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Four Steps to Financial Aid |
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<<< STEP 1: WHAT IS FINANCIAL AID?
Benefits for Specific Groups and Other Options
There are several financial assistance programs benefiting special groups:
Veterans and Their Dependents
Federal educational benefits
The Montgomery GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve provide educational benefits for individuals
entering military service or the reserves for the first time after June 30, 1985. Reservists who have enlisted for six or more years after
July 1, 1985 may be eligible for the Selected Reserve Education Benefit.
Who is Eligible?
You may be an eligible veteran if you got an Honorable Discharge, AND you have a High School Diploma or GED or, in some cases 12 hours of college credit, AND you meet the requirements of one of the categories below:
CATEGORY I
- Entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985
- Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for first 12 months
- Continuously served for 3 years, OR 2 years if that is what you first enlisted for, OR 2 years if you entered Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty and served 4 years ("2 by 4" Program)
CATEGORY II
- Entered active duty before January 1, 1977
- Served at least 1 day between 10/19/84 and 6/30/85, and stayed on active duty through 6/30/88, (or 6/30/87 if you entered Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years)
- On 12/31/89, you had entitlement left from Vietnam Era GI Bill
CATEGORY III
- Not eligible for MGIB under Category I or II
- On active duty on 9/30/90 AND separated involuntarily after 2/2/91,
- OR involuntarily separated on or after 11/30/93,
- OR voluntarily separated under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) or Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program
- Before separation, you had military pay reduced by $1200
CATEGORY IV
- On active duty on 10/9/96 AND you had money remaining in a VEAP account on that date AND you elected MGIB by 10/9/97
- OR entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between 7/1/85, and 11/28/89 AND you elected MGIB during the period 10/9/96, through 7/8/97
- Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1200 lump-sum contribution
VEAP is the post-Vietnam era Veterans Educational Assistance Program for those who entered active duty for the first time between January 1, 1977 and June 30, 1985 and contributed to the VEAP fund while on active duty or had contributions made for them by the military.
To qualify you must meet the following requirements:
- Entered service for the first time between January 1, 1977, and June 30, 1985;
- Opened a contribution account before April 1, 1987;
- Voluntarily contributed from $25 to $2700;
- Completed your first period of service; and
- Were discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable.
If you are currently on active duty and wish to receive VEAP benefits, you must have at least 3 months of contributions available.
Service-disabled veterans may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Benefits
may include education or training to qualify for employment, counseling, tutorial assistance, and medical services.
Educational benefits also are available to veterans' dependents if the veteran (spouse or parent) died in service, was
totally disabled, or is listed as missing in action or captured in the line of duty by a hostile force or a foreign government power.
With the Veterans' Work-Study program, eligible veterans are paid for working at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
facilities. They earn the federal minimum or state minimum wage, whichever is lower.
For more information, contact your college's Office of Veterans Affairs, the local office of the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs (in the phone book under U.S. Government Offices), or call toll free 800 827-1000.
Disabled Students
Disabled students who meet the academic qualifications for a college should apply for admission and, if needed, financial
aid. By law, a qualified student cannot be excluded from college solely because of a disability.
All public schools and colleges and many independent schools provide disabled student services. Benefits may include
counseling, tutoring, readers, interpreters, note takers, special parking zones, and loan of special equipment. You may
also request that a class be relocated to a more accessible place on campus.
Your student budget, as calculated by the colleges, should include all educational expenses necessary to accommodate your
disability. Be sure to work with your financial aid offices if you apply, so they understand your particular circumstances.
For more information, contact schools' disabled students' office or the national organizations serving your particular
disability.
You may want to download Creating Options: A Resource on Financial Aid for Students, produced by the Heath Resource Center of the George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, or you may call 202 973-0904 or 800 544-3284, write The George Washington University, HEATH Resource Center, 2121 K Street, NW Suite 220, Washington, DC 20037, or e-mail askheath@heath.gwu.edu.
For information on benefits for service-disabled veterans, call the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at 800 827-1000.
Native Americans
Native American students who can prove membership in a federally recognized tribe may receive education grants from the
Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
Athletes
Athletes considering a National Collegiate Athletic Association college should contact the NCAA for information on college
recruiting rules, grade point average and testing requirements. Visit www.NCAA.org or write to the NCAA at 700 W. Washington Ave., PO Box 6222, Indianapolis, IN, 46206-6222, or call 317 917-6222.
Get Creative with Your Options
Here are some options that may help in paying your way through college:
The Military
Educational benefits and scholarships are available to those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. In some programs,
enlistees receive an education first, and serve an equivalent amount of military time after graduation. Other programs
allow you to accumulate money for an education while completing an initial enlistment period. Some scholarships pay full
tuition and all instructional fees, and may include a living allowance. Loan repayment is also available to Army service
personnel. For more information, contact your local Armed Forces recruiting office.
AmeriCorps is a service program administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service and allows people of all ages and backgrounds to earn help paying for education in exchange for a year of service.
Working Your Way Through College
It may not be possible to earn all your own college costs, but a part-time or summer job can help reduce the amount you'll
need to borrow. School employment offices can help you find a job on or off campus.
On some campuses, work-study or student assistant programs help students find career-related jobs.
Finishing College Sooner - AP Exams
High school students can take the College Board's Advanced Placement examinations and receive college credit for honors
courses or independent study in foreign languages, English, history, science, mathematics, music, and art. Advanced
college placement avoids repeating work and could save the cost of up to one year of study. See your high school counselor
for details.
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