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Tuition Assistance Top-up
Top-Up Your Tuition
Used to be, if you chose to pursue higher education after military service, the military could pay up to 75% of tuition or expenses of the school. Not a bad deal, but eligible service members then had to find additional financing to pay remaining expenses. Look no further; the VA has found that support for you. On October 30, 2000, the President signed into law an amendment to the Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty program called the Tuition Assistance Top-up benefit.
With Top-up, the VA can now pay up to 100% of your tuition and expenses, up to DOD limits. If you're eligible for MGIB and your service branch does not pay 100% tuition and fees, Top-up can step up to pay the balance. That's a top-level plan.
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Get on Top of Your Education While You're Active
Using Top-up is also a good deal if you use Tuition Assistance to complete a degree program while on active duty and don't plan to continue your education after service; you can choose to use your benefits right now. Top-up can also be helpful for taking just a few courses while on active duty; you can choose to save most of your MGIB to use after your service to complete a full education.
The Bottom Line For Topping-Up
To be eligible for the Top-up benefit, you must be approved for Tuition Assistance by a military department and be eligible for MGIB-Active Duty benefits. You must be an MGIB - Active Duty participant and must have served at least 2 full years on Active Duty. The Top-up benefit is available for all courses that began on or after October 30, 2000. The Top-up program is not available at this time to persons who are eligible for the MGIB Selected Reserve program.
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Top-up is limited to 36 months of payments which can be applied in a variety of ways towards a variety of educational opportunities, from full tuition or certain eligible courses. For example, if you enrolled in a 3-month course, Top-up could pay for that program, and you would be using only 3 of the 36 months in your total benefit.
The Top-up can even apply retroactively if you're eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill, back one year from the date your claim was/is received for training that began on or after October 30, 2000. Top-up can take up the slack in your tuition, or support a short-term education program while you're on active duty, or both.
Make this your top-notch solution to a complete education.
This list does not include all schools that accept GI Bill funding. For a full list of schools by state, click here.
Campus Schools
As the largest private university in North America, University of Phoenix has more than 200 locations, and is available online in most countries around the world. Whether you're seeking a college degree at an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral level, we can help you reach your academic goal—and sooner than you might think.
We work closely with industry leaders to build market-driven degree programs. This ensures DeVry University graduates from our five distinguished colleges of study, as well as DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management, are prepared to meet the challenges of today’s global marketplace.
Your passion for fashion and design comes to life at The Art Institutes. Real-world experience and career services will prepare you for entry-level employment in the creative arts.
You deserve a better career and a better life. Rasmussen College in Minnesota can help you get both.
At Everest University you can get a higher education designed to meet the demands of employers in some of today's hottest fields.
At Argosy University we prepare individuals for careers that make a difference, whether in business, education, or psychology. Learn how you can make a difference in your life, and the lives of others.
Get the right foundation for your future with a degree from Strayer University. Evening, weekend and online classes are all available to meet the needs of busy adults.
Learn the way to prepare for a culinary career with Le Cordon Bleu programs in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking, or Hospitality & Restaurant Management.
Bring Your Fire to the Plate. Le Cordon Bleu. Learn the Way.
Located just outside of Orlando, Florida, Full Sail University is an educational leader for those pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. The school's on-campus programs provide students with an innovative and accelerated style of education geared toward career opportunities in media, entertainment and the arts.
Full Sail's unique curriculum emphasizes intensive, real-world education, using the latest industry equipment and production processes. Students develop their skills in world-class recording studios, spacious film soundstages, motion capture studio, and a professional performing arts hall, all housed in a 110+ studio, 190-acre multimedia complex.
Full Sail's unique curriculum emphasizes intensive, real-world education, using the latest industry equipment and production processes. Students develop their skills in world-class recording studios, spacious film soundstages, motion capture studio, and a professional performing arts hall, all housed in a 110+ studio, 190-acre multimedia complex.
Carrington College has helped over 45,000 graduates realize their dream of a career in healthcare. Now it's your turn. Choose from eleven conveniently located campuses.
The above schools represent only a portion of the schools that accept the GI Bill. Download a PDF of the full list of schools here: GI Bill Schools
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