The Post 9/11 GI Bill for Veterans

The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, popularly known as the GI Bill was amended once again in 2010 by Congress to offer more benefits and career options to veterans returning after active duty. According to new provisions of the Post 9/11 GI Bill for Veterans, personnel’s who have served at least 90 days on active duty or were honorably discharged after 30 days of active duty post September 10, 2001 are eligible for full benefits of this financial assistance program for veterans. Though veterans can utilize the benefits for advancing their careers in numerous ways, many veterans have realized that using Post 9/11 GI Bill for funding for kick-starting their truck driving career is the best option. The bill stipulates that your truck driving training costs, CDL license fee and housing allowances will be paid by the government. If eligible, you are also entitled for the rural benefit payment. As truck driving training program fees vary for each school, and only certain truck driving schools are accredited for this. As a veteran, you should ensure that the school is chosen with utmost care. A good truck driving school will comprehensively train you successfully secure a Class A CDL permit, which will enable you to get a job with the nation’s leading trucking companies. Moreover, tucking companies are eager to hire veterans with their CDL license as personnel’s with military or para-military background are more disciplined as far as carrying out the duties of a trucker. The Post 9/11 GI Bill is meant to help veterans in stabilizing their careers. Trucking is one of the best options for veterans as the industry is insulated from slowdowns and offers above-average pay packages. You just have to get trained first. If you are an eligible veteran, and are interested in truck driving as a career, get in touch with us at 1-800-TRUCKER or 1800-878-2537. Not only we will answer all your questions, but will also you to find a perfect truck driving school for you. Truck Driving School Grants Considering a new career as a professional truck driver but finding the cost of driver training to be a prohibitive roadblock standing in your way? The average cost to attend a truck driving school is now around $4,000 to $6,000, leaving many that would like to drive a truck for a living without the ability to pay that expense. You may not realize it, but there are in fact a number of grants and training reimbursement programs out there that can help you attend truck driving school and join the rapidly expanding field of transportation. Workforce Investment Act WIA grants are available under the U.S. Department of Labor’s Adult and Dislocated Worker Program. This grant is designed to help workers that have become unemployed due to economic downturns in their particular fields and to people seeking work that do not have the necessary skills to find sustainable employment on their own. Assistance under the WIA program will pay for truck driving school and other types of vocational training. To find out if you are eligible, visit your local One-Stop Career Center. Trade Adjustment Assistance TAA grants are offered by to the U.S. Department of Labor to assist displaced workers that have found themselves laid off due to shifting foreign trade. If it is determined that you have lost your job through no fault of your own and the loss of your position is due to a change in international trade, you could receive money to fund retraining and other benefits. Trade adjustment assistance can be used to attend truck driving school and many other vocational training programs. To apply, you may either file an online petition or visit the One-Stop Career Center nearest you. Driver Training Reimbursement Programs If you are not eligible for a grant to attend truck driving school, you may still be able to afford this education by signing up with a trucking company that will either pay for your training or reimburse you for that expense if you agree to work for them for a period of time. Each program is a bit different and the commitment you must work for the company funding your education can vary from a number of months to several years. If you are trying to find employment with a specific trucking company, you should inquire directly to find out if that employer offers any type of driver training or reimbursement program. Here are a few companies that offer these programs: Prime Incorporated Offers $3,500 for driver training in exchange for a one year employment commitment. To inquire about working with Prime, contact a company recruiter at 1-877-774-6356. Schneider National Will pay up to $6,000 in tuition reimbursement received monthly after one month of successful employment. Call a Schneider recruiter at 1-800-447-7433 for more information. Swift Transportation A total tuition reimbursement of $3,900 can be paid off by working a total of 26 months for Swift, following graduation. Call 1-866-437-3050 to find out more about the Swift Driving Academy. Federal Student Grants Most truck driving school programs are considered too short to use federal grants such as the Pell Grant or FSEOG, but it is not impossible to use these grants to pay for driver training. You may still be able to apply for most federal student aid if the driver training you plan to complete is part of a larger degree program offered by a vocational school or technical college. But as most truck driving schools only take several weeks or months to complete, you can not apply for a federal education grant for these shorter programs. NEVADA JOIN. Inc. would be your best bet or if your unemployed, The WIA Program.