The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) authorizes the veteran or active duty military personnel to receive educational benefits. These benefits authorize tuition payments for up to 36 months of schooling at a trade, technical or licensing school as well as a degree-producing school. The bill pays for correspondence courses, technical training, college or university educations and apprenticeship programs. Schools that accept this GI Bill are DeVry University, Gratham University and Universal Technical Institute, all of which have technical schools in a variety of skilled trades and technical licensing.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill only pays for degree-producing programs such as an associate's degree, bachelor's degree or graduate degree. Examples of schools that accept this GI Bill are Strayer University, DeVry University, University of Phoenix, Virginia College and Walden University Online. These schools offer education in some technical fields such as information technology, computer programming, medical assistant and other computer-related disciplines, but do not have skilled trades technical training. This GI Bill, which was activated in August 2009, authorizes more educational benefits than the MGIB authorizes.
Some technical schools such as ITT Technical Institute accept the Post 9/11 GI Bill and have a variety of technical degrees available to the veteran. Upon completion of these technical degree programs, the veteran is eligible and qualified to take the licensing and certification exams for the technical discipline studied. These technical degrees include engineering, computer forensics, drafting, construction technology and a host of technical degrees for different health sciences, business, electronics technology and criminal justice.
Apprenticeship programs that are covered under the Montgomery GI Bill are licensing or certification programs for veterans seeking to become journeymen in a skilled trade. These authorized schools are conducted through employers that are signed up to this GI Bill education tuition program. Companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Cessna Aircraft, local fire departments, local police departments and other major companies in the United States participate in the program. The veteran can train to become a fireman, police officer, electrician, HVAC technician or any other skilled trade utilized by these companies or organizations.