Federal Education, Employment & Training Programs for Veterans

Transcription

1 Federal Education, Employment & Training Programs for Veterans Montgomery GI Bill 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. Education Programs The various GI Bills are available for many different types of Education Programs. Here is a detailed listing of the programs available. IHL (Institutions of Higher Learning) NCD (Non-College Degree Programs) On-the-Job & Apprenticeship Training Flight Training Independent Training, Distance Learning, & Internet Training Correspondence Training National Testing Program Licensing & Certification Entrepreneurship Training Work-Study Program Co-op Training Accelerated Payment Tuition Assistance Top-Up Tutorial Assistance Program Various education pursuits are only available under specific GI Bill programs, you should ensure the education program you wish to enroll in will be qualified for reimbursement under the GI Bill you are eligible for. The Post-9/11 GI-Bill 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. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is effective August 1, 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 1

2 training programs must be approved for GI Bill benefits. The Post 9-11 GI Bill will pay eligible individuals: Your full tuition & fees directly to the school for all public school in-state students. For those attending private or foreign schools tuition & fees are capped at $17,500 per academic year for the 2011 academic year and $18, for the 2012 academic year. Click here for more information. If you are attending a private Institution of Higher Learning in AZ, MI, NH, NY, PA, SC or TX you may be eligible for a higher tuition reimbursement rate. Click here for more information. For those attending a more expensive private school or a public school as a nonresident out-of-state student, a program exists which may help to reimburse the difference. This program is called the Yellow Ribbon Program. (Click on the link for more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program, not everyone is eligible for the program). For those attending classes at the greater than ½ time rate, a monthly housing allowance (MHA) based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school. For those enrolled solely in distance learning the housing allowance payable is equal to ½ the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents ($ for the 2011 academic year & $ for the 2012 academic year). For those attending foreign schools (schools without a main campus in the U.S.) the MHA rate is fixed at $1, for the 2011 academic year & $1, for the 2012 academic year. The academic year begins on August 1. (Active duty students & their spouses cannot receive the MHA.) An annual books & supplies stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment. A one-time rural benefit payment for eligible individuals. Post 9-11 GI Bill provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally benefits are payable for 15 years following your release from active duty. The Post-9/11 GI Bill also offers some service members the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill to dependents. VOC REHAB & EMPLOYMENT SERVICE The Vocational Rehabilitation and 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 VetSuccess program 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. Services that may be provided by the VR&E VetSuccess Program include: Comprehensive rehabilitation evaluation to determine abilities, skills, and interests for employment 2

3 Vocational counseling and rehabilitation planning for employment services Employment services such as job-training, job-seeking skills, resume development, and other work readiness assistance Assistance finding and keeping a job, including the use of special employer incentives and job accommodations On the Job Training (OJT), apprenticeships, and non-paid work experiences Post-secondary training at a college, vocational, technical or business school Supportive rehabilitation services including case management, counseling, and medical referrals Independent living services for Veterans unable to work due to the severity of their disabilities Who is Eligible for VR&E VetSuccess Services? Active Duty Service Members are eligible if they: o Expect to receive an honorable discharge upon separation from active duty o Obtain a memorandum rating of 20% or more from the VA o Apply for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) VetSuccess services Veterans are eligible if they: o Have received, or will receive, a discharge that is other than dishonorable o Have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10%, or a memorandum rating of 20% or more from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) o Apply for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) VetSuccess services Basic period of Eligibility The basic period of eligibility in which VR&E VetSuccess services may be used is 12 years from the latter of the following: o Date of separation from active military service, or o Date the veteran was first notified by VA of a service-connected disability rating. The basic period of eligibility may be extended if a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) determines that a Veteran has a Serious Employment Handicap Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) Congress passed, and the President has signed into law, the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of Included in this new law is the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP). VRAP offers up to 12 months of training assistance to unemployed Veterans. The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and the Department of Labor (DOL) are working together to roll out this new program on July 1, The VRAP offers 12 months of training assistance to Veterans who: Are at least 35 but no more than 60 years old Are unemployed on the date of application Received an other than dishonorable discharge 3

4 Are not be eligible for any other VA education benefit program (e.g.: the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Assistance) Are not in receipt of VA compensation due to unemployability Are not enrolled in a federal or state job training program VRAP will provide training for programs of education that lead to a high demand occupation, as determined by the Department of Labor. Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) VEAP is available if you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate in this education benefit program. Your 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. In certain circumstances, remedial, deficiency, and refresher training may also be available. 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. Eligibility 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. 4

5 Educational Assistance Test Program Section 901 is an Educational Assistance Test Program created by the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1981 (Public Law ) to encourage enlistment and reenlistment in the Armed Forces. Benefits are available to individuals who entered on active duty after September 30, 1980, and before October 1, 1981 (or before October 1, 1982, if entry was under a delayed enlistment contract signed between September 30, 1980, and October 1, 1981). NOTE: Although Public Law established a beginning date for the test program as October 1, 1980; the military service departments did not start offering the test program to new enlistees until December 1, Air Force Eligibility Requirements for Section 901. All three of the following criteria must have been met to establish eligibility for this benefit. 1. Must have enlisted between December 1, 1980 and September 30, Enlistment must have been in one of the following Air Force Specialties: 20723, 20731, 20830, 46130, 46230A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, or Z, 46430, Enlistment must have taken place at one of the following locations: Beckley, WV; Buffalo, NY; Dallas, TX; Fargo, ND; Houston, TX; Jackson, MS; Louisville, KY; Memphis, TN; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Seattle, WA; Sioux Falls, SD; Syracuse, NY The Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC): An Employer-Friendly Benefit for Hiring Veterans Most in Need of Employment On November 21, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Vow to Hire Heroes Act of Section 261 of the Act, the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warriors Work Opportunity Tax Credits, amends and expands the definition of WOTC s Veteran target groups. The changes and new provisions in this Act apply to individuals who begin to work for an employer the day after its enactment, November 22, 2011, and before January 1, The Gold Card provides unemployed post-9/11 era veterans with the intensive and follow-up services they need to succeed in today's job market. The Gold Card initiative is a joint effort of the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS). An eligible veteran can present the Gold Card at his/her local One-Stop Career Center to receive enhanced intensive services including up to six months of follow-up. The enhanced inperson services available for Gold Card holders at local One-Stop Career Centers may include: Job readiness assessment, including interviews and testing; Development of an Individual Development Plan (IDP); Career guidance through group or individual counseling that helps veterans in making training and career decisions; 5

6 Provision of labor market, occupational, and skills transferability information that inform educational, training, and occupational decisions; Referral to job banks, job portals, and job openings; Referral to employers and registered apprenticeship sponsors; Referral to training by WIA-funded or third party service providers; and Monthly follow-up by an assigned case manager for up to six months. On My Next Move for Veterans, veterans will find a simple and quick search engine where they enter their prior military experience (branch of service and military occupation code or title) and link to the information they need to explore information on civilian careers and related training, including information they can use to write resumes that highlight related civilian skills. In addition, My Next Move for Veterans contains a link to an online assessment, the O*NET Interest Profiler, which provides results comparable to the Strong Interest Inventory being used in the new Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Veterans who have not received an interest assessment as part of TAP can access and take this interest assessment online from a link in the lower right-hand corner of My Next Move for Veterans or directly at: Veterans Job Bank The Veterans Job Bank powered by NRD.gov provides Veterans with a central source for identifying Veteran-committed employment opportunities and assists America s employers in identifying qualified Veterans. A key part of the White House s ongoing commitment to improve access to employment opportunities for transitioning Service Members and Veterans, it facilitates access to hundreds of thousands of private-sector job openings specifically targeted at Veterans. The Veterans Job Bank returns job opportunities based on search criteria entered by the user. Powered by a Google search, jobs are drawn from various job boards that have posted or specifically tagged jobs for Veterans. Begin your job search by visiting the Veterans Job Bank powered by the NRD. The Veterans Job Bank Search Widget is the latest tool developed by NRD.gov to help streamline the job search process for the military and Veteran communities. An easy to implement feature that can be added to any website, the Veterans Job Bank Search Widget gives users the ability to search for jobs from thousands of militaryfriendly employers worldwide based on keyword, military occupation code (MOC) and/or location. As with the NRD State Widget and Search Widget, the Veterans Job Bank Search Widget is maintenance free and automatically updates as jobs are posted by employers. Employers who would like to participate in the Veterans Job Bank initiative can visit our Instructions for Employer Participation. In addition, DOL has joined forces with Microsoft to provide veterans in communities across the Seattle, Washington, San Diego, California, Houston, Texas; Northern Virginia; and Jacksonville, Florida regions with vouchers for no-cost training that can lead to important industry recognized credentials. Each area will receive 1,000 vouchers 6

7 per year for two years, totaling 10,000 vouchers. In addition, Microsoft will provide inperson support to ensure veterans and their spouses are successful in their training and certification, and the local workforce areas will help connect the veterans and their spouses to potential employers in their area. For more information about this initiative, including where the vouchers will be distributed, visit The National Resource Directory is a website for connecting wounded warriors, Service Members, Veterans, and their families with those who support them. The site provides access to services and resources at the national, state, and local levels to support recovery, rehabilitation, and community reintegration. Visitors can find information on a variety of topics including benefits and compensation, education and training, employment, family and caregiver support, health, homeless assistance, housing, transportation and travel, volunteer opportunities and other services and resources. The National Resource Directory is a partnership among the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. Small Business Loans Patriot Express: The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the SBA s Patriot Express Pilot Loan Initiative for veterans and members of the military community wanting to establish or expand small businesses. The SBA and its resource partners are focusing additional efforts on counseling and training to augment this loan initiative, making it more accessible and easy to use. Eligible military community members include: Veterans Service-disabled veterans Active-duty service members eligible for the military s Transition Assistance Program Reservists and National Guard members Current spouses of any of the above The widowed spouse of a service member or veteran who died during service or of a service-connected disability Patriot Express loan proceeds can be used for most business purposes, including: Start up costs Equipment purchases Business-occupied real-estate purchases Inventory Infusing working capital Managing your business Expansion Preparing your business for the possibility of your deployment Setting up to sell goods and services to the government Recovery from declared disasters Patriot Express loans feature the SBA s lowest interest rates for business loans, generally 2.25 percent to 4.75 percent over prime depending upon the size and maturity of the loan. Your local SBA district office will have a listing of Patriot Express lenders in your area. 7

8 VA for VETS Program VA honors the sacred pledge that Military Service Members and Veterans have made to protect our nation. As part of VA s mission to provide world-class services for the men and women who sacrifice so much for us, we created a dedicated career support program just for them: VA for Vets. Today, VA is more committed than ever to helping Veterans thrive. VA for Vets works to turn this vision into reality by offering Veterans the tools they need to launch or advance their civilian careers at VA. We offer: The most thorough military skills translation and career matching services for Veterans seeking employment. Professional development and deployment lifecycle support for current Veteran and Military Service Member employees. Online training and personalized services for the supervisors, HR professionals, hiring managers and coworkers who work with our Veteran employees each and every day. Program Features: Come see how VA for Vets is connecting Veterans to the information, tools and resources they need to succeed. Career Center Translate military skills to civilian jobs, take self-assessments, build easy-to-read resumes, apply to open VA positions, and save all results into one profile Coaches Reach out for help with deployment and reintegration issues and questions related to employment at VA Deployment Lifecycle Resources Access vital information, resources and tools to prepare for and support deployment and reintegration Professional Development Take online training to sharpen skills or to learn more about hot topics surrounding deployment and reintegration Webinars and Videos Learn about Veteran achievements and how to support Military Service Members Virtual Collaboration Tool Interact with a coach, supervisor or HR professional in a personalized virtual workspace Work-Study Program for Vets If you're a full-time or 3/4-time student in a college degree, vocational, or professional program, you can earn while you learn with a VA work-study allowance. The VA work-study allowance is available to persons training on a full-time or ¾ time basis under the following programs: Post-9/11 GI Bill--(38 U.S.C. Chapter 33) (Veterans and transfer-of-entitlement recipients) Montgomery GI Bill--Active Duty (38 U.S.C. Chapter 30) 8

9 REAP Participants Montgomery GI Bill--Selected Reserve (10 U.S.C. Chapter 1606) Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (38 U.S.C. Chapter 32) Dependents Educational Assistance Program (38 U.S.C. Chapter 35) Eligible dependents under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 may use work study only while training in a State. National Call to Service Participants Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Program -- (38 U.S.C. Chapter 31) VA will select students for the work-study program based on different factors. Such factors include: Ability of the student to complete the work-study contract before the end of his or her eligibility to education benefits Job availability within normal commuting distance to the student The number of applicants selected will depend on the availability of VA-related work at your school or at VA facilities in your area. Veterans with service-connected disabilities of at least 30% may be given priority consideration. How Much May I Earn? You ll earn an hourly wage equal to the Federal minimum wage or your State minimum wage, whichever is greater. If you re in a work-study job at a college or university, your school may pay you the difference between the amount VA pays and the amount the school normally pays other work-study students doing the same job as you. You may elect to be paid in advance for 40% of the number of hours in your work-study agreement, or for 50 hours, whichever is less. After you ve completed the hours covered by your first payment, VA will pay you each time you complete 50 hours of service. You may work during or between periods of enrollment. You can arrange with VA to work any number of hours you want during your enrollment. But, the total number of hours you work can t be more than 25 times the number of weeks in your enrollment period. Federal Application for Federal Student Aid Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded financial assistance for education beyond high school. We consistently champion the promise of postsecondary education to all Americans and its value to our society. Federal Student Aid plays a central and essential role in supporting postsecondary education by providing money for college to eligible students and families. We partner with postsecondary schools, financial institutions and others to deliver services that help students and families who are paying for college. 9

10 Today, Federal Student Aid performs a range of critical functions that include, among others: Educating students and families on the process of obtaining aid; Processing millions of student financial aid applications each year; Disbursing billions of dollars in aid funds to students through schools; Enforcing financial aid rules and regulations; Servicing millions of student loan accounts, and securing repayment from borrowers who have defaulted on their loans; and Operating information technology systems and tools that manage billions in student aid dollars. This is a complex, multifaceted mission that calls on a range of staff skills and demands coordination by all levels of management. Consequently, Federal Student Aid, a Performance- Based Organization (PBO), emphasizes tangible results and efficient performance, as well as the continuous improvement of the processes and systems that support our mission. Revised Dawn Peevers, Battle Creek Image: American Flag, Bobby Mikul 10