Government Programs To Aid Military Members In Their Transition to Civilian Life

Members of the military typically have a hard time transitioning to civilian life. Perhaps their skills were so specific,niche-like in the military that they have little value to the civilian job market. Typically they need to be retrained for a trade or given a more general education so as to have a broader skill set. The advantage of military life though is the discipline one is taught which can set the foundation for learning a new trade or profession. The Department of Veterans Affairs(VA), Department of Labor(DoL) and the Department of Education(DoE) overlook a number of employment, education, and training programs for veterans. Here’s some programs to provide education/employment to military service members.

Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty Service Members.

This program grants $47,556 worth of education benefits, in exchange for an enlistment period of at least three years in the United States Military, along with a reduction in pay of $1,200 ($100 per month) for the first year of service. The program grants $38,628 worth of education benefits for those who enlist for less than three years. This still requires a reduction of pay of $100 per month for the first 12 months of service.

CGI Bill for Reserved Service Members

Unlike the Active Duty Montgomery G.I. Bill, to participate in the Selective Reserves Montgomery G.I. Bill, one does not have their pay reduced by $100 per month for the first 12 months of service. Also, one can begin using benefits immediately after initial active duty, which normally means right after completing basic training and military job training school. The bad news with this program is that it pays much less in education benefits. The program pays a total of $11,844 worth of education benefits, compared to total benefits of more than $47,000 for the active duty program. Requirements: Six-Year Selected Reserve Obligation. Complete Your IADT (Initial Active Duty for Training). Maintain Selected Reserve Status Completed High School.

Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

The VEAP program is available if one has made contributions from one’s military pay to participate in this education benefit program. The contributions are matched on a $2 for $1 basis by the government. You may use these benefits for degree, certificate, correspondence, apprenticeship/on-the-job training programs, and vocational flight training programs.

Benefit entitlement is 1 to 36 months depending on the number of monthly contributions. You have 10 years from your release from active duty to use VEAP benefits. If there is entitlement not used after the 10-year period, your portion remaining in the fund will be automatically refunded..

Veterans Upward Bound

This program is designed to motivate and assist veterans in the development of academic and other necessary skills for acceptance and success in a program of post secondary education. The program provides assessment and enhancement of basic skills through counseling, mentoring, tutoring and academic instruction in the core subject areas. The primary goal of the program is to increase the rate at which participants enroll in and complete post secondary education programs.

Veteran’s Employment and Training (VETS)

VETS provides training and employment resources. It is an independent agency within the Department of Labor created specifically to assist veterans in making the transition from military to civilian life. It also aids in training for and findind good jobs, and protecting the employment and reemployment rights of veterans. VETS provides services to both employers and veterans in partnership with other federal agencies, state and local governments, veterans service organizations, business and community groups, and professional associations.