An Unexpected Benefit: Tutoring for the Whole Family

A surprising number of comprehensive tutoring resources are available to military servicemembers and their families. Though tutoring is sometimes seen as a last resort for students failing a course, one-on-one tutoring has been shown to help increase retention, according to a California State University study. The research indicated that the more a student was tutored, the more information that student retained. Military benefits provide for free tutoring for active duty servicemembers or veterans, as well as the rest of their families.

GI Bill tutoring benefits

Active duty servicemembers and veterans who are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill are eligible for assistance. The benefit is also available to spouses and dependents to whom GI Bill benefits were transferred. Keep in mind that a school could already offer free tutoring benefits to its students. However, if it doesn't, this military benefit could come in handy.

Unlike a lot of military education benefits, a student pays for and receives the tutoring before he or she applies for the benefit. Some of the downsides to this process include:

1. A student must pay for tutoring services up-front, unless arrangements can be made with a tutor.
2. There is no guarantee that the Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, will approve an application.
3. Timing of payments is at the mercy of the VA.

If those conditions are acceptable, this benefit could be something to pursue. The tutoring benefit:

1. Pays up to $100 in a single month.
2. Has a maximum benefit of $1,200.
3. Is in addition to any other military education benefit a service member is receiving.
4. Requires a form to be filled out that must be signed by the tutor and the certifying official at the student's school.
5. Cannot be claimed for tutoring sessions that took place more than a year ago.

Note that military personnel who are using their Montgomery GI Bill benefits are also eligible for tutorial assistance, but only up to $600. Any extra tutorial assistance claimed results in a charge against the member's entitlement.

Free K-12+ tutoring for active-duty families

Though it may sound too good to be true, active duty military families actually can receive free, one-on-one tutoring any hour of the day. Early in 2010, the Department of Defense announced a partnership with Tutor.com that led U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Nicholas F. Marano to comment: "Tutor.com is a program that I am extremely excited about because I know how much it really makes a difference in Marines' and their families lives."

Previously, Tutor.com had been available only at installation libraries. Now, any active duty military, military reservists (either active duty or deployed), active duty National Guard, and deployed DoD civilians and their families can access tutorial services from any location in the world with Internet access.

Tutors can assist in a variety of subjects from calculus to grammar and physics, and help is availalbe from the K-12 to introductory-college subject level. If a paper is due, a tutor can proofread it. They can also assist in writing a resume, conducting a job search or studying for standardized tests like the GED.

Tutoring is done through an online platform, similar to those used in online schools. Once a user has a password, he or she signs in to request a tutor and uses the computer's browser to log on to an online classroom. Students are able to instant message a tutor, use a virtual white board to experiment with examples and upload documents for review.

MyCAA Career Counseling Benefit

As a part of recent changes to My Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA), the program for military spouses, it now provides unlimited career counseling to all military spouses--not just those with MyCAA accounts. Although it is not academic tutoring per se, one-on-one assistance with a career counselor can help a military spouse to design an academic or career plan and identify sources of military aid to help with pay.

Resources for military families are most valuable when people know about them and use them. Whether a tutor or counselor is providing career assistance or helping with academics, opportunities exist to help military servicemembers, veterans and families achieve their goals.

Share This

Email