If you are in a technical field in the military you may think you can't use your GI Bill benefits once you leave the service, because the GI Bill is only for college. This isn't true at all - many technical fields pay good money, and you can use your military experience to write your ticket to a career in several technical fields. Sometimes you need a certification or school training for employers to hire you though.You can use your GI Bill to attend a technical or trade school to get this training.
You can use your GI Bill for training in areas such as:
- HVAC repair
- Truck driving
- Emergency medical technician (EMT) training
- Computer repair
- Computer network technician
- Audio/visual repair
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Tool & die maker
- Gunsmith/gun repair
- High-pressure welder
- Barber/beautician school
- Aviation mechanic
- and many more.
What Will The GI Bill Pay For Technical Training?
Your payment amount varies depending on the GI Bill program you are utilizing and the type of non-college-degree school you are attending, but are similar to your GI Bill payments for attending a college.
If you are attending a college-level course 12 credit hours are considered full-time, if you are attending a clock-hour course 18 hours of classroom instruction or 22 hours of shop practice are considered full-time. If you're training at a part time level, your GI Bill payment will also be lower, you should check with your school for more information.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill
If you are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill and attending a state school, such as a junior college, the VA will pay your full tuition directly to the school and pay you a Monthly Housing Allowance which is based on the BAH for the school's location. If you are attending a private school, the VA will pay you up to the full tuition OR the national maximum amount allowed by law, whichever is less.You will also be paid up to $83.00 per month for books and supplies.
All Other GI Bill Programs
VA pays a monthly rate that varies depending on which GI Bill program you are entitled to and how long your qualifying military service was. View current payment rates.
