The federal Department of Veterans Affairs and the State of West Virginia offer education benefits for veterans. If you have questions about accessing those benefits or would like help applying, please contact a Veterans Service Officer in the Benefits Office nearest your location or email
WVDVA@wv.gov.
Post 9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33)
The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill provides financial support for education and housing to honorably discharged Veterans with at least 90 Days of aggregate service on Title 10 Active Duty or Title 32 Active Guard Reserve Duty after September 10, 2001, or Veterans discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days of service.
A veteran may get a maximum of 48 months of VA education benefits, not including VR&E, but many applicants are only eligible for 36 months of benefits. The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill pays for tuition and fees - If a Veteran qualifies for the full amount, the VA will pay for the full cost of public in-state tuition and fees. A veteran may be eligible to go to an out-of-state school and pay in-state tuition. The VA caps the rates for private and foreign schools and updates those rates each year. See the payment rates for the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill here -
https://www.va.gov/education/benefit-rates/post-9-11-gi-bill-rates
Any veteran whose service ended before January 1, 2013, may use their G.I. Bill benefits up until 15 years after their last separation date; for those whose discharge was on or after January 1, 2013, their G.I. Bill benefit will never expire. This is thanks to the Forever GI Bill - Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act.
The program provides a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) based on the Basic Housing Allowance (BAH) for an E5 with dependents. The MHA for a distance learning course equals half the national average BAH for an E5 with dependents.
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
The VR&E program is designed to assist Veterans who have service-connected disabilities to obtain suitable employment and achieve independent living goals. The program can provide job training, employment accommodations, resume development, and job-seeking skills coaching. Through this program, the VA also offers Career Counseling.
The VA also offers vocational counseling and support to qualified veterans' family members, including Education and Career counseling, Readjustment Counseling, Career assessments, Benefits for Children with Disabilities, Dependent Educational Assistance, and help to choose a school.
Education Benefits for Surviving Dependents
A Veteran’s spouse or dependent children may be eligible for Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) Chapter 35 benefits or job training through a G.I. Bill Program. You may qualify if you are the spouse or child of a service member who died in the line of duty, is missing in action or being held by a hostile force for more than 90 days, or is in the hospital or getting outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability that they are likely to be discharged as a result of.
Additionally, you may be eligible if you are the spouse or child of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled because of a service-connected disability or of a veteran who died on active duty or as a result of a service-connected disability.
Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
If you are the Spouse or child of an active duty service member who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, or of a member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001, you may be eligible for the Fry Scholarship.
If a surviving dependent qualifies for the Fry Scholarship and DEA, they must decide which program they want to use. Once the decision is made, it cannot be changed. The exception to this is the child of a veteran who meets qualifying service who died after September 11, 2001, but before August 1, 2011. They can use both programs, but only one at a time, giving them 81 months of full-time training.
West Virginia War Orphan Program
Under this program, a surviving spouse or surviving child younger than 26 years old will have tuition and fees at any W.Va. state school beyond what DEA pays, and the Fry Scholarship is waived at any public institute of higher education in West Virginia. If eligible students have exhausted their Chapter 35 benefit or Fry scholarship, their tuition and fees will be waived. Additionally, they will receive up to $1,000 per semester, to a maximum of $2,000 per year, for expenses from the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance. Speak to a VSO for more information and help with applying. Click here for an application.
In-State Tuition Rates for Nonresident Veterans
All public institutions of higher education will assess tuition at the in-state rate for nonresident recipients of the G.I. Bill who enroll within three years of discharge. More information is available in Title 133 Legislative Rules Series 25 -
https://www.wvhepc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/HEPC-Series-25-SOS-for-Comment-Period-2015-03-17-cla.pdf
Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program
All public institutions of higher education are participants of the US Department of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program, also known as the “Bridging the Gap” program. This benefit helps veterans afford programs where costs exceed the funding provided by the G.I. Bill. More information is available in
West Virginia State Code 18B-10-7C or through the
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
Medal of Honor and Andrew J. Trail Purple Heart Recipient Tuition Waiver
All public institutions of higher education waive tuition and mandatory fee charges for West Virginia residents awarded the Medal of Honor or Purple Heart. More information is available in
West Virginia State Code 18B-10-10 or through the
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.
Veterans Re-education Assistance
Since fiscal year 1997, the legislature has included funding for post-secondary education for veterans in the annual budget. This program offers up to a $500 per semester stipend to veterans enrolled in a certified post-secondary education course. Additionally, this program can assist veterans with vocational and non-traditional education endeavors on a case-by-case basis. Click here for an application.
High School Diploma for Veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War
West Virginia veterans who served in WWII, Korea, or Vietnam and did not graduate from high school may be awarded a high school diploma. The diploma may be granted by the veteran’s current county of residence or by the county where the school they attended is located. More details are available in
West Virginia State Code 18-2-34 or
Title 126 Legislative Rule Series 96. Click here for an application.