The Minnesota State Fair starts this week! That means that Labor Day and school are just around the corner. 

While the waning days of summer always come with the “back to school” ads targeting kids, military Veterans may also be considering continuing their education, completing that college degree, or taking a special class to update their skills.

Did you know that as a Veteran, you may have access to both Federal and State educational benefits? New education benefits, including the post 9/11 GI Bill and sustained deployments have dramatically increased the number of Veterans attending college in recent years.

MDVA's Higher Education Veterans Program staff are ready to assist Veterans and eligible family members with accessing the right benefits, schools and programs. In addition, many college campuses host a Veterans Resource Center with a representative on site to assist with educational benefits. 

The cost of tuition may make college seem unaffordable. Get the facts about funding options from the MDVA team.

• The Federal GI bill includes both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) is available for those who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces. MGIB encompasses both the Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (Chapter 30) and The Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606). Under Chapter 30, Active Duty members enroll and pay $100 per month for 12 months; and are then entitled to receive a monthly education benefit once they have completed a minimum service obligation. Under Chapter 1606, a reservist must be actively drilling and have a 6-year obligation in the Selected Reserve to be eligible. The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
• The Minnesota GI Bill program provides assistance to eligible Minnesota Veterans, currently serving military, National Guard and Reserve members who served after September 11, 2001, and eligible spouse and children. The Program provides a maximum benefit of $10,000, up to age 62. Eligible participants can use the benefit in Higher Education, On-the-job training (OJT)/Apprenticeship or License and Certification.
• Veteran Education Assistance is provided to Veterans in the form of a one-time $750 grant for tuition to Veterans who have exhausted, through use, all of their GI Bill benefits to assist with completing a bachelor's degree. This grant is paid directly to the institution, or may be reimbursed to Veteran upon verification that tuition has been paid. 

For more information on MDVA on-campus representatives working with the Regional Coordinator Program and Veteran education benefits, visit our Veteran Support Portal.

I encourage interested Veterans to look into one or more of these options to further their education.