Your military service earned you several education benefits. And maybe you know a little bit about each of the VA Education programs, but aren’t quite sure which one is best for you or your dependents. I know the idea of sitting down and trying to sift through information on tuition assistance, credentialing assistance, Ch. 30, Ch. 31, Ch. 33, and Ch. 35 can seem overwhelming.
If you want to learn more about each of the different VA education programs, then today’s episode is for you! Erin connected with Chris Link, a U.S. Army Veteran, who came on Life After the Uniform to help educate veterans on making the most out of their earned benefits. He understands the inner workings of the VA education programs and will walk you through each of them. Chris also offers suggestions on how to maximize your benefits, how to tactically and strategically utilize your benefits, and how to avoid the pitfalls he’s seen other veterans make.
If you’re looking for even more information, you can reach out to Chris Link on LinkedIn or use the links below to research specific programs.
To connect with Chris:
LinkedIn at linked.com/in/christopherlink1
To connect with Erin:
Life After the Uniform Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeaftertheuniform
Life After the Uniform Facebook Podcast Page: https://www.facebook.com/ErinSilverPodcast
Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/erinsilverpodcast/
Additional Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Public WEAMS: https://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchInstitutionCriteria.do
This site allows you to search every school and program approved for the GI Bill throughout the country.
L&C WEAMS: https://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchLCCriteria.do
This domain of Public WEAMS allows you to look all licenses and certifications that are currently eligible for GI Bill reimbursement.
GI Bill Comparison Tool: https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/?search=name
This site allows you to look at every approved school offering GI Bill benefits, to see how much tuition will cost, how much BAH you will receive, any complaints against the school, whether the school has any compliance issues (red flags), the main point of contact at the school for GI Bill related inquiries, and to see which programs the school participates in (i.e. Yellow Ribbon Program, Principles of Excellence Program, Tuition Assistance)
Credentialing Assistance: https://www.cool.osd.mil/army/costs_and_funding/army_ca_faq.htm
This site is the portal for Army Cool and Credentialing Assistance for active-duty military members. Remember, Army will pay for preparatory courses and certification exams, all other branches will only pay for certification exams currently.
MyCAA: https://mycaa.militaryonesource.mil/mycaa/get-started
This site is the portal for active-duty spouses to receive the MyCAA Scholarship for $2000 per year, not to exceed $4000
VETTEC: https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/vettec-high-tech-program/
This site is the link to VETTEC information. You can also find all listed p
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