Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty

The MGIB program provides up to 36 months of education benefits. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. Generally, benefits are payable for 10 years following your release from active duty. This program is also commonly known as Chapter 30.

Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve

The MGIB-SR program may be available to you if you are a member of the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. This program is also commonly known as Chapter 1606.

Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)

REAP was established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a new Department of Defense education benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the President or Congress. This program is also known as Chapter 1607.

The Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security will determine who is eligible for this program. The Department of Veterans Affairs will administer the program and pay benefits from funds contributed by DOD. The Secretaries of each military service, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security (Coast Guard) will determine eligibility and establish the program to provide educational assistance to members of the Reserves of the armed forces who are called to duty for 90 days or more. Members may be eligible after serving 90 consecutive days on active duty after September 11, 2001.  

You will receive 36 months of full time entitlement at your given rate. A REAP participant may not use more than 48 months of entitlement under any combination of VA Educational programs. You may use your benefits under REAP as long as you remain within your component. Benefits must be terminated if you leave the Reserves or participate in a ROTC program under Title 10 Section 2107.  

Members released early for disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty may receive REAP benefits at the 40% rate. If you are released for disability, you are entitled to REAP benefits for 10 years from your date of eligibility.

Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program

This program provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition, or who died while on active duty or as a result of a service related condition. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training. If you are a spouse, you may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. This program is also known as Chapter 35.

Tuition Assistance "Top-Up"

On October 30, 2000, the President signed into law an amendment to the Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty education program that permits VA to pay a Tuition Assistance Top- up benefit. The amount of the benefit can be equal to the difference between the total cost of a college course and the amount of Tuition Assistance that is paid by the military for the course. To be eligible for the Top-up benefit, the person must be approved for federal Tuition Assistance by a military department and be eligible for MGIB-Active Duty benefits. To be eligible for MGIB benefits, the person must be an MGIB - Active Duty participant and must have served at least 2 full years on Active Duty.

Vocational Rehabilitation

This program is for veterans with a 20% or more disability rating from the VA. The veteran needs to go through the local VA office for approval. Southeastern Illinois College refers veterans to Stephanie Fitzjerrells the Veteran’s Hospital in Marion, Illinois. She may be reached at 618-998-5634.  

Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program

If you served at least one year of federal active duty service in the Armed Forces of the United States or if you served on federal active duty service in a foreign country during a time of hostilities in that country and are honorably discharged you may be eligible for the Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program. Effective September 15, 2004, any member of the Illinois National Guard or a Reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States who meets the eligibility requirementsis considered a qualified applicant for the IVG Program.

This program pays eligible tuition and certain fees at any Illinois public college or community college. Qualified applicants may use this grant at the undergraduate or graduate level for the equivalent of four academic years of full-time enrollment. Contact the financial aid office at your college to determine what portion of your total tuition and fees will be covered by this grant.  

Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program

POW/MIA Scholarship

Any spouse, natural child, legally adopted child, or any step-child of a veteran or service person who has been declared by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs to be a prisoner of war, missing in action, have died as the result of a service connected disability or be permanently disabled from service connected causes with 100% disability and who, at the time of entering service, was an Illinois resident within six months of entering service shall be eligible for the scholarship.