GI Bill ® Education Options for Veterans
For Veterans looking to explore VET TEC and GI Bill ® education options, there are a lot of confusing options to navigate through to find which program is right for you. Based on your service and education benefits available, you could have a variety of programs that will help you advance your education and job skills training.
From degree programs to certificate education, we are breaking down the options to make it easier for Veterans to advance in their careers and gain measurable employment.
High Tech Careers with VET-TEC
If you are looking for high-tech and high demand job skills in a technology career, VET-TEC is a new pilot program that could be a good fit for you. Veterans can choose from an approved list of training providers to pursue careers in technology such as programming, data science, and media applications.
VET TEC is a technology education program to help eligible Veterans get job skills in high tech careers. According to the VA’s VET TEC website, “if you want to gain computer experience to start or advance your career in the high-technology industry, find out if you’re eligible for our Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) program that matches you with a leading training provider to help you develop high-tech skills.”
VET TEC is a 5-year pilot program. You can participate as long as the funding is available through the VA.
To learn more about eligible programs and VET TEC FAQs, click here.
To apply for Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) through the VA, click here.
Digital Workshop Center is an eligible training provider through VET TEC. If you are already approved from the VA and ready to begin your education, you need to speak to a DWC student advisor before enrollment.
Veterans Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs
To apply for a 4-year degree program or graduate program, you first need to find out if you have eligible Veterans education benefits available. Each school will have a School Certifying Official (SCO) who processes your education benefits with the VA. Contact the VA to determine your remaining benefits. Each school will also control the number of hours per program which will affect your included housing benefit.
In order to determine how much payments will be, according to the VA’s website, “We decide your payment amounts based on the number of classes you go to and the hours spent in those classes. For example, for most undergraduate degrees, a college considers: 12 or more hours full time, between 9 and 11 hours three-quarter time, between 6 and 8 hours half time, less than 6 hours reimbursable at a rate that’s no more than the tuition and fees charged for the course.”
Students are able to apply funds for more than one degree or attend multiple schools at once if certain criteria are also met.
To find out more, contact the VA and explore your degree program options with an education counselor. https://www.va.gov/contact-us/
Certificate Programs for Veterans
Veterans and their qualified dependents may be eligible for certificate training at non-college degree schools to gain valuable job skills in fields such as technology, design, marketing, data science, and project management. These types of programs may pay for your tuition, books, and supplies.
The amount of your payments through non-college degree programs will vary based on the school, location, and number of hours in class per week. Click here to view the current payment rates for NCD schools.
Digital Workshop Center offers certificate education as a non-college degree. If you would like to learn more about using your GI Bill ® benefits for training at DWC, speak to a student advisor today.
Summary
If you have education benefits remaining, you should take full advantage and find the best program that fits your specific career goals. It is a great idea to start with some job research and understand the types of positions you want to pursue, then work backwards to find the program that fits your schedule and will help you reach your job goals. Understanding the gap between what skills you currently have and where you need to go will help you know which education program is best for you as well.
The best way to get started with exploring GI Bill ® Education Options is to review the information on https://www.va.gov/education/ and speak to a Veterans Education counselor. Digital Workshop Center also provides free student advisor sessions to help you navigate these systems. Click here to schedule a meeting with a student advisor today.