Coast Guard Reserve Ta Benefits
As a Coast Guard Reservist, you are eligible for TA, but just like Active Duty Coast Guard, the benefit amount is less than your service counterparts. The following is some basic amounts regarding eligibility and TA amounts:
- To qualify you must be on long-term Active Duty orders of 180 days or more
- The annual cap is $2,250 for TA utilization
- To apply, the process is the same as Active Duty and is at the discretion of your Command
- Find out how to apply for Coast Guard TA
As a Coast Guard Reservist you may be eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve benefit. This is separate from Tuition Assistance but will come up when you look at education benefits as part of the Coast Guard Reserve. What is important to note is all education benefits are based on type of service and length of service. Always read the fine print and find out what works best for you and your career goals.
Tia Christopher is a proud US Navy Veteran. Christophers writing has focused on explaining military benefits in plain language and helping fellow service members transition from the military. Christopher was recognized in 2013 by the White House as a Woman Veteran Champion of Change.
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National Guard And Reserve Tuition Assistance
If you are serving in the National Guard or Reserves, you might be wondering if there is a National Guard Tuition Assistance program or Reserve Tuition Assistance program available to you.
There are Tuition Assistance programs for all five branches of the military, with their own service-specific criteria. There are also TA programs for the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, and some Reserves branches.
National Guard Pay Scale Active Duty Pay
As an active duty soldier in the National Guard you will be compensated based on your job, education level, and rank. If you want to earn more, all you have to do is spend enough time in the National Guard so that you can move up the ranks.
E-1 Private: $1,357 $1,467 monthly active duty pay
E-2 Private: $1,645 $1,645 monthly active duty pay
E-3 Private First Class: $1,730 $1,950 monthly active duty pay
E-4 Specialist/Corporal: $1,915 $2,326 monthly active duty pay
E-5 Sergeant: $2,091 $2,965 monthly active duty pay
E-6 Staff Sergeant: $2,281 $3,533 monthly active duty pay
E-7 Sergeant First Class: $2,638 $4,740 monthly active duty pay
E-8 Master Sergeant: $3,794 $5,411 monthly active duty pay
E-9 Sergeant Major: $4,635 $7,196 monthly active duty pay
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Does The Military Pay For College The Full Guide To Education Benefits
Enlisting in the military is an enormous decision thats bound to give you a new perspective on life, friendship, and service. The amount of commitment that becoming a recruit entails also comes with plenty of advantages: you can travel, expect a guaranteed paycheck, engage in advanced specialty training, and often, the military pays for college!
If youre already passionate about becoming a soldier and would like to use your time serving to supplement your education, weve got you covered. Read on for a comprehensive overview of how the military can pay for college.
Navy Student Loan Repayment Program
You must serve a minimum of 3 years on active duty during your first enlistment to be eligible for this repayment program. Like with the Army, you can receive 33 % or up to $1,500 toward your principal balance, whichever is greater. You can receive a maximum of $65,000 in loan forgiveness, but your loans cant be in default.
What Loans Qualify for Navy Student Loan Repayment:
- Stafford loans
How to Apply For the Navy Student Loan Repayment Program:
You can visit Navy.com for more information, or contact a Navy recruiter.
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Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty Scholarship
The GRFD Scholarship is for individuals with prior military service and those who would like to obtain a commission in the Army Reserve. If you receive a GRFD, youre required to enroll in an ROTC course and enlist in the Army Reserve in the Simultaneous Membership Program if youre not currently a member. Upon graduation, you must accept a commission, complete the Officer Basic Course, and serve six years in the Army Reserve.Benefits include:
- Full tuition paid
- Annual book allowance of $1,200
- ROTC monthly stipend of $350 to $500
- Montgomery GI Bill
- The Simultaneous Membership Program Kicker of $350 a month
The Air Force Military Tuition Assistance Program
Am I eligible? The US Air Force is a little stricter with its criteria for tuition assistance. Youll need to pass your physical fitness tests and have zero record of performance reports or unfavorable information files.
What does it cover? The Air Force will pay up to $250 per semester hour and $166 per quarter hour . You need to apply for courses in schools that have signed a DoD MoU.
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Joining The Reserve: Circumstances Count
When talking about pros and cons of becoming a Reserve member, the first thing to enter into the con category? You may not be able to rely on the experiences of those you know who have joined the Reserve if your circumstances arent similar.
What does that mean? Its simple, really. If you are a civilian and want to become a member of the Reserve, your experience will be much different than those who joined as prior service active duty or as reservists in a different branch of the military. As a con, this basically means that you will need to do more personal research to learn what your experiences might be like under comparable circumstances.
On the pro side on this subject, your Reserve recruiter can pair you with others who have a similar circumstance to yours.
Are you a recent high school graduate interested in joining the Reserve while in college? Or are you already in the work force and interested but not sure how currently employed people manage both civilian careers and military duty? Your recruiter can help you talk to those who have actually had those experiences.
College Benefits For Veterans
The original GI Bill of Rights sent millions of World War II veterans off to college in the 1940s and ’50s. Since then, generations of vets have benefited from that program and its successors.
Today, there are multiple versions of the GI Bill:
- The Montgomery GI BillSelected Reserve , described above
- The Montgomery GI BillActive Duty
- The Post-9/11 GI Bill
Still in the process of being implemented is the Forever GI Bill , which further expands many benefits.
Veterans who were honorably discharged may be eligible for either the Montgomery GI BillActive Duty or the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The VA states that veterans with multiple periods of service who are eligible for both must choose one or the other and that their decision is irrevocable.
However, a recent court ruling says eligible vets do not have to choose between the two bills. If that decision holds, it could allow a qualifying veteran to receive benefits from one GI bill for the maximum of 36 months and then use the other GI bill to receive additional months of benefits. The decision is pending a possible appeal by the VA, so stay tuned.
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Other Benefits Of Joining The National Guard
In addition to the wonderful benefits provided by the National Guard in terms of achieving a college degree, or helping pay for existing student loans, the Guard has many other benefits.
Serving the National Guard is a special honor because it allows you to still live your life on your own terms. Young people can still pursue college full-time or continue to work a civilian job.
Family men and women can still remain close to their families for the vast majority of the year, yet also get some financial assistance.
It is a great alternative to active duty because the commitment is not nearly as demanding yet still offers the same self-fulfillment and pride that comes with any traditional type of military service.
You will learn things about your character you never envisioned, join a second family in the U.S. Military, help serve your country directly in it, and receive plenty of government benefits in the process.
How To Get The National Guard To Pay For College:
In order to apply for college tuition assistance, please consider the following steps:
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Final Thoughts On How The Military Pays For College
The military wants to incentivize people to enlist and one way to do that is by helping to pay for education. The variety of options available show that the U.S. government wants to assist its servicemen and women in paying off their student loans or having them forgiven or discharged whenever possible. Its a small, but significant, way to show gratitude for your service.
National Guard Student Loan Repayment Program
If you sign up to serve, you also need to meet other criteria for this program:
- You must enlist for a minimum of six years
- Enlist for a critical skills vacancy in the grade of E-4 or below
- Enlist in a qualifying position in an MTO or medical TDA unit only
- Score a minimum score of 50 on the Armed Forces Qualifying Test
- You cannot also be enlisting as a 09R SMP cadet, RFP, or Active First Program
- You must not be enlisted as a glossary non-prior service soldier .
If you are eligible, you can earn up to $7,500 annually, with a maximum of $50,000, toward your qualifying student loan debts.
What Lons Qualify For National Guard Student Loan Repayment:
- Stafford loans
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Should I Enlist In The Military To Pay For College
Enlisting in the military is a life-defining decision that only you can decide for yourself. Youll need to go through strenuous training as a recruit before you become a soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine. After that, you may find yourself enlisted in new locations that are far from home.
Although the military does pay for college, thats certainly not reason enough to join. You can also consider other affordable options for your education. From finding grants and scholarships to minimizing your college expenses, there are plenty of alternative ways to pay for college.
National Guard Vs Active Duty Military
There are many that may like to consider the thought of having the U.S. Military cover most, or all of their college tuition yet are hesitant to sign up for something that may put them on the front lines.
It is important to note that while the National Guard is a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, it is starkly different from other types of active duty.
The National Guard is part of the U.S. Army Reserves. It is different from active duty military in that members are not committed full-time to their service.
In fact, most members of the National Guard hold a civilian job full-time while serving part-time with a unit. They are able to carry on normal lives working, going to school, or helping raise a family while also serving their country.
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What You Need To Know About Military Tuition Assistance
This assistance, set up to thank service members for their vital work, can help pay up to 100 percent of tuition expenses. Both the federal government and non-profit organizations offer programs for military personnel to get free money for college . They also offer tuition assistance programs which can include low-interest rate federal and private loans to help pay for college.
The official GI Bill website is an excellent resource for information on careers in the military, finding an eligible school, and applying for all the federal military benefits you deserve.
Each branch of the military has its own criteria to qualify for military tuition assistance, so be sure to research your opportunities.
Chapter 1606 Montgomery Gi Selected Reserve
The MGIB-SR program provides education and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components and VA makes the payments. Check Eligibility and Benefits | Checklist for new/returning students | STC VA Educational Benefits and Responsibilities Info Packet | STC VA Benefits Agreement Form
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Coast Guard Reserve To Active Duty
Coast Guard Reservists can transfer to Active duty for up to five years from separation.
Switching from the Coast Guard Reserves to Active Duty is similar to any other branch of service.
The first step is to notify your command of your intent.
You will be required to fill out a form DD 368.
Next you will meet with a recruiter to go over options.
It can be easier to get into Active Duty if you are in higher-demand ratings.
For other ratings it may be very difficult.
There must be a position available for you to transfer into.
This time period can take anywhere from several months to more than a year.
It helps to stay informed on where your form is throughout the process and stay active with your recruiter.
You will continue to drill with your unit until your conditional release is approved and you reach your Active Duty report date.
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Limit Your Interest With The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is for any military members who took out student loans out prior to joining. They provide a cap on interest rates while you serve on active duty and this applies to both federal and private loans.
The loan mustve been disbursed before you started active duty. The interest rate cannot exceed 6% and this can bring significant savings, especially with private loans.
How to apply for SCRA:
Submit a copy of your service orders to have this applied to your loans
- Wait until your loan servicer applies the cap through checks of the military database
This is helpful for anyone who wants to join the military after youve finished your education. It can keep your payments low and cap the amount of interest you need to pay back.
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Health Professions Scholarship Program
Those interested in joining the Army, Navy, or Air Force can take advantage of a scholarship to attend medical or dental school.
The scholarship includes full tuition and fees, health insurance reimbursement, other school-related expenses, and even a monthly living stipend.
If you want to pursue a career in medicine and join the military, this is a great option to take full advantage of the financial incentives that come with that path.
The program is open to those with an undergraduate degree who are applying for medical or dental school, as well as those currently enrolled in medical or dental school.
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Why Get A Degree When You Are Active Duty
Going for your degree as an active duty service member is a good idea.
Not only will you be taking advantage of the VA benefits you receive from joining the military but you can be working towards a successful future at the same time.
For some, going to school is the road they have to take to become an officer. For others, going to school will help them after they ETS and start a new career.
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Reserve Education Tips & Tactics
- Keep in mind that you may be eligible for more than one type of college education aid through the Reserve, and that you can in many cases receive money for college through more than one program. Since tuition assistance covers only tuition costs, for example, applying for another type of benefit can help you cover additional costs, like books and supplies.
- Members of the Armed Forces are also eligible for other types of aid, like federal aid, state aid and private scholarships and grants. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form to apply for federal aid, and pursue state aid through the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE form.
- Contact a recruiter to learn more about the education benefits of joining the Reserve. You can find a local recruiter through each Armed Forces website: Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, , Air Force Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve.
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Programs
In addition to their service academies, the Air Force, Army, and Navy sponsor Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs at many colleges and universities. ROTC programs provide college scholarships of up to four years to eligible students who apply in high school. Students who are already in college can apply for three- or two-year scholarships, depending on when they expect to graduate.
The scholarships provide full tuition and fees as well as a monthly stipend to cover other expenses. ROTC scholarships require a commitment to participate in training during the school year and for service after graduation.
The Coast Guard doesn’t have an ROTC program, per se, but does offer the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative, which provides full funding for up to two years of college.
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