Montgomery G.I. Bill–Active Duty (Chapter 30)
Under Chapter 30, individuals who entered military service on or after July 1, 1985 and had their basic military pay reduced by $100 per month for the first 12 months of service are generally eligible.
Montgomery G.I. Bill–Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
Under Chapter 1606, individuals who are satisfactorily participating in required training or who are fulfilling an obligated service of not less than six years in the Selected Reserve are eligible for benefits. Eligible reservists are entitled to $369 in full-time training for a maximum of 36 months of educational assistance or the equivalent in full-time training.
Montgomery G.I. Bill–Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) (Chapter 1607)
REAP was established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a Department of Defense education benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the President or Congress. This program makes certain that reservists who were activated for at least 90 days after September 11, 2001 are either eligible for education benefits or eligible for increased benefits.
Montgomery G.I. Bill–Survivor’s and Dependent’s Educational Assistance Program (DEA) (Chapter 35)
DEA provides education benefits and training opportunities to eligible dependents of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training. A spouse may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances by the Veterans Administration.
Chapter 33 (Post–9/11 G.I. Bill)
The Post–9/11 GI Bill is a new education benefit program for individuals who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. Eligibility ranges from 40% to 100% of tuition, fees and BAH, based on service from 90 days to 36 months.
Recruitment Incentive and Retention Program (RIRP)
This is a New York State tuition assistance program for active members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard and the New York Naval Militia. It provides tuition assistance for active members enrolled in a first-degree program of study. The award covers tuition after all other financial aid has been applied to the tuition charges. Students must apply for federal and state aid and file a DMNA 96-1 form, which can be obtained from their individual national guard units. Continuation of the award will be dependent on good military standing, making satisfactory progress toward the degree and on maintaining good academic standing for financial aid purposes.
Tuition Assistance
The Tuition Assistance (TA) program provides financial assistance for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of a soldier’s professional and personal self-development goals. TA is available for courses that are offered in the classroom or by distance learning. The courses must be offered by schools that are registered in GoArmyEd (http://www.goarmyed.com/)and are accredited by accrediting agencies that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The Department of Defense (DoD) has directed a uniform TA fiscal policy across the military services. Per semester hour cap is $250 and the fiscal year ceiling is $4,500. The Army will pay 100 percent of the tuition charged by a school up to the established per semester hour cap and fiscal year ceiling.
Veterans Tuition Awards
Veterans Tuition Awards (VTA) are available for New York State residents who served in Indochina between December 22, 1961 and March 7, 1975; in the Persian Gulf on or after August 2, 1990 and in Afghanistan during hostilities on or after September 11, 2001. Veterans are eligible to receive up to 98 percent of the tuition cost each semester at in-state, degree-granting institutions or approved vocational programs.
New York veterans must first complete both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) applications.
Veterans must also complete the New York State Veterans Tuition Award Supplement or contact HESC. Be sure to print the WEB supplement Confirmation, sign it, and return it along with the required documentation according to the instructions. Questions regarding eligible service or how to document service should be directed to the HESC Scholarship Unit at 888.697.4372. Questions regarding Veterans Benefits may be directed to the Financial Aid Office.
HESC requires a student to be in good academic standing and also be registered for classes in their degree. Students are advised to use each semester DegreeWorks: the degree audit program to find the required classes needed. Students can access DegreeWorks through the CUNY website. Under "Log In," click on DegreeWorks to view your degree audit. You will need to log in using your CUNY Login Credentials.
Tuition Benefit for Out of State Veterans
Veterans who reside outside New York State are eligible for in-state tuition benefits. This applies to any student who enrolled after Spring 2015 with an other than dishonorable discharge. This benefit includes both Reservists and National Guard. Students must prove veteran status with a U.S. Department of Defense Form DD214 or a Certificate of Eligibility from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Family members eligible for educational assistance under the federal GI bills are also entitled to the in-state tuition. To prove status the dependent/spouse must provide a certificate of eligibility. Service members and their family stationed in New York on full-time active duty are also eligible for the in-state tuition rate.
Fry Scholarship
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of Service members who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. Eligible beneficiaries attending school may receive up to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level. Find out more information on payment rates. See our fact sheet which provides more detailed information.
Eligibility
Children and surviving spouses of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001 are eligible for this benefit.
Children
Children are eligible as of their 18th birthday (unless they have already graduated high school). A child may be married or over 23 and still be eligible, although their eligibility ends on their 33rd birthday.
Spouses
Spouses have 15 years from the date of death of the service member to use the benefit.
Because certain provisions of the law, that extended these benefits to spouses did not go in effect until January 1, 2015, some surviving spouses’ benefits would have expired in 2016. A new provision of the law signed on December 16, 2016, extends the benefit eligibility to January 1, 2021 for the spouses of Service members who died in the line of duty between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2005. This allows surviving spouses’ additional time to use the Fry Scholarship benefits. See our letter to spouses for further clarification of the new policy.
Spouses will lose eligibility to this benefit upon remarriage.
Fry and DEA Eligibility
If you are eligible for both Fry Scholarship and DEA (Dependents Educational Assistance), you will be required to make an irrevocable election between the two programs when you apply. Dependents are not eligible to receive both DEA and the Fry Scholarship based on the same event (like a service member dying in the line of duty) unless they are a child whose parent died prior to August 1, 2011. A child of a parent who died prior to August 1, 2011 may still be eligible for both benefits but they may only use one program at a time and combined benefits are capped at a total of 81 months of full-time training. In this situation the two benefit programs cannot be used concurrently.
Other Factors to Consider
Surviving spouses are eligible to receive Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC) while using the Fry Scholarship. Children, over the age of 18, in receipt of DIC will relinquish DIC payments upon the start of using VA education benefits such as the Fry Scholarship.
Apply
To apply, take these steps depending on your situation:
- Make sure that your selected program is approved for VA training. Please visit our GI Bill Comparison Tool for help in choosing a school.
- To apply, obtain and complete VA Form 22-5490, Dependents Application for VA Education Benefits. Send it to the Regional Processing Office with jurisdiction over the state where you will advance your education and training. If you are a son or daughter, under legal age, a parent or guardian must sign the application. When applying, you will be required to make an irrevocable election between the Fry Scholarship and the Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program to receive benefits. Children of a service member who died in the line of duty prior to August 1, 2011 may be eligible for both DEA and Fry but they cannot be used at the same time.
- If you have started your educational program, take your application to your school or employer. Ask them to complete VA Form 22-1999, Enrollment Certification, and send both forms to VA. They can submit an Enrollment Certification electronically using VA-ONCE. (Note: Schools must contact their VA representative to receive this form.)