSgt Melissa Gaitan made May 10 at 2016 9:26 AM

2016-05-10T09:26:34-04:00

You can apply for vocational rehab via ebenefits website. Depending on what state your living in depends on the grants and scholarships available to you. Texas has some great programs available.

Response by SGT James Colbert made May 10 at 2016 9:33 AM

2016-05-10T09:33:07-04:00

iff you have service connected disability, you could apply for vocational rehabilitation, which pays you bah for going to school. it paid for my two degreesa

Response by LTC Mo Vanderslice made May 10 at 2016 9:39 AM

2016-05-10T09:39:21-04:00

Check with you state for any more veterans education benefit. For veterans entering or leaving the service in Texas, with TX as their home of record, are entitled to 4 years of free education at any state level university physically located within the state. This benefit can be deferred by the veteran to their spouse or kids. Other states have similar educational benefits.

Response by Cpl Jed Hefner made May 10 at 2016 9:51 AM

2016-05-10T09:51:08-04:00

SSgt Briggs,

Beyond the VA, its true that there are not many scholarship programs that accept post-graduate students. But there are some specific programs that benefit veterans.

When I went back to school for my MBA, I was honored to be selected by the Pat Tillman Foundation as a Tillman Military Scholar in the inaugural year of the program. It is a fantastic community and the scholarship helps fill the gap of student needs beyond the GI bill.

I think applications are closed for 2016, but I would definitely recommend applying for 2017. The program is not limited to only students at the start of their studies, but can be awarded anytime and is renewable on a yearly basis until the completion of your studies.

Here is a link to find out more.
http://pattillmanfoundation.org/apply-to-be-a-scholar/
Or on Facebook @ Pat Tillman Fnd

Pat Tillman Foundation | Investing in military veterans and their spouses through educational...

Founded in 2004, the Pat Tillman Foundation invests in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships – building a diverse community of leaders committed to service to others.

Response by PFC Charles Beason made May 10 at 2016 10:35 AM

2016-05-10T10:35:52-04:00

I have not found any benefits through the VA for schooling, however I do know that Colorado Technical University offers online degrees, and they offer whats called a liberty grant to veterans and soldiers.

Response by SSG Drew Cook made May 10 at 2016 10:57 AM

2016-05-10T10:57:50-04:00

Try to finish your degree faster, that way you'll have left-over GI Bill to use for graduate school. That's what i did and it covered half of my masters degree.

Response by CPT David Lowe made May 10 at 2016 12:15 PM

2016-05-10T12:15:26-04:00

You need to speak with the Veterans Advisor at the school you want to attend. If you have exhausted you GI bill benefit, you may be eligible for for school specific grants or scholarships. Some schools offer them as a way of attracting veteran students. If you are a disabled veteran, speak with your service officer about possible opportunities through programs like VocRehab. If you do not have a service officer, contact your local VA office, or local VFW, DAV or American Legion post. Be an advocate for yourself, and press for more answers if someone says "No". Good Luck

Response by AN Donald Miller made May 10 at 2016 12:28 PM

2016-05-10T12:28:33-04:00

If you get "A's" in all your classes you should get an invitation to join an Honor Society, if you do join, before you know it you will start getting offers from colleges from around the world and they will have all sorts of scholarships being offered. When I joined started to get offers from other colleges like Kings college, Columbia, Harvard, Kings College, and more. One I received was from Poly tech in Florida, they offered all tuition paid for four years. Another one was a college in Ireland for a quarter million dollars a year. Web Application Development is my degree plan as well. Being a resident of Texas before and after military service. Hazlewood covers all expenses except for books and a small fee per credit which boils down to about seventy dollars a semester, but it must be a public school. To join Phi Theta Kappa you must have a minimum of a 3.8 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

Response by SPC Kaitlyn Novy made May 10 at 2016 12:38 PM

2016-05-10T12:38:46-04:00

Edhdjs

Response by SPC Kaitlyn Novy made May 10 at 2016 12:40 PM

2016-05-10T12:40:55-04:00

The vocationary rehab program is available to any veteran who has a disability rating of I think 20 or 30% plus and it continues from your G.I. Bill. If you have used all your benefits completely and they will pay for classes books and supplies but if you still have even a month left on your G.I. Bill then it's even better because it will continue paying bah throughout the entire program. Not only did they help you finish your program but they also pay you for six months while you're looking for a job and help you find a job after your degree

Response by SSG Robert White made May 10 at 2016 1:14 PM

2016-05-10T13:14:04-04:00

Voc Rehab. The govt changed the rules in March. You can have both. Before you could only have 48 months of education paid for by the govt.. Now you can have 36 months of the GI bill and 45 months of Voc Rehab.. The only problem is you have to sell it to the VA. There has to be a compelling reason for them to fund Grad school. One that worked for me was, in the Washington DC area, where PhD's are a dime a dozen, one has to have at a minium a Masters if not two masters degrees. So if you can get into a dual masters program that is one thing. Also, the department of Defense (if you a civilian worker) will pay for an MBA and another Masters in a dual program, but your limited to what they want and not what you want.

Response by TSgt Dan Decker made May 10 at 2016 1:23 PM

2016-05-10T13:23:44-04:00

Depends, Joshua. If you're in Texas there is a state program that pays for up to 4 years tuition and fees.

Response by TSgt Dan Decker made May 10 at 2016 1:24 PM

2016-05-10T13:24:59-04:00

I mistyped on this one originally; I don't know how to delete this response. See the one directly above this one.

Response by PFC Scott Touchette made May 10 at 2016 1:33 PM

2016-05-10T13:33:07-04:00

Contact the school first then they will let you know if there is any others. But before you do that, go to https://fafsa.ed.gov/ and try fill out the free application for school aid. That is a grant of $5500, if accepted. Most are accepted. There is a site that wants payment, DO NOT DO THAT. The application you want is free. while going to school, see if you can get into the undergraduate section. This section will pay you to go to school. That will make everything so much easier. Good Luck.

FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Apply now! Federal Student Aid has more than $150 billion available to help you pay for school.

Response by TSgt Dan Decker made May 10 at 2016 1:47 PM

2016-05-10T13:47:46-04:00

Eepends, Joshua. If you are in Texas, we have a state program that will pay an additional 4 years of college tuition and fees.

Response by LT Brian Farmer made May 10 at 2016 2:18 PM

2016-05-10T14:18:25-04:00

The VA Voc Rehab program was VERY beneficial for me. I was fortunate to have transferred to a progressive thinking counselor after a big disagreement with the first Bubba. In addition to a Masters in Education they funded a Post-Masters Certificate in Alternative energy. To get me ready for the work force they also funded three Dale Carnegie programs plus four Landmark seminars. Yes, I was a mess. I am now employed and doing well. I am the most healthy I've ever been in my life. All you need is a 10% disability rating to receive benefits. I have a coworker who applied using what's called a "Memo Rating". He used his service medical records (and Purple Heart) to show he will more likely than not have at least a 10% disability. This allows him to start the process while waiting for the official decision on his disability claim. Unfortunately, the Voc Rehab counselor you draw can determine what amount of help you will receive. My first counselor, "Victor" at the Roanoke Office was extremely unhelpful and even stated, "At your age I don't think additional education would help. Why don't we look at another program to improve your quality of life so you can enjoy your retirement." That was four years ago and now I'm feeling proud as a tax payer. I am glad I asked for a different counselor who believes that middle aged vets can learn new skills and contribute to society. (Thank you Merri in Detroit.) Voc Rehab is a fantastic program but like many things in life you must be determined and persistent.

Response by SPC David Blackman made May 10 at 2016 2:30 PM

2016-05-10T14:30:40-04:00

Maybe the Voc Rehab program.

Response by CSM Elmer Feick Jr. made May 10 at 2016 5:25 PM

2016-05-10T17:25:38-04:00

Have you checked out the VA Vocational Rehab Program??? I currently was medically retired and as part of the Med Board process, you are automatically eligible for this benefit. Call and speak with a VA Rep in your area.

Response by CSM Elmer Feick Jr. made May 10 at 2016 5:31 PM

2016-05-10T17:31:03-04:00

Have you checked out the VA Vocational Rehab Program? I was recently medically retired as a result of being Med Boarded...by this action, I was automatically eligible for this benefit...you should call your nearest VA Rep or go online to VA.gov to find out more...

Response by PO2 Michael Henry made May 10 at 2016 6:00 PM

2016-05-10T18:00:00-04:00

I have the Hazelwood Act in the state of Texas. They will cover the next 150 credit hours at any PUBLIC college/university in the state once the GI Bill is exhausted.

Response by SPC Alejandro Martinez made May 10 at 2016 8:48 PM

2016-05-10T20:48:12-04:00

If you're a native Texan, you might try the Hazelwood Act.

Response by SGT Andrew Register made May 10 at 2016 8:55 PM

2016-05-10T20:55:34-04:00

If you have a service connected disability, VOCREHAB can offer you an additional year of college beyond your GI Bill. However, they won't pay for it if you won't complete a degree within that time frame.
Additionally, they can offer tech training and/or certificate programs.
I hope this helps.

Response by SPC Alejandro Martinez made May 10 at 2016 9:15 PM

2016-05-10T21:15:20-04:00

Thank you for asking the question. These answers give me hope.

Response by SGT Tim Fridley made May 10 at 2016 10:08 PM

2016-05-10T22:08:38-04:00

Go to your local Vet Rep or Service Organization and get a VA Benefits handbook it will tell you whats available and the forms you will need

Response by SrA Juan Paredes made May 11 at 2016 6:48 AM

2016-05-11T06:48:25-04:00

http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/yellow_ribbon.asp

Yellow Ribbon Program - Education and Training

The GI Bill provides education benefits to veterans and their dependents.

Response by PFC Bruce Lawrence made May 11 at 2016 7:53 PM

2016-05-11T19:53:56-04:00

I was able to get 3 scholarships based off of my BS GPA to continue with my MSIT-PM-IS program. Most of those I found on my own, try googling MSIT program scholarships, that is what I did back in 2007 to find the ones I applied to. You might have missed some for this coming fall semester, but you will know where they are to apply in the normal January time frame for next year. We also had a Veteran run, Veterans support group on campus for the undergrads and graduate students, the ROTC commander was also a member and very involved.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2016 3:57 PM

2016-05-20T15:57:53-04:00

There is a Guy named Benjamin Krause. He is a lawyer and a smart guy. He has a web site and wrote a book on getting through the Vocational Rehab application I think it is worthwhile to subscribe to his blog and buy the book. I have no affiliation with Benjamin but used his book to get VOC REHAB for graduate work. His blog is excellent too. Hope it helps.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 30 at 2020 3:07 AM

2020-08-30T03:07:14-04:00

4 years ago but new update Aug 1st 2019

https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/fgib/stem.asp

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs

Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.