Service members and veterans place a high value on education and the military education programs available to them. More than 1,000 members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard responded to FRA’s recent online survey of military education benefits, revealing 34 percent of respondents are currently pursuing a college degree.

More than 60 percent of the active duty and Reserve respondents have taken or are taking advantage of the military’s Tuition Assistance (TA) program while they attend civilian colleges or universities. TA covers up to 100 percent of tuition and fees (but not books) for service members pursuing off-duty education, providing up to $250 per semester credit hour ($166 per quarter credit hour). Eligibility and maximum benefits vary by service, but in most cases, TA is the first education benefit of choice for active duty personnel.

The survey, conducted before passage of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill legislation, asked participants to share their views about the ability to transfer their military education benefits to family members. Nearly 66 percent of active duty and Reserve respondents said they would be willing to pay an enrollment fee of $2,700 to accept an additional opportunity to participate in the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) program.  The take-rate increased to 87.5 percent when respondents were asked if they’d pay the fee for MGIB benefits that were transferable to their family members. (There is no enrollment fee for eligible service members to participate in the new Post-9/11 education program. Based on initial analysis of the new benefit, eligible service members will be able to divide the benefit among their own educational pursuits and those of their spouse and children.)
Additionally, 55 percent of active duty and Reserve respondents said they would pursue higher education for themselves, even if/when transferability became an option.

Survey results also show the need for education benefits that more accurately reflect today’s college costs.  Of respondents who have used or are using military education benefits to pay for higher education, 28.8 percent said they paid more than $2,000 out-of-pocket to cover the cost of tuition, books and other associated expenses. The recent legislation nearly doubles the education benefit for service members who served after 11 September 2001 and provides a 20-percent increase for participants in the existing MGIB and MGIB-Selected Reserve programs.

FRA is an outspoken advocate for improved education benefits and consistently addresses the issue in congressional testimony, interaction with members of Congress and their staff, and via grassroots letter-writing campaigns. The Association thanks members of Congress and the Administration for enacting the most recent education reforms and will monitor implementation of the new education benefit.