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EDUCATION AND TRAININGArmy Knowledge Online (AKO) Army Knowledge Online (AKO) is rapidly moving to become the central repository for Army Web Sites and access to secured information. As part of the Army Transformation, the personnel community is moving rapidly toward streamlining its systems and giving soldiers access to their military personnel information on-line. We are currently using AKO for Career Field Designation (CFD), Command, and Senior Service College preference statements submission via the web. In the very near future you will no longer have to send away for a copy of your fiche, you will be able to view your file to include your photo on-line. Eventually you will be able to view and possibly update some of your personnel data through the web. We are strongly encouraging all officers to sign up for an AKO account. With this you receive an e-mail address that will follow you throughout your career, eliminating the every 2-3 year updates and ensuring you receive the latest information from your assignment branch. If you have an account and do not know your password, you can call the toll free number on the AKO WebPages to receive it. To access AKO, type www.us.army.mil into your browser.
The Montgomery GI Bill The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) was enacted by Congress to attract high quality men and women into the Armed Forces. The program provides up to 36 months of educational benefits to eligible persons enrolled in degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship and on-the-job training and correspondence courses approved for veteran’s training. The program is administered the Department of Veterans Affairs. An on-line MGIB pamphlet provides more detailed information.
Tuition Assistance Top-Up On October 30, 2000, the President signed into law an amendment to the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty education program that permits VA to pay a Tuition Assistance Top-up benefit. The amount of the benefit can be equal to the difference between the total cost of a college course and the amount of Tuition Assistance that is paid by the military for the course. To be eligible for the Top-up benefit, the person must be approved for federal Tuition Assistance by a military department and be eligible for MGIB-Active Duty benefits. To be eligible for MGIB benefits, the person must be an MGIB – Active Duty participant and must have served at least 2 full years on Active Duty. The amount of the benefit is limited to the amount that the person would receive for the same course if regular MGIB benefits were being paid. In no case can the amount paid by the military combined with the amount paid by VA be more than the total cost of the course. If a person receives the Top-up benefit, his or her regular MGIB benefits will be reduced. The amount of entitlement charged for Top-up payments is determined by dividing the amount of the payment by the claimant’s full-time monthly rate. The benefit is available for all courses that began on or after October 30, 2000. A copy of the Tuition Assistance Authorization form for the course that has been signed by an authorized military official will be required. People who have not requested MGIB benefits before should submit a VA Form 22-1990 to establish eligibility. The application and other evidence should be sent to one of the VA’s four education processing offices in Atlanta, Buffalo, Muskogee (OK), or St. Louis. The application form and the addresses of the offices are available on the Internet at www.gibill.va.gov National Guard State College Tuition Assistance Programs Contact your Education Officer for further information about your State’s College Tuition Assistance Program. |