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a copy of your Increased Benefit Contribution Program form (DD-2366-1) and
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proof that you made additional contributions.
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- GI Bill (overview)
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- Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP or Ch. 1607)
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RESERVE EDUCATION ASSSTANCE PROGRAM (REAP)
REAP provides up to 36 months of full-time education benefits which may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. As announced in ALCOAST 045/06 and amplified in ALCOAST 258/09, REAP provides education assistance to Reservists who have served on active duty for 90 days or more since 11 September 2001 in a contingency operation.
No contribution or payment from the Reservist is required.
To be eligible you must:
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have been called to active duty for a contingency operation as determined by Congress or the president, and
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have served on active duty since 11 September 2001 in a contingency operation for at least 90 consecutive days.
As to just what constitutes a "contingency operation", see the article from the USCG Reservist magazine.
The amount of benefit is based on a percentage of the Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill rate for personnel with an obligated period of active duty of three years.
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Reservists mobilized for 90 or more consecutive days but for less than one continuous year are eligible to receive 40% of the Chapter 30 MGIB-AD rate (see table below).
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Reservists mobilized for more than one continuous year, but less than two continuous years, are eligible to receive 60% of the Chapter 30 MGIB-AD rate (see table below).
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Reservists mobilized for two or more continuous years OR for multiple periods of service which total three or more years are eligible to receive 80% of the Chapter 30 MGIB-AD rate (see table below).
|
Training time |
monthly rate (40% MGIB-AD)* |
monthly rate (60% MGIB-AD)* | monthly rate (80% MGIB-AD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Full-time (12 or more credits) |
$625.60 |
$938.40 |
$1,251.20 |
|
¾-time (9 - 11 credits) |
$469.20 | $703.80 | $938.40 |
|
½-time (6 - 8 credits) |
$312.80 | $469.20 | $625.60 |
|
¼-time or less (1 - 5 credits) |
$156.40 | $234.60 | $312.80 |
* FY12
If you're eligible for a lower percentage of the MGIB-AD pay-out when you elect to participate in REAP and find your active duty period extended to the point you're eligible for a higher percentage, you will receive that higher percentage. However, that higher percentage pay-out will not be retroactive.
How Long Can I Use REAP Benefits?
Generally, once you've elected to participate in REAP you'll be able to use your 36-month entitlement for ten years from date you separate from Selected Reserve under honorable conditions.
What Can I Use REAP Benefits For?
You can use it to pay for the following types of programs:
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college/university degree
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vocational
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independent study or distance learning
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correspondence courses
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flight training
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on-the-job and apprenticeship
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entrepreneurship courses
For example, say you want to run your own charter boat service. You can use REAP to get reimbursed for many (if not most) OUPV (operator of uninspected passenger vessel) courses. Check out the list of course providers on the Coast Guard's web site and then check the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) web site to see if the provider has been approved for GI Bill benefits.
Transferring Benefits to Dependents
Congress has enacted a law which authorizes the armed forces to offer their personnel the option of transferring unused REAP benefits to dependents.
However, although this law took effect on 30 June 2008, none of the services have not made this option available and for a number of reasons it's unlikely they will.
Buy-Up (Increased Benefit Contribution) Option
As of 28 January 2008, Reservists who have elected to participate in REAP are also eligible to participate in the buy-up option. This option allows you to contribute up to $600 (in increments as small as $20) at any time before your REAP eligibility ceases. For every dollar you contribute, the Coast Guard will contribute $8. So if you put in only $20, your total basic benefit is increased by $180; if you put in the maximum of $600, $5,400 will be added to your basic benefit.
This is an incredibly good deal, especially if you plan to attend a pricey university or continue to grad school. To participate in the buy-up option, you only need to fill out an Increased Benefit Contribution Program form (DD-2366-1) and make payments. Check with your personnel office regarding making payments. If you plan to make payments over a long period, you can set up an allotment or pay by check or other means however often you like. The minimum amount of each payment is $20, and each contribution has to be a multiple of $20, but you don't have to pay contribute the same amount every time or make contributions regularly.
Once you're ready to start using your GI Bill education benefit (i.e., after you've activated it), you'll need to provide the DVA with verification that you made additional contributions. According to Military.com, the DVA asks that you submit photocopies of the following:
If you used payroll deductions to make your contributions, you'll need to provide copies of each LES from which a contribution was made. If you paid in cash, some kind of receipt (e.g., an official memo from your SPO stating the date and amount of each cash). And if you paid by credit card, an official memo from PSC stating the date and amount of your credit card charge for the Buy-up option and either a receipt or the credit card statement showing the charge.
CAVEAT: Don't be surprised if your SPO (or even PSC) doesn't know how to take your money or make sure your records indicate you've made Buy-up payments. This change in the law caught the Coast Guard (and likely all the armed forces) by surprise and they're scrambling to get administrative provisions in place which make it possible for you to take advantage of this option.
Certification & Licensing Exams
After you complete a vocational course or other non-academic program, you may want to become certified by one of the many organizations in the country. Your GI Bill benefit will pay up to $2,000 per exam for as many exams as you want or need to take to achieve your certification or licensing goals as long as you're eligible to receive GI Bill benefits.
Following up on the example above, say you've completed the 100-ton license exam preparation course and are ready to take the licensing exam. You can receive up to $2,000 for each test you take – no matter how many times it takes you to pass. AND the money to pay for these exams doesn't affect your 36-month entitlement in any way.
This is true for other licensing and certification programs, as well: the DVA will pay for the course and as many certification/licensing exams as you need to take (up to $2,000 per test): law school and the bar exam, an MBA degree and CPA license, cosmetology school and the licensing exam, culinary school and certification exams, etc.
Activating Your Benefit
Before you can use your REAP benefit, you must first apply for the benefit (also called activating it). Click here for more information on this process.
Last Modified 02/27/2013