Veterans readjusting to life after combat shouldn’t have to add paying for college to their list of concerns. Online learning offers veterans a chance to continue their education while balancing outside obligations such as work or family, and federal grants for veterans offered through the Post 9/11 GI Bill make paying for college easier on those who have served our country.

Veterans may apply many of the education bill’s benefits to distance learning as well as the traditional classroom experience. The bill, which went into effect in August 2009, includes government funds for:

• Tuition and fees up to the most expensive in-state public university
• Annual book stipend of $1,000
• One-time rural benefit of $500 for veterans living in a county with up to six people per square mile

The amount of government funding veterans may receive depends on their length of service after Sept. 10, 2001. Veterans are eligible to apply for benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill for up to 15 years after leaving the military and may receive benefits for up to 36 months.

The bill also works to make a private education more affordable. Under the Yellow Ribbon Program, if a participating private school pays for up to half of the difference between public and private tuition, the government will match those funds. The government pays tuition and fees directly to the college, and all other benefits go directly to the veteran. In order to receive a housing allowance (which varies based on cost of living), veterans must be enrolled in at least one on-campus course.

If a veteran is not eligible for the GI Bill or if the bill’s benefits cannot be applied, public financial aid for distance learning is also available through earlier iterations of the GI Bill, including the Montgomery GI Bill and the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP). Under those bills, veterans receive a fixed monthly payment. Although veterans may be eligible for benefits from multiple GI bills, they are only allowed to draw benefits from one program at a time.

For more information:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ GI Bill site