GI Bill and Military Education

NATIONAL GUARD BENEFITS
Education Options for Colleges and Technical Schools

There is more than one way to use your GI Bill benefits when you are a Reserve or National Guard servicemember - including a little known option called the GI Bill On-The-Job Training and Apprentice Program (OJT).

GI Bill OJT is designed to supplement the income of veterans, Reserve or National Guard servicemembers while they are training for a new job.

First, consider the Montgomery GI Bill SR, available to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserves, as well as the Army National Guard and the Air Guard, to support your higher education and certification goals.

Activated Reserve and Guard servicemembers also have two other GI Bill options:

Reserve and National Guard servicemembers who serve continuously for 24 or more months on active duty have the option to pay into the GI Bill for Active Duty.

The Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) provides activated Reserve and Guard members up to 80 percent of the GI Bill for Active Duty.

As Selective Reserve or National Guard, you are eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (SR) if you:

• Agree to a six-year term in the Selected Reserve or Guard signed after June 30, 1985. As an officer, you must have agreed to six years in addition to your original obligation.
• Complete your initial active duty for training (IADT).
• Receive a high school diploma or equivalency certificate before completing IADT.
• Remain in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit.

Your GI Bill can be used to pay for many different programs including college; business, technical or vocational courses; distance or online education; certification tests, flight training, and - for veterans, National Guard and Reserve servicemembers only - the GI Bill On-The-Job Training and Apprenticeship Program (OJT) can help to support you during job training.

If you qualify for the GI Bill and you have started a new job or apprenticeship program, you may also be eligible for the unique benefits of the little known GI Bill On-The-Job Training and Apprenticeship Program (OJT). If you are a veteran or currently in the Guard or Reserve, the GI Bill On-The-Job Training Program offers you an alternative way to use your GI Bill education and training benefits.

With GI Bill On-The-Job Training, veterans, National Guard or Reserve servicemembers training for a new job can receive monthly training benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in addition to your regular salary.

Your employer may be private, local or state government.

Your GI Bill On-The-Job Training Program (OJT) benefits can add up quickly; consider that you can receive up to $237.75 tax-free, on top of your regular salary. Participants are paid on a scale based on the length of time in the program:

$237.75/month - first six months of training

$174.35/month - second six months of training

$110.95 /month - remaining training

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR GI BILL ON-THE-JOB TRAINING (OJT) PROGRAM BENEFITS?

• Your job must require at least six months training to become fully trained
• You must be supervised at least 50 percent of the time
• You must be a full-time paid employee - not on commission
• Your training must be documented and reported
• You cannot have previous experience job in this field
• Your job training must lead to an entry-level position
• You must be recently hired (within one to two years)

You may be eligible for OJT if you are eligible for the GI Bill either under the Active Duty or Reserve GI Bill programs and you are no longer on active duty; you were recently hired of promoted; you left active duty less than 10 years ago; or you are currently serving in the National Guard or Selected Reserve.

In some cases, the VA will even pay retroactively for OJT from the past 12 months. Worth looking into, to get that little extra support you deserve.