I am trying to finish my MBA in Project Management, however, my benefits have been exhausted. I am not a disabled Veteran. I am 3 classes short of finishing my MBA. Any assistance will help. Thank you in advance!
Answers
Many employers offer tuition assistance. They don’t always cover the full cost (mine covers about 2/3 of the MBA class) but certainly that could help you achieve this wonderful milestone. If your current employer doesn’t offer a program, it may be worth shopping around.
Hi Jamell,
From what I remember you can actually request an extension of benefits in order to complete your degree. However, your degree has to be considered STEM. In my case with my MBA it fell within STEM.
https://militarybenefits.info/gi-bill-stem-extension/
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2108
Also, in recent news that may be in your favor depending on your situation.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2019/09/03/court-ruling-could-give-veterans-an-extra-year-of-gi-bill-benefits/
Best of luck,
Jonathan
Hi Jamell,
Oh wow, you're so close on finishing your MBA! As you may already know, since you do not meet the minimum service connected disability requirement for CH 31 Vocational Rehabilitation you will not be eligible for this benefit. If you go get assessed/reassessed and your service connected disability increases, then I encourage you to apply for these educational benefits by visiting: https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/
If not, my recommendations are as follows:
1) Ask the University/College you are attending whether they have merit/institutional and/or endowed aid in the form of awards/scholarships. While most schools typically do not have as much institutional aid budgeted for graduate programs, it's worth looking into. I know of one University here in NYC that offers a 50% Veterans Tuition Scholarship across all academic levels. Make mention of your military service as some schools have set aside aid for this deserving population.
2) Inquire if the state in which your school is located in has aid available. I know New York State for example has a Veterans Tuition Award that pays up to approximately $6,000 per year.
3) Begin researching for scholarships specific to student veterans. Student Veterans of America (SVA) immediately comes to mind - currently they are accepting applications for scholarships funded by Google and Raytheon. Since the former is specific to Computer Science majors, my recommendation is to look into the latter which is open only to Army veterans so that checks out! https://studentveterans.org/programs/scholarships
Wishing you the best of luck in your academic journey and post-military civilian career!
Best,
Rob
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