How To Use Military Benefits for College in New Jersey

Many states, including New Jersey, offer military education benefits for service members pursuing higher education. This is in addition to GI Bills and other types of federal benefits.

To use military benefits for college, you'll need to understand your benefit eligibility and apply for financial aid. Keep reading to learn more about how to use military benefits for schools in New Jersey.

Steps for Using Military Educational Benefits for New Jersey College Students

In all states, active-duty service members and veterans must go through a few steps to access educational assistance. Below, we've outlined the basic steps for using your military educational benefits as a New Jersey college student.

Understand Your Benefits

There are multiple educational benefits that military members may qualify for in New Jersey. Some are offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), others by the state of New Jersey. We dig into a few common benefit programs below.

New Jersey Veterans Tuition Credit Program

The New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs offers the Veterans Tuition Credit Program to help offset the cost of veterans' tuition. The program provides up to $400 per year for full-time students and $200 per year for part-time students.

To qualify, you must have been on active duty between Dec. 31, 1960, and May 7, 1975, and have been a legal resident of NJ at the time of entrance into or discharge from the service, or two years immediately before applying.

New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) for Veterans

The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund is a New Jersey program that offers financial assistance to all students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. While this program isn't specifically for veterans, they can certainly take advantage of this.

This fund is need-based, and the amount you receive depends on your household income. You must be a New Jersey resident for 12 consecutive months and currently attending a New Jersey college or university participating in the program.

New Jersey National Guard Educational Benefits

According to New Jersey state law, every member of the New Jersey Army National Guard can attend any New Jersey public college or university tuition-free for undergraduate and graduate studies.

To qualify, you must have completed your initial entry training with the New Jersey Army National Guard and be in good standing with your unit.

Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) is the most common type of veterans education benefit. It provides funding for those who served in the armed forces on active duty on or after 9/11.

The amount you receive from this program depends on how long you served or if you were discharged with a service-connected disability. Those who qualify for the maximum benefit receive full tuition at a public, in-state college or university covered and a stipend for books and housing.

Montgomery GI Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill is another bill that can help you pay your college tuition. There are two types of Montgomery GI Bill. The first is for active-duty service members (Chapter 30) and the second is for selected reserve members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Cost Guard (Chapter 1606).

This GI Bill only covers tuition costs and does not cover additional costs of your degree program. You can learn more about both types of GI Bills at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Check Eligibility

While many service members qualify for VA educational benefits, not everyone qualifies for the same amount of financial aid. Knowing what your eligibility is will help you plan how you're going to pay for your tuition.

You can learn more about eligibility for the GI Bill at VA.gov. Information for other programs can be found on the program websites.

Apply for Benefits

Like eligibility requirements, application requirements will vary by program. Typically, you can find application information on the program website.

To receive most types of financial aid, you'll need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is an application all students should fill out and allows them to access state, federal, and private aid.

Application Deadline

Many financial aid programs have a deadline that you'll need to meet to access your funds for the next semester. Many colleges and universities have financial aid deadlines as well.

The GI Bill does not have a specific deadline, but it usually takes at least 30 days for the VA to process applications. Ensure you send your application and make arrangements with your school's financial aid office well in advance.

Choose a VA-Approved School

For a school to access VA funds, it has to be approved by the VA. Most accredited colleges and universities are VA-approved, and we've listed a few top New Jersey schools below.

Rutgers University

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, is a public research university with four campuses throughout the state. As a public university, students may be able to have all tuition costs covered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Rutgers was recently named one of the best colleges for veterans by Military Times. It also offers the Queens Guard Scholarship for veteran students.

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Because it's a private school, the maximum you can receive from the Post-9/11 GI Bill is $28,937 toward tuition per year.

As a result, you'll need to use other methods to pay for your Princeton tuition. This can include grants, scholarships, student loans, or tuition assistance programs.

Seton Hall University

Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Again, as a private university, the Post-9/11 GI Bill will not cover all tuition costs.

The university will help students access the educational benefits they are entitled to. They also offer other types of financial aid to help military service members.

Speak With Your School's Veteran's Office

Most colleges and universities offer a veteran services office. This office is there to help current military members and vets adjust to college life, but it also helps military students with financial aid.

They can help military personnel find additional financial aid beyond the GI Bill, and they can also process the Certificate of Eligibility you'll receive when approved to use the GI Bill.

Explore Additional Funding

As we mentioned above, sometimes the GI Bill doesn't cover full tuition costs. When that happens, you'll need additional funding. We've listed a few options below to help you avoid student loan debt.

Military Scholarships

Scholarships are a type of financial aid gift that you don't need to repay. Many scholarships are offered specifically to military members, vets, and their dependents.

The U.S. Department of Labor offers a scholarship finder tool on their CareerOneStop.com website. Some colleges and universities, like Rutgers, offer military scholarships as well.

Military Grants

Grants are another type of financial aid you don't need to repay. They're usually offered based on financial need, but sometimes they're offered specifically for military members.

Colleges, universities, and government agencies are usually the organizations that offer grants, but some private organizations do as well. The CareerOneStop scholarship finder will also help you find grants.

Tuition Assistance Programs

Tuition assistance programs aren't exactly scholarships or grants, but they can still help students pay their tuition. The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund we mentioned above is one example of this.

Another example is the Yellow Ribbon Program, which helps students who qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill pay for tuition that the bill doesn't cover. Schools need to opt into this program and usually set an amount. For example, Princeton offers a maximum of $4,000 to eligible students while Seton Hall offers a maximum of $13,200.

Who Is Eligible for the New Jersey Catastrophic Entitlement?

The New Jersey Catastrophic Entitlement program is for New Jersey residents with a permanent service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that resulted from wartime service resulting in a catastrophic disability. This benefit can also go to surviving spouses.

The entitlement offers $150 per month. While these funds aren't earmarked for education, they can be used to pay tuition costs.