The VA does have a program for active duty personnel to use their GI Bill in conjunction with tuition assistance.
The program "Top-Up" allows the VA to pay you the difference between the total course cost and the cost covered by the military, up to the maximum rate payable to a veteran.
For example, imagine you are enrolled in a course that is considered full-time, and the total course cost is $1,000. If the military decides to pay $400, VA could pay the difference, $600. VA could pay that amount because $600 is less than the maximum rate payable to a veteran, which is $1,994. If the same course was $2,000 and the military decided to pay only $100, the most the VA could pay would be $1,994, the maximum rate payable to a veteran. We pay whichever amount is less.
If you are getting 100% Tuition Assistance (TA) for a class, you would not be eligible for Top-Up for that class. Keep in mind that the VA looks at the figures on the approved application for TA to determine the amount paid by the service member. If there is a lab fee or other cost not reported on the TA Form, the VA cannot pay for that. We can only pay the difference between the total course cost and the cost paid by the military (up to the maximum amount payable to a veteran) as reported on the TA Form.
Your GI Bill entitlement is charged differently depending on which GI Bill program you are utilizing:
- If you are utilizing the Montgomery GI Bill your entitlement is charged based on the dollar amount of benefits VA pays you. (For example: if the VA reimburses you $3296 you would be charged 2 months worth of GI Bill benefits - $1,994 is the current monthly rate of reimbursement - no matter how long it took us to reimburse you the $3296)
- If you are utilizing the Post-9/11 GI Bill your entitlement is charged based on the training time you are enrolled in. If you are going to classes at the 1/2 time training level you will be charged 1/2 month of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for each month you are enrolled and receiving GI Bill benefits - (it does not matter how much money you are reimbursed)