New VA Benefit

New VA Benefit For High-Technology Courses (NAPSA)—A new education benefits option for veteranseligible for the Montgomery GI Bill will help cover expensive computer and other high-tech courses. A new VA benefit helps cover expensive high-tech courses. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hopes the new benefit option, “accelerated payments,” will encourage moreeligible veterans to use the benefits they’ve earned. Veterans generally have 10 years after release from active duty to use the funds. Some veterans may need only some high-cost technical courses offered by private firms or public institutions to enter a high-tech field such as aerospace, information technology, material design or electronics. The accelerated payments option will pay a lump sum of up to 60 percent of the cost of approved high-cost, high-tech courses, a departure from VA’s traditional monthly reimbursementsfor college and technical school programs. The payment will be made shortly after the beginning of the course. Veterans can receive the latest information on all VA education benefits by visiting the Web site www.gibill.va.gov, or by calling VA at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-4424551).