If you are in the military or have been honorably discharged from the military, you are oftentimes eligible for a host of benefits, and educational assistance is one of those benefits. The United States government will show their appreciation for your time served by offering different levels of assistance to help you either further your career, obtain a degree, or finish up a college degree program that you may have already started. While you may be fully aware that there are certain benefits available to you, there are some things that you may not know about educational assistance for military personnel.
Educational assistance may even be available for your spouse.
If your spouse is interested in gaining a degree or needs help paying for college tuition, they may even be eligible for educational assistance because of your own personal military credentials or status. It is not uncommon for spouses of active military members to take advantage of these assistance programs while their military-enlisted spouse is still enlisted or on active duty. In some cases, it is easier to get assistance if the individual is already enrolled in a degree or certification program. However, it is well worth the effort to find out what could be available before enrolling in a program to understand how much assistance is available.
Your dependent children may be eligible for tuition assistance.
Survivors & Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) is available for some dependent children of those who are considered veterans. The program offers as much as 45 months of assistance to help children of some veterans pay for college tuition, apprenticeship programs, and some types of technical certification. If you have children who are interested in furthering their education, these programs can be a major help to help you cover the costs of their education without them having to rely on other student loan programs or funding options that are available.
You may be eligible for grants and scholarships not provided by the military.
If you have already taken advantage of the assistance that is available to you from Veteran's Affairs and you still have educational expenses that need to be covered, you may still have other options. There are a lot of privately funded scholarship and grant programs that are available for members of the military. Sometimes, these funds are offered through different colleges and universities in an effort to attract more military students to their campuses.
