Earn While You Learn

Did you know that eligible Veterans/Dependents can receive their GI Bill money while working in an approved apprenticeship or on-the-job training program?

All types of training programs must first be approved for participation. To see if a program is already approved, visit www.gibill.va.gov and select the “choosing a school” option. If a training program is not yet approved, a representative of the program must contact the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Processing Office for approval at 888-442-4551.

It is the student’s responsibility to apply for educational benefits. An application for educational benefits http://gibill.va.gov/apply-for-benefits/application/ is the first step in this process. The application will be submitted electronically. Once the VA has processed the application a denial or Certificate of Eligibility will be sent to the prospective student outlining the qualifying benefit(s). A designated official at the training facility will then submit paperwork to the VA to begin generating payments to the student.

GI Bill payments for Apprenticeship or on-the-job training differ depending on the type of qualifying benefit. And, effective October 1, 2011 the Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) can be received for those who qualify and are participating in this type of training. Details can be found at www.gibill.va.gov.