The Center for Service in Action and Veteran Services, in conjunction with the Gender Education Series of the Cross-Cultural Center, presented "Woman and the Military". Cynthia E. Perry RN, PhD, who served in the Navy for 27 years, speaks about her experiences in the military.

EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS

Chapter 30: New G.I. Bill

The New G.I. Bill program is designed to provide up to 36 months of education benefits for elligible veterans. In order to qualify, you must be on active duty or have been for at least two years and have had your military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months of active duty. This benefit can be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, correspondence courses and on-the-job training. Benefits are payable for 10 years following discharge from active duty.

Chapter 31: Vocational Rehabilitation

A veteran can be eligible for Chapter 31 benefits if he or she received or aggraveted a service-connected disability on or after September 16, 1940, which entitles him or her to DVA didability compensation and who is in need of vocational rehabilitataion because his or her disability creates an employment handicap. Benefits may be provided for up to 48 months and are available for 12 years from the date when the veteran is notified of entitlement to DVA.

Chapter 32: V.E.A.P.

You are eligible for the Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (V.E.A.P.) if you first entered active duty between 31 December 1976 and 1 July 1985, made contributions from your military pay to this education benefit program, served a continous period of 181 days or more and your discharge from service was other than dishonorable. Your contributions will be matched on a two for one basis by the Government.This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, on-the-job training and correspondence courses.

Chapter 1606: G.I. Bill - Selected Reserve (Formerly CH 106)

The G.I. Bill-SR is available to members of the Selected Reserve who have a six year obligation, completed Initial Active Duty Training, and serve in a drilling Selected Reserve unit. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. Benefits received can be used towards degree and certificate programs, flight training, correspondence courses and on-the-job training.

Chapter 1607: G.I. Bill - Selected Reserve (R.E.A.P.)

REAP was established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a new Department of Defense education benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the President or Congress. This new program makes certain reservists who were activated for at least 90 days after September 11, 2001 either eligible for education benefits or eligible for increased benefits.

Chapter 35: D.E.A.

The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (DEA) provides financial aid for the education of dependent children and spouses of veterans who were permanently and totally disabled, or died while on active duty, due to a service-related condition. Also eligible are dependents of servicepersons missing in action or forcibly detained in the line of duty by a foreign government or hostile force. Under this entitlement, eligible persons may receive up to 45 months of education benefits.

R.E.P.S.: Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors

This program restores Social Security benefits that were reduced or ended by Public Law 97 - 35 for the surviving spouses and children of members of the Armed Forces who died while on active duty, or died as a result of disabilities incurred while on active duty, before August 13, 1981.

CAL-VET

The California college fee waiver program for veterans dependents allows the waiver of all "state mandated" fees at State of California Community College, Campus of the University of California, and Campus of the California State University system. You must quilify under one of the following plans to receive this benefit:

PLAN A --- Be the spouse, child, or unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran who is totally sevice-connected disabled, or died of service-related causes.
PLAN B ---- Be the child of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, or had a service-connected disability at the time of death, or who died of service-related causes.
PLAN C ---- Any dependent, or surviving spouse who has not remarried, of any member of the California National Guard, who in the line of duty, was killed, died of a disability resulting from an event that occurred, or is permanently disabled as a result of an event that occured while in the acitve service of the state.

Individualized Tutorial Assistance

Tutorial assistance is available for veterans training under Chapters 30, 32, 35 and 1606 erolled in a postsecondary educational program on at least a half-time basis who have a deficiency in a subject that is a prerequisite or is indispensable to the satisfactory pursuit of the approved program. Assitance is a supplement to the veteran's monthly education assistance check and is paid without any entitlement charge for those under Chapater 35. Veterans under Chapters 30, 32 and 1606 will have their entitlements charged for tutorial assistance paid in excess of $600. The maximum assistance to which a claimant will be eligible is $1,200.