GI Bill Educational Benefits Enhanced for Reservists
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 has enhanced the GI bill educational benefits (Reserve Educational Assistance Program - REAP) for reservists. Some of these enhancements include:1
- Eligibility is now based on aggregate active service of three years rather than continuous service.
- Reservists otherwise eligible for MGIB-SR or REAP may receive accelerated payments for a non-degree program lasting 2 years or less.
- Eligible REAP participants may now participate in the "buy-up" program. Eligible reservists may pay up to $600.00 to increase their monthly rate of pay by as much as $150.00 per month. You must be a member of a Ready Reserve component (Selected Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve, or Inactive National Guard) to pay into the "buy-up" program.
- REAP participants who separated from the Selected Reserve after completing their service contract under other than dishonorable conditions are now eligible for REAP benefits for 10 years after they are separated from the Selected Reserve.
- A member who is involuntarily separated from the Selected Reserve due to a deactivation of his or her unit is now eligible for MGIB-SR for a period of 14 years from their original date of eligibility. The deactivation must occur between 10/31/2007 and 9/30/2014.
- Reservists who had a break in service (now regardless of length) can maintain their eligibility to REAP, as long as they continue to serve in another component of the Ready Reserve (such as IRR or ING) during the break in service.
1 United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (2008). New Changes to the GI Bill. Available online at http://www.gibill.va.gov/NDAA2008.html.
