It can be difficult for soldiers to determine just what options are available to them after their military careers are done, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has just made that process a lot easier.
Stars and Stripes reported that the VA released the GI Bill Comparison Tool Feb. 5 to make the process of comparing army benefits easier for retired soldiers. The aggregator compiles information from 17 different online sites and three government agencies to not only simplify the process for troops searching for real-world applications of the benefits they earned through military service.
"Before this tool launched, estimating how much beneficiaries may receive under the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit was challenging," VA Deputy Understudy for the Office of Economic Opportunity Curtis Coy told Stars and Stripes. "The new comparison tool makes it easy to estimate Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits with just one click."
The tool covers more than just financial assistance, as the website also lists assistance for continuing education programs veterans may qualify for. The assistance includes support for tuition, housing and course textbooks.
The VA has given out more than $30 billion in payments to support veterans interested in going back to school, and this new tool will make that process even easier.