How To Use Military Benefits for College in Massachusetts

Whether you serve on active duty or are a veteran service member, you're likely entitled to military educational benefits through the government and other organizations. You may be eligible for state aid if you're a Massachusetts student. With so many benefits available, it can be confusing to figure out how to use them all.

Keep reading to discover how to use your military benefits for college in Massachusetts.

Steps for Using Military Educational Benefits for Massachusetts College Students

While various financial aid programs are available to military service members in Massachusetts, you need to apply for and claim these benefits before using them. Below, we've broken down the general steps for using military educational benefits as a Massachusetts college student.

Understand Your Benefits

Many military benefits are available to eligible veterans and active duty members, but you might not qualify for all of them. It helps to understand the different types of benefits so you can pursue the ones you're eligible for. We've listed a few common benefits for Massachusetts service members below.

Massachusetts Veterans' Bonus

The Massachusetts Veterans' Bonus is a state program that offers bonus payments for veterans, service members, and their families living in Massachusetts for at least six months before entering the military and serving during wartime or participating in a combat operation.

There are several different bonuses available depending on when you served. These programs are not specifically meant to help pay tuition. However, the bonuses offered could be used toward tuition costs.

Massachusetts Tuition and Fee Waivers

Massachusetts offers several tuition and fee waiver programs, some specifically for military members. One of these is the Categorical Tuition Waiver. This is only for select groups but includes veterans and members of the armed forces.

Additionally, the state offers a National Guard Tuition Waiver and Federal Tuition Assistance Program. This program provides a 100% tuition and fee waiver to active members of the Massachusetts National Guard attending a state college, university, or community college.

Post-9/11 GI Bill

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers financial aid benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33). This program provides education benefits to those who served on active duty on or after 9/11. Depending on how long you served, your GI Bill benefits may completely cover the cost of tuition at an in-state public university. The bill also includes a stipend for textbooks, other materials, and housing.

Montgomery GI Bill

Another type of VA education benefit comes from the Montgomery GI Bill. There are two types of Montgomery Bill, one for active duty service members (Chapter 30) and one for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard selected reserve members (Chapter 1606).

This bill helps cover tuition costs but does not cover books and housing. You can learn more about the GI Bill benefits at VA.gov.

Check Eligibility

Although there are many financial aid options to help pay for your education program, each financial aid program has specific requirements, and you likely won't be eligible for every single one.

For example, the Montgomery GI Bill is for active duty service members and selected reserve members, not veterans. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Veterans' Bonus is specifically for vets. You can usually find eligibility information on the program website.

Apply for Benefits

After determining your eligibility and choosing which programs to pursue, you can start applying for your benefits. Each program has different application processes, and you can usually find more information on the program website. You must complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is an application that all students who are seeking financial aid need to complete.

Application Deadline

Many financial aid programs have application deadlines so you can secure funding before the semester starts. Some schools also have financial aid deadlines.

The GI Bills don't have deadlines, but you should note that it usually takes about 30 days for the VA to process your application. Therefore, if you want to use your veteran education benefits for your degree program, you should apply with plenty of time before the start of the school year.

Choose a VA-Approved School

The VA must approve the school for military students to use VA educational benefits. Generally speaking, most accredited colleges and universities are VA-approved. We've listed a few top college programs in Massachusetts below.

University of Massachusetts Institutions

The University of Massachusetts System is the public university system in Massachusetts. The system has six physical campuses and an online campus, with the flagship campus in Amherst. Because these are public universities, Post-9/11 GI Bill eligible students could have their full tuition costs covered at any UMass campus. The university also accepts tuition credits and other forms of financial aid.

Boston University

Boston University is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Because it's a private university, the Post-9/11 GI Bill won't cover all costs but will provide up to $28,937 per year toward your tuition.

You can use other types of financial aid to cover your remaining costs. The university also offers the AffordableBU program to help students with financial need cover their costs.

Northeastern University

Northeastern University is a private research university based in Boston, Massachusetts. Like Boston University, the Post-9/11 GI Bill won't cover 100% of costs because Northeastern is private.

However, Northeastern does accept other types of financial aid. It also offers a lower-cost military tuition rate and allows students to get credit for their military experience.

Speak With Your School's Veteran's Office

Most colleges and universities have a veterans services office that helps military members with enrollment and financial aid. The experts in these offices are usually adept at navigating VA benefits and other types of military benefits.

They can also help with things like support services and housing. You can learn more through your school's website.

Explore Additional Funding

You may require additional funding if you aren't eligible to receive the full Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits or choose to attend a private school. Below, we've offered a few funding options to help you pay for your tuition without student loans.

Military Scholarships

Scholarships are a type of financial aid that you don't have to pay back. They're usually given for a specific reason, such as military service. Many colleges and universities offer scholarships.

You can also earn scholarships from businesses and nonprofit organizations. The Department of Labor hosts a scholarship finder tool on its CareerOneStop.org website that can help you find military scholarships.

Military Grants

Grants are similar to scholarships because they don't need to be repaid. The government offers grants, as do colleges and universities. Some grants are available specifically for military members. You can use the scholarship finder at CareerOneStop to find these as well.

Tuition Assistance Programs

Tuition assistance programs help students pay their tuition. Most branches of the military offer tuition assistance to active duty members.

Those who qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill may also qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. This program can help military members cover additional costs beyond what the Post-9/11 GI Bill offers. For example, Boston University offers $3,500 per year for up to 52 students, while Northeastern University will cover all remaining tuition for all eligible students.

Can You Use FAFSA and Military Benefits?

You can, and should, use both FAFSA and military benefits to pay for your tuition. FAFSA can help you pay for additional costs and fees that military benefits don't cover and help your benefits stretch further. Many students qualify for the federal Pell Grant. If you qualify for and use that grant, you'll use less of your military benefits, which you can then use to earn a graduate degree or pass on to family members.