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Department of Military and Family Support

�����鶹ԭ��’s Department of Military and Family Support assists student veterans by assuring veterans complete their education programs through academic support and by recognizing and awarding academic credit based on technical and vocational military training, assisting veterans with applying for both federal and state education benefits, providing social support to veterans through organized activities and organization, providing counseling services, developing programs that help veterans share their knowledge and experience with public school programs and community organizations, and coordinating efforts with campus disability services.

New students who wish to begin receiving their GI Bill^® benefits must contact Charles M. Yakubow II at 304-462-6155 or via email.

Benefits and Assistance Programs

Post-9/11 GI Bill^® (Chapter 33)

The Post-9/11 GI Bill^® (Chapter 33) helps you pay for school or job training. If you’ve served on active duty after September 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill^® (Chapter 33). Find out if you can get this education benefit.

You may be eligible for education benefits if you meet at least one of these requirements.

At least one of these must be true:

You served at least 90 days on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) on or after September 11, 2001, or

You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or

You served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break in service) on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability, or

You’re a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying Veteran or service member

Note: If you’re a member of the Reserves who lost education benefits when the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) ended in November 2015, you may qualify to receive restored benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill^®.

What benefits can I get through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)?

• Tuition and fees. If you qualify for the maximum benefit, we’ll cover the full cost of public, in-state tuition and fees. We cap the rates for private and foreign schools, and update those rates each year.
• Money for housing (if you’re in school more than half time). We’ll base your monthly housing allowance on the cost of living where your school is located.
• Money for books and supplies. You can receive up to $1,000 per school year.
• Money to help you move from a rural area to go to school. You may qualify for this one-time payment of $500 if you live in a county with 6 or fewer people per square mile and you’re either moving at least 500 miles to go to school or have no other option but to fly by plane to get to your school.

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program can help you pay for higher out-of-state, private school, foreign school, or graduate school tuition and fees that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover. Keep reading to find out if you’re eligible and if your school takes part in this program.
And at least one of these must be true:

• You served at least 36 months on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) and were honorably discharged, or
• You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or
• You served at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break) on or after September 11, 2001, and were discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability, or
• You’re an active-duty service member who has served at least 36 months on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service), or
• You’re a spouse using the transferred benefits of an active-duty service member who has served at least 36 months on active duty, or
• You’re a dependent child using benefits transferred by a Veteran, or
• You’re a Fry Scholar

What benefits can I get through this program?
You can get money to help pay for tuition and fees at any of these types of schools:

• A private school that may have higher tuition and fees, or
• A foreign school, or
• A public school if you want to attend as a nonresident student

If you qualify, your school will contribute a certain amount toward your extra tuition and fees through a grant, scholarship, or similar program. We’ll match the contribution.
 

Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31)

If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, Veteran Readiness and Employment (formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) can help. This program—also known as Chapter 31 or VR&E—helps you explore employment options and address education or training needs. In some cases, your family members may also qualify for certain benefits.
 

Survivors' and Dependents' Education Assistance (Chapter 35)

 

If you’re the child or spouse of a Veteran or service member who has died, is captured or missing, or has disabilities, you may be able to get help paying for school or job training through the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program—also called Chapter 35. Find out if you’re eligible for this benefit.

Am I eligible for education benefits through the DEA program?

You may be able to get these benefits if both you and the Veteran or service member meet certain eligibility requirements.

One of the descriptions listed below must be true:

• The Veteran or service member is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability, or
• The Veteran or service member died while on active duty or as a result of a service-connected disability, or
• The Veteran or service member is missing in action or was captured in the line of duty by a hostile force, or
• The Veteran or service member was forcibly detained (held) or interned in the line of duty by a foreign entity, or
• The Veteran or service member is in the hospital or getting outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability (effective December 23, 2006)

If you’re the child of a Veteran or service member

• You can get benefits if you’re between the ages of 18 and 26, except in certain cases. You may be married or unmarried.
• If you’re over 18 years old and using DEA, you can’t get Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from us.
• If you join the military, you can’t use this benefit while on active duty. And if you want to use this benefit after you leave the service, you can’t have a dishonorable discharge. Military service can extend your eligibility, but this increase doesn’t usually go past your 31st birthday.

If you’re the spouse of a Veteran or service member

• Your benefits start on the date we conclude that you qualify or on the date of the Veteran’s death, and last for 10 years.
• If we rated the Veteran as permanently and totally disabled, with an effective date that’s 3 years after discharge from active duty, you’ll qualify for benefits for 20 years from that effective date. This new policy began on October 10, 2008. We won’t pay benefits for training you started before this date.
• If the service member died on active duty, your benefits end 20 years from the date of death.
• You can get DIC payments from us and use DEA benefits.

What benefits can I get?
We’ll send you a monthly payment to help you cover the cost of:

• College or graduate degree programs
• Career-training certificate courses
• Educational and career counseling
• Apprenticeships
• On-the-job training

Note: If you began using this program to pay for your school or training before August 1, 2018, you can get benefits for up to 45 months. If you began using the program on or after August 1, 2018, you can get benefits for up to 36 months.

 

Fry Scholarships

Learn about the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship), a scholarship for children and spouses of certain Veterans. If your parent or spouse died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, while serving in one of the Armed Forces, or was a member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability, you may qualify for this benefit. Keep reading to find out if you’re eligible for education benefits through this scholarship.

Am I eligible for Fry Scholarship benefits?
You may be eligible for Fry Scholarship benefits if you’re the child or surviving spouse of:

• A member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, or
• A member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty while not on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, or
• A member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001

As the child of a service member...

• You can be married or unmarried.
• If you turned 18 or graduated from high school before January 1, 2013, you can get a Fry Scholarship until you’re 33 years old.
• If you turn 18 or graduate from high school after January 1, 2013, you can get a Fry Scholarship at any age over 18 or after you graduate (whichever comes first).
• If your parent was a member of the Selected Reserve and died from a service-connected disability while not on active duty, you can get a Fry Scholarship at any time, no matter how old you are.
• If your parent died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you may qualify for both the Fry Scholarship and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program. But you can use only one program at a time. We cap combined benefits at 81 months of full-time training.
• If you’re receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), you’ll need to give up those payments when you start to use the Fry Scholarship.

As the spouse of a service member...

• If you remarry, you’ll no longer be eligible for the Fry Scholarship.
• You can still get Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments while using the Fry Scholarship.

Note: If your parent or spouse was “not on active duty,” this means they were a member of the Reserve serving on active duty for training or inactive duty training. This term doesn’t include Army and Air National Guard members who were on State orders (sometimes called “State Active Duty").

What benefits can I get?
You may be able to get up to 36 months of benefits, including:

• Money for tuition (full in-state tuition costs at public schools and up to $22,805.34 per year for training at private or out-of-state schools)
• Money for housing
• Money for books and supplies

CHAMPVA Benefits

 

Are you the spouse or surviving spouse of—or a child of—a Veteran with disabilities or a Veteran who has died? If you don’t qualify for TRICARE (the Department of Defense’s health care program for active-duty and retired service members and their families), you may be able to get health insurance through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). Through this program, we cover the cost of some of your healthcare services and supplies. This is called cost sharing. Find out if you qualify for CHAMPVA and how to apply.
 

Am I eligible for healthcare through CHAMPVA?
You may only be eligible for healthcare through CHAMPVA if you don’t qualify for TRICARE and at least one of these descriptions is true for you.
 

At least one of these must be true:

• You’re the spouse or child of a Veteran who’s been rated permanently and totally disabled for a service-connected disability by a VA regional office, or
• You’re the surviving spouse or child of a Veteran who died from a VA-rated service-connected disability, or
• You’re the surviving spouse or child of a Veteran who was at the time of death rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, or
• You’re the surviving spouse or child of a service member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct (in most of these cases, family members qualify for TRICARE, not CHAMPVA).
• A service-connected disability is a disability that we’ve concluded was caused—or made worse—by the Veteran’s active-duty service. A permanent disability is one that’s not expected to improve.

Note: A Veteran who’s the qualifying CHAMPVA sponsor for their family may also qualify for the VA health care program based on their own Veteran status. If 2 spouses are both Veterans who qualify as CHAMPVA sponsors for their family, they both may now qualify for CHAMPVA benefits. Each time they need medical care, they may choose to get care through the VA health care program or using their CHAMPVA coverage.

Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

 

The Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) can help you pay for education and training programs. If you’ve served at least 2 years on active duty, find out if you qualify for the MGIB-AD program.

Am I eligible for education benefits through the MGIB-AD program?
You may be eligible for education benefits through this program if you were honorably discharged and you meet the requirements of one of these categories.

One of these categories must describe you...

Category I

All of these are true: 

• You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
• You entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985, and
• You had your military pay reduced by $100 a month for the first 12 months of service

And you've served continuously (without a break) for at least one of these time periods:

• 3 years, or
• 2 years if that was your agreement when you enlisted, or
• 4 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty (called the 2 by 4 program)

Category II

All of these are true:

• You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
• You entered active duty before January 1, 1977 (or before January 2, 1978, under a delayed enlistment program contracted before January 1, 1977), and
• You served at least 1 day between October 19, 1984, and June 30, 1985, and stayed on active duty through June 30, 1988 (or through June 30, 1987, if you entered the Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years), and
• You had at least 1 day of entitlement left under the Vietnam Era GI Bill (Chapter 34) as of December 31, 1989

Category III

All of these are true:

• You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
• You don’t qualify for MGIB under categories I or II, and
• You had your military pay reduced by $1,200 before separation

And one of these is true:

• You were on active duty on September 30, 1990, and involuntarily separated (not by your choice) after February 2, 1991, or
• You involuntarily separated on or after November 30, 1993, or
• You chose to voluntarily separate under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) program or the Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program

Category IV

Both of these are true:

• You have a high school diploma, GED, or 12 hours of college credit, and
• You had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1,200 lump-sum contribution (meaning you paid it all at once)

And one of these is true:

• You were on active duty on October 9, 1996, had money left in a VEAP account on that date, and chose MGIB before October 9, 1997, or
• You entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between July 1, 1985, and November 28, 1989, and chose MGIB between October 9, 1996, and July 9, 1997

 

$600 Buy-Up Program

 

If you take part in the $600 Montgomery GI Bill Buy-Up program, you’ll get more money each month through your GI Bill monthly payments. Find out how it works.

 

Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) (Chapter 1606)

 

The Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) program offers up to 36 months of education and training benefits. If you’re a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard, you may be eligible for this benefit. Find out if you qualify.

Am I eligible for education benefits under the MGIB-SR program?
You may be eligible for education benefits under this program if you meet these requirements.

One of these must be true:

• You have a 6-year service obligation (you agreed to serve 6 years) in the Selected Reserve, or
• You’re an officer in the Selected Reserve and you agreed to serve 6 years in addition to your initial service obligation

Note: Your obligation must have started after June 30, 1985, or for some types of training after September 30, 1990.

And all of these must also be true:

• You complete your initial active duty for training (IADT), and
• You get a high school diploma or certificate of equal value, like a High School Equivalency Diploma or GED, before finishing IADT (Note: You can’t use 12 hours toward a college degree to meet this requirement), and
• You stay in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit (Note: You’ll still be eligible if you’re discharged from Selected Reserve service due to a disability that was not caused by misconduct)

 

Federal Tuition Assistance

 

Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) is financial assistance provided for voluntary off-duty education programs in support of a service member’s profession and personal self-development goals. You must be currently serving in an active or reserve capacity to be eligible to receive Tuition Assistance. �����鶹ԭ�� is approved to accept Tuition Assistance payment from all DOD branches of service. Tuition Assistance typically covers up to a maximum of $250 per semester hour and up to 16 semester hours per year (the number of funds and/or units may vary by service branch).  

Please contact the Veteran Certifying official with any questions regarding tuition assistance.

 

Tuition Assistance Top-Up

 

Does your college tuition cost more than what’s covered by the Department of Defense (DoD) Tuition Assistance (TA) program? Find out if you can get more money to help pay for school through the Tuition Assistance Top-Up program.

You may be eligible for Tuition Assistance Top-Up if you’re approved for federal TA and you meet both of the requirements listed below. Both of these must be true:

• You qualify for Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) or Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, and
• The cost of the course and fees is more than TA will cover

 

National Guard Educational Encouragement Program (WVEEP)

 

The WV National Guard funds up to 100% of tuition costs and fees (up to $7,000 as prescribed by The Adjutant General) per Service Member per fiscal year. State tuition assistance may be used in addition to federal tuition assistance, the GI Bill, and Pell Grants.
 
Eligibility Requirements:

• Service Members requesting tuition assistance must enroll in an approved, accredited post-secondary institution within West Virginia.
• Service Members must not currently be under any type of an adverse action or administrative flag at the time of application.
• Students must provide a detailed degree plan.
• Students need to complete courses for which tuition assistance is provided before their Expiration Term of Service (ETS) date.
• The institution must provide the student with documentation clearly describing the cost of each course.
• Tuition assistance funds will not be disbursed without verification of enrollment.
• Students need to submit grades to the WVEEP manager upon completion of a course.

* State tuition assistance cannot be used as an overpayment/refund to a student under any circumstance. Funds may ONLY be used for tuition and allowable fees (as prescribed by The Adjutant General).

 

My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA)

 

MyCAA is a workforce development program that provides eligible military spouses with up to $4,000 in financial assistance for licenses, certifications, national tests, or associate degrees to pursue an occupation or career field.

About The MyCAA Scholarship
The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship is open to spouses of active-duty service members in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2 and O-1 to O-2 who have successfully completed high school and have the ability to request tuition assistance while their military sponsor is on Title 10 military orders. Spouses married to members of the National Guard and reserves in these same pay grades are eligible. You can check your eligibility for the scholarship by visiting the and applying for an account.

Under the new law, military spouses can now use MyCAA with the cost of national tests for course credits required for a degree approved under the program. This includes the College Level Examination Program tests. It also ensures that military spouses receive financial assistance to pursue or maintain (including continuing education courses) a license, certification or associate degree in any career field or occupation.

 

Transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Benefit Transfer Information

Note: The Department of Defense (DoD) decides whether you can transfer GI Bill benefits to your family.

Can I transfer my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits?

You may be able to transfer your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits if you’re on active duty or in the Selected Reserve and you meet all of these requirements.

All of these must be true:

• You've completed at least 6 years of service on the date your request is approved, and
• You agree to add 4 more years of service, and
• The person getting benefits has enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).

Who’s covered?
Qualified dependents

What benefits can my qualified dependents get?
If the DoD approves the Transfer of Entitlement (TOE), your spouse or dependent children can apply for up to 36 months of benefits, and may be able to get money for:

• Tuition
• Housing
• Books and supplies

When can they use the transferred benefits?
These conditions apply to family members using transferred benefits:

Spouses

• May use the benefit right away
• May use the benefit while you’re on active duty or after you’ve separated from service
• Don’t qualify for the monthly housing allowance while you’re on active duty
• May use the benefit for up to 15 years after your separation from active duty

Children

• May start to use the benefit only after you’ve finished at least 10 years of service
• May use the benefit while you’re on active duty or after you’ve separated from service
• May not use the benefit until they’ve gotten a high school diploma (or equivalency certificate), or have reached 18 years of age
• Qualify for the monthly housing allowance even when you’re on active duty
• Don’t have to use the benefit within 15 years after your separation from active duty, but can’t use the benefit after they’ve turned 26 years old.

Your dependents may still qualify even if a child marries or you and your spouse divorce. However, service members and Veterans can revoke (cancel) or change a TOE at any time. If you want to totally revoke transferred benefits for a dependent and you’re still in the service, please turn in another transfer request for the dependent through milConnect. If a dependent’s transfer eligibility (ability to get a TOE) has been totally revoked, you can’t transfer benefits again to that dependent.

How do I transfer the benefit?
While you’re still on active duty, you’ll request to transfer, change, or revoke a Transfer of Entitlement (TOE) through milConnect. You can’t apply for a TOE through us.

If the DoD approves the TOE, your family members may apply for benefits.

• , or
• Apply by mail. Fill out and mail an Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits (VA Form 22-1990E) to the nearest VA regional office.

Once you leave active duty, you can still provide a future effective date for when the TOE can be used, change the number of months transferred, or revoke the TOE by submitting a written request to VA through milConnect.

 

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Charles Yakubow
304-462-6155
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