The Army Active Duty MGIB Top Up program was put in place to allow servicemen and women to take advantage of Montgomery Bill education benefits and Tuition Assistance (TA) benefits concurrently. This program provides a higher level of financial assistance than either program would individually.
Basic Overview of Montgomery Bill Top Up
The MGIB benefit program allows eligible Army personnel to contribute $100 per month from their regular pay for a 12-month period. The payroll deduction is used to fund approved post-secondary education programs.
To quality for Montgomery Bill funding, an applicant must have completed high school or have a GED (General Educational Development) certificate. A minimum of two years of service is required to access these benefits. Veterans who want to receive help to pay for their education must have been honorably discharged.
The Tuition Assistance (TA) program offered to Army active duty personnel will pay for the full cost of tuition and fees for approved post-secondary education programs. The maximum benefit payable under the program is as follows:
- $4,500 for the fiscal year
- $250 per semester credit hour
- $166 per quarter credit hour
Specifically, TA funds can be used to pay for the following costs of going to school:
- Computer Fees
- Enrollment Fees
- Lab Fees
- Special Fees
- Tuition
How to Qualify for MGIB Top Up
Active duty soldiers who have contributed $100 per month under the MGIB plan must set a specific educational goal as part of applying for Tuition Assistance benefits. Anyone who wishes to be exempt from making contributions to MGIB must fill out a form indicating that he or she declines the opportunity to participate. Refusing to make contributions on enlisting is a final decision and one which closes the door to being able to access any educational benefits offered by the Army.
A soldier who wants to access the MGIB program is required to declare specific major or a credential and obtain a degree map from the school they will be attending. The decision about what school to attend and what program to choose is one which must be made carefully and after due consideration.
Limitations of Montgomery Bill Top Up
The Montgomery Bill Top Up funds released under the TA program may only be used to pay for courses which are listed on the degree map. Before funding will be provided, the soldier must sign a TA Statement of Understanding and have his or her unit commander sign it.
The soldier receiving TA benefits under the MGIB Top Up program will enroll in the program and pay the tuition and course fees personally. He or she will then be reimbursed for these expenses directly. The college is required to submit the soldier’s grades to the Army before the reimbursement is made.
A new Statement of Understanding must be filed with the Army for each year the soldier is taking classes. No new funds will be released to the soldier until this document has been received and verified.
Getting Started with MGIB Top Up
The first step in qualifying for funding under the MGIB Top Up program is to sign up for MGIB when enlisting. Failure to do so means that the soldier will lose out on the opportunity to receive any educational benefits under the Montgomery Bill, including Tuition Assistance and regular MGIB funding.
Once a soldier has served for at least the minimum time required to access education benefits, he or she will need to determine what type of educational program will best fit his or her needs and career goals. The Army’s education benefit only covers career-related programs, and some courses, such as bartending, are not covered even though they could potentially lead to employment outside of the military.
Educational benefit funds may not be used for self-improvement courses. For funding to be extended under these programs, higher education must be tied to career training,
Additional Information About MGIB Top Up
A soldier who is considering applying for benefits under the MGIB Top Up program should consider each element very carefully before doing so. Tuition Assistance benefits must be used while the recipient has active duty status but MGIB benefits can accessed for up to 10 years after being honorably discharged.
Each soldier’s situation is different, and he or she will need to weigh out his or her options carefully. It may make more sense for an individual’s long-term career goals to access TA benefits while having active duty status while keeping the MGIB assistance for pursuing further training after leaving the Army.