Veteran Education Benefits

Commissioned officers of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Corps may be eligible for education benefits administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under the Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30) and the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), if they meet applicable service requirements.

For the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, commissioned service performed on active duty by USPHS and NOAA officers is considered qualifying service. Individuals who have served at least 90 days of active duty after September 10, 2001, may be eligible for benefits. The percentage of benefits payable is determined by length of qualifying service, with 100% eligibility generally requiring at least 36 months of active duty service after September 10, 2001, or discharge due to a service-connected disability after at least 30 continuous days of service.

Step 1: Determine eligibility

To determine eligibility for either the Montgomery GI Bill^® or the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®, please contact:

NOAA:

Email: Gregory.Raymond@noaa.gov
Phone: 301.713.7728

PHS:

Email: OCCOHelpdesk@hhs.gov
Phone: 240.453.6130

Step 2: Apply for VA Benefits

Please follow the instructions on our Application Process page.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill^® provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®.

Approved training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill^® includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, vocational/technical training, on-the-job training, flight training, correspondence training, licensing and national testing programs, entrepreneurship training, and tutorial assistance. All training programs must be approved for GI Bill^® benefits.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides up to 36 months of education benefits. Veterans discharged on or after January 1, 2013, have no time limit to use their benefits, while those discharged before that date generally must use their benefits within 15 years of release from active duty.

Some of the benefits the Post-9/11 GI Bill® will pay include:

• Up to 100% of in-state tuition and fees at public schools for individuals eligible at the 100% benefit level
• A monthly housing allowance (MHA)
• An annual books & supplies stipend
• A one-time rural benefit payment

Beginning August 1, 2011, break (or interval pay) will no longer be payable under Post-9/11 GI Bill^® except during periods your school is closed as a result of an Executive Order of the President or an emergency (such as a natural disaster or strike). For example, if your Fall term ends on December 15th and your Spring term begins January 10th, your January housing allowance will cover 15 days in December and your February housing allowance will cover 21 days in January.

Chapter 33, Yellow Ribbon Program

Regent University has elected to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program to make additional funds available for your education program without an additional charge to your GI Bill^® entitlement. Institutions that voluntarily enter into a Yellow Ribbon Agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs choose the amount of tuition and fees that will be contributed. The Department of Veterans Affairs will match that amount and issue payment directly to the institution.

Eligibility

Individuals eligible at the 100% benefit level under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) may qualify for participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Effective August 1, 2022, eligible active duty service members and their approved transferees (spouses or children) may also participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, provided the service member qualifies for the 100% benefit level.

Therefore, you may be eligible if:

• You served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months;
• You were honorably discharged from active duty for a service connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001;
• You are a spouse or dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill^® based on a service member’s service under the eligibility criteria listed above.

Yellow Ribbon Program Limits

Degree Level	Number of Students	Max School Contribution Amt (Per Student/Per Year)
Undergraduate	Unlimited	Unlimited
Graduate	Unlimited	Unlimited
Doctoral	Unlimited	Unlimited
Law School	Unlimited	Unlimited

Transfer of Post-9/11 GI-Bill^® Benefits to Dependents (TEB)

Allows servicemembers to transfer unused benefits to their spouses or dependent children

Eligibility

Any member of the Armed Forces (active duty or Selected Reserve, officer or enlisted), who is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®, (Ch. 33), and:

1. Has at least 6 years of service in the Armed Forces (active duty and/or Selected Reserve) on the date of approval and agrees to serve 4 additional years in the Armed Forces from the date of the election.
2. Has at least 10 years of service in the Armed Forces (active duty and/or Selected Reserve) on the date of approval, is precluded by either standard policy (Service or DoD) or statute from committing to 4 additional years, and agrees to serve for the maximum amount of time allowed by such policy or statute.
3. Is or becomes retirement eligible and agrees to serve an additional 4 years of service on or after August 1, 2012. A service member is considered to be retirement eligible if he or she has completed 20 years of active Federal service or 20 qualifying years as computed pursuant to section 12732 of title 10 U.S.C.
4. Such transfer must be requested and approved while the member is in the Armed Forces.

The Montgomery GI Bill^® (MGIB) is available for those who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces. MGIB encompasses both the Montgomery GI Bill^®-Active Duty (Chapter 30) and The Montgomery GI Bill^®-Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606). Under Chapter 30, Active Duty members enroll and pay $100 per month for 12 months; and are then entitled to receive a monthly education benefit once they have completed a minimum service obligation. Under Chapter 1606, a reservist must be actively drilling and have a 6-year obligation in the Selected Reserve to be eligible. Students are paid directly by the VA on a monthly basis while attending courses. See Pay Rates for more information. Students must verify their enrollment on WAVE at the end of each month in order to receive their benefit payment.

Your eligibility is determined by the Department of Defense based on your total time of activated service. Students are paid directly by the VA on a monthly basis while attending courses. See Pay Rates for more information. Students must verify their enrollment on WAVE at the end of each month in order to receive their benefit payment.

The Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) VetSuccess Program is authorized by Congress under Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 31. It is sometimes referred to as the Chapter 31 program. The VR&E assists Veterans with service-connected disabilities to prepare for, find, and keep suitable jobs. For Veterans with service-connected disabilities so severe that they cannot immediately consider work, VetSuccess offers services to improve their ability to live as independently as possible.

The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance GI Bill^® provides assistance to dependents of military service members with a service-connected, permanent, and total disability or who were MIA, POW, or died in connection with a service-related disability. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. Students are paid directly by the VA on a monthly basis while attending courses. See Pay Rates for more information.