Veteran Terminology
Included below are some common terms used in the Veteran Affairs Office at Ball State University. Understanding the meaning of such terms may aid you in the process of applying and receiving benefits.
G.I. Bill- A very broad term which refers to educational benefits available to military veterans.
Kicker Contract- A Kicker Contract is a document/contract which pays an additional monthly benefit (not an entitlement) to the Reserve GI Bill, to encourage the enlistment and retention of quality applicants/service members in critical skills or units.
DD214- A document of the United States Department of Defense, issued upon a military service member’s retirement, separation or discharge from active-duty military.
Certificate of Eligibility- This document is required by the Veteran Affairs Office as proof of education eligibility under the Department of Defense.
NOBE/ Form 2384-1- (Notice of Basic Eligibility) This form is also required by the Veteran Affairs Office as proof of education eligibility under the Department of Defense.
MOS- The Army calls their enlisted jobs MOSs, or "Military Occupation Specialties." The Army has around 190 MOSs available for enlisted Soldiers. Similar specialties are divided into "branches" or "fields." Some examples include Air Defense, Aviation, and Special Forces.
AARTS/SMAARTS Transcripts- Proof of military courses completed for the purpose of transferring military credit to college credit.
BAH- (Basic Allowance for Housing) The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is based on geographic duty location, pay grade, and dependency status. The intent of BAH is to provide uniformed servicemembers accurate and equitable housing compensation based on housing costs in local civilian housing markets, and is payable when government quarters are not provided.
Chapter 30- The Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (Chapter 30), called "MGIB" for short, provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible veterans for:
- College, Business, Technical or Vocational school
- Tuition Assistance: “Top-Up”
- On-the-Job Training and Apprenticeship Programs
- Correspondence Courses
- Remedial, Deficiency, and Refresher Training (in some cases)
- Flight Training (in some cases)
- The cost of tests for licenses or certifications needed to get, keep, or advance in a job
- National Tests
Chapter 31- Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits (Chapter 31) is a program whose primary function is to help veterans with service-connected disabilities become suitably employed, maintain employment, or achieve independence in daily living.
The program offers a number of services to help each eligible disabled veteran reach his or her rehabilitation goal. These services include vocational and personal counseling, education and training, financial aid, job assistance, and, if needed, medical and dental treatment. Services generally last up to 48 months, but they can be extended in certain instances.
Chapter 33- Members who served on active duty for at least 90 aggregate days after 9/10/01.
Active duty exclusions include:
- Service Academy graduate commitment
- ROTC scholarship graduate commitment
- Active duty served as a requirement for student loan repayment under chapter 109, 10 USC
* Members who serve at least 30 continuous days on active duty and were released due to a service-connected disability are also eligible.
Chapter 1606- The Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) is an education program that provides up to 36 months of education benefits to members of the Selected Reserve. This includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserves, as well as the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. It is the first program that doesn't require a person to serve on active duty in the regular Armed Forces to qualify.
Chapter 1607- REAP (Chapter 1607 of title 10, U.S. Code) is a new education program that provides up to 36 months of education benefits to members of the Selected Reserves, Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), and National Guard, who are called or ordered to active service in response to a war or national emergency, as declared by the President or Congress.