Members of the military must give up $100 a month in salary for 12 months and serve for two years to be eligible for Montgomery bill benefits. Full-time students can receive $1426 a month while half-time students receive $713 a month. Service members need to study the provisions of both available GI bills and pick the one that is the best fit. Once a bill has been chosen, the decision is irreversible. The Montgomery GI Bill was introduced in 1984 by U.S. Rep. Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery.
Technical schools qualify for Montgomery GI Bill funds as non-college degree programs, licensing and certification programs, or on-the job and apprenticeship training. Check with the school you have selected to make certain the program you wish to pursue is eligible for GI Bill funds, as some are not. Eligibility is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and it should be contacted when looking for an eligible school.
Unlike the Montgomery GI Bill, the Post 9/11 GI Bill, passed in 2008, determines money to be disbursed by length of active duty service. A service member or veteran must have served at least 36 months to receive full benefits. At that level, the VA will pay tuition and fees up to the level of the highest undergraduate tuition and fees at a public college or university in the state where the school a veteran will attend is located. For active-duty service members, tuition is paid in full regardless of the state maximum payment rate. Additionally, a housing stipend, averaging $1,200 per month is available, determined by the ZIP code of the school attended.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill generally covers any program that results in a degree, including online programs, and it will also cover one test for licensing and certification. It will not currently cover other programs, including technical and vocational schools. However, if a school offers degrees, vocational and technical training at that school can be covered. There is also an option for those who have been or are eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill to be "grandfathered in" and be able to use the Post 9/11 GI Bill for technical schools that were acceptable under the Montgomery Bill. There are changes set to be made in October 2011 to the Post 9/11 Bill that may also allow it to be used for some technical schools.