How To Use Military Benefits for College in Indiana

It's no secret that tuition rates are extremely high, and many students choose to enter the military to pay for college. The military offers educational assistance programs, and many states offer these programs for veterans as well, such as Indiana.

Students at Indiana colleges can use both VA and state benefits to cover their tuition costs. Keep reading to learn how to use military benefits for college.

Steps for Using Military Educational Benefits for Indiana College Students

Indiana students who are active duty service members or veterans may be eligible for many types of educational benefits, but these benefits aren't automatically applied. Below, we've outlined the basic steps you'll need to take to use your educational benefits for college in Indiana.

Understand Your Benefits

There are several different types of benefits that military members in Indiana can use to pay for their tuition costs. These include both VA military education benefits programs and military benefits offered by the state of Indiana. We've listed a few common options below.

Indiana National Guard Tuition Supplement Grant

The National Guard Tuition Supplement Grant, also called the National Guard Supplemental Grant (NGSG) is a grant that the Indiana Commission for Higher Education offers to eligible members of the Indiana National Guard. This grant provides 100% of tuition and regular fees at an Indiana public university or $5,000 toward tuition per year at a private university.

Students can attend either part-time or full-time to receive this financial aid. They can be members of either the Air or the Army National Guard.

Indiana State Tuition Exemption for Veterans

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education also offers a Tuition and Fee Exemption program. This provides exemption for up to 124 credit hours at a state college, university, or community college.

The application process goes through the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs. To qualify, you must be the child of a disabled veteran or a Purple Heart recipient, the child of a former POW/MIA after January 1, 1960, an Indiana Purple Heart Recipient, or a former student of Morton Memorial High School.

Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a program that provides financial aid to those who served on active duty on or after 9/11, including those who received a Purple Heart or were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability on or after 9/11.

The amount you can receive for this program depends primarily on the length of your military service. If you qualify for the maximum benefit, you'll receive full tuition coverage at a public Indiana college or university, plus stipends for books and housing.

Montgomery GI Bill

Another option that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers is the Montgomery GI Bill. There are two types of these bills, one for active-duty service members and one for selected reserve members from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard.

Unlike the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI Bill only covers tuition. You can learn more about both GI Bills at the VA website.

Check Eligibility

Each type of educational benefit has its distinct eligibility requirements. For example, some are specifically for veterans, others are for active-duty service members, and others are for dependents.

You can usually find eligibility requirements on the program website. You'll want to understand these requirements before applying so you don't waste time applying to programs you don't qualify for.

Apply for Benefits

Once you've determined which benefits you want to pursue, you can start filling out applications. Usually, you can apply directly on the program website.

You'll also need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This allows you to qualify for other types of financial aid, like grants and scholarships.

Application Deadline

Most types of financial aid have application deadlines. These deadlines are in place to have enough time to process your application before the start of the next academic year.

The GI Bill does not have deadlines, but it takes an average of 30 days for the VA to process applications. If you plan to use these benefits, be sure to apply with enough time before the semester starts.

Choose a VA-Approved School

Military personnel can only use their benefits at a VA-approved school. The VA approves most accredited colleges and universities. We've listed a few top Indiana institutions below.

Indiana University Institutions

The Indiana University system is one of the public university systems in Indiana. Its flagship campus is in Bloomington, with an additional core campus in Indianapolis plus five regional campuses.

As these are public institutions, students who qualify can use their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to cover all their tuition costs at one of the Indiana University campuses. Many of the universities also offer additional grants and scholarships to military students.

Ball State University

Ball State University is a public research university in Muncie, Indiana. Like Indiana University, eligible students here could use the Post-9/11 GI Bill to pay their full tuition costs.

The university has a Veterans Affairs office that helps provide the certification that military students need to receive their educational benefits. It also provides advice, guidance, advocacy, and outreach services to military service members.

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana. Because it is a private school, the Post-9/11 GI Bill won't cover all tuition costs but will provide up to $28,937 yearly.

The university's Office of Military & Veterans Affairs helps military students adjust to higher education. It also offers the Warrior-Scholar Project, a special 'boot camp' to help prepare military members for college.

Speak With Your School's Veteran's Office

Most colleges and universities offer veterans services offices to help military students with enrollment and financial aid. If you're feeling a little lost with your educational benefits, they're a great point of contact.

These offices act as liaisons between the VA and your school's financial aid office. They can also help you choose a program and get credit for prior military education.

Explore Additional Funding

While the GI Bill and other educational benefits can be helpful, they don't always cover your full tuition costs. Below, we've listed some additional funding options to help you pay for school.

Military Scholarships

One type of financial aid you won't owe back is scholarships. These are financial gifts usually offered for a specific reason, such as military service.

Colleges and universities offer scholarships, as do many businesses and organizations. The U.S. Department of Labor offers a free scholarship finder tool at CareerOneStop.org.

Military Grants

Grants are another type of financial aid that you don't repay. They're typically offered based on financial need, but some grants are specific to military members.

One of the most popular grants is the Pell Grant, a federal grant offered to all students with financial need. You can find more grants, including military grants, through the scholarship finder at CareerOneStop.org.

Tuition Assistance Programs

Tuition assistance programs help students cover their tuition costs. Nearly every military branch offers a tuition assistance program to active-duty service members.

The Yellow Ribbon Program is another type of tuition assistance program. It's for those who qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and helps cover costs the GI Bill doesn't.

Schools must opt-in to this program, and different schools provide different amounts of funding. For example, the University of Notre Dame offers $18,044 per year to eligible students.

Do the Children of Veterans Get Free Tuition in Indiana?

In some cases, the children of veterans can get free tuition in Indiana. For example, the Indiana State Tuition Exemption for Veterans offers free tuition at a public college or university for the children of Purple Heart recipients and disabled veterans.

Additionally, service members can transfer whatever educational benefits they haven't used to their dependents and spouses. The VA also offers the Survivors' and Dependents' Education Assistance (DEA), which provides educational assistance to children and surviving spouses of service members who have died, were captured or went missing, or have a service-connected disability.