Can I use the G.I. Bill for a second Master's degree?

[Shemrat]

Hello. I have been looking up and down and all-around for the answer to this question: Can I use the G.I. Bill for a second Master's degree? After completion of my current masters through tuition assistance I will have a full G.I. bill to utilize. Some say that yes, you can in fact use it for a second masters. Others say no. Does anybody out there know the truth?

Thanks!

[humenber]

Hi! My husband got his Bachelor's while on active duty and after retirement, wanted to use the post 9/11 GI Bill. He started a second Bachelor's in a different career field and then quit going to school for medical reasons. He called the VA on Monday and spoke to a rep about how much time he has left and the new rules that began on Aug 1 and will begin on Oct 1. He also asked if he could change his studies. Instead of finishing that Bachelor's program, he wants to do a Master's. The VA rep said he could study anything he wants as long as the GI Bill covers it. If he could do a second Bachelor's, why couldn't you do a second Master's? If you want the correct answer, I suggest you call the VA. Everyone has an opinion, but they will have the correct information. Good luck!

[valsacar]

As humenber said, best is to ask the VA. I've asked them about doing second degrees and got the same answer as humenber, as long as it is at an approved school and part of an approved program.

[fiveninerzero]

Yes. TA wouldn't let you do it, but the GI Bill will.

[bbrunson1]

I've looked into this myself because I'll have my master's when I leave active duty and still want to go to school. Based on all the research I've done it appears that you CAN do a second master's, bachelor's, or whatever as long as you meet the other eligibility requirements. I have not found anything that suggests otherwise. I've searched the FAQ's and numerous other websites.

[pitbull30]

I dont see why you wouldnt be able to. Ive used mine for a bunch of random things and no one ever asked if i finished my degree yet. On the VA form you just write the program on there. I dont remember it asking if you already have a degree etc.

Ive attended a local Com college, a local tech school for non-college courses, and done clep/dsst at another college. I think as long as its a VA approved program and you have the $$ and time left on your GI Bill you use it however you want.

[CLEP101]

Yes. TA wouldn't let you do it, but the GI Bill will.

Yep, to get around this I will get a Graduate Certificate in American History with TA, then a Masters in Public Administration, all with TA. They allow one Grad Certificate an one Masters degree.

Then I'll turn around and use the G.I. Bill to turn the Grad Cert into a MA in History. The certificate is 6 classes, so all I'll have to do is take 6 or 7 more classes to wrap it up.

[dcan]

Yep, to get around this I will get a Graduate Certificate in American History with TA, then a Masters in Public Administration, all with TA. They allow one Grad Certificate an one Masters degree.

Then I'll turn around and use the G.I. Bill to turn the Grad Cert into a MA in History. The certificate is 6 classes, so all I'll have to do is take 6 or 7 more classes to wrap it up.

Dang, that is a fantastic idea. Do you know if that one grad certificate is on top of the one certification they will pay for in your career? I always looked at the "certification" as something like PMP, CISSP, etc. Never considered it from a grad school angle.

Doubtful but I thought I'd ask...

[Shemrat]

Yep, to get around this I will get a Graduate Certificate in American History with TA, then a Masters in Public Administration, all with TA. They allow one Grad Certificate an one Masters degree.

Then I'll turn around and use the G.I. Bill to turn the Grad Cert into a MA in History. The certificate is 6 classes, so all I'll have to do is take 6 or 7 more classes to wrap it up.

Thank you, you just answered my second question. Even the TA people didn't have a defined answer for me when I asked them if TA would cover the expenses of a graduate certificate after attaining my masters degree. If that is the case, then I will go ahead and acquire that interesting Graduate Certificate in Ancient and Classical History from American Public University that caught my eye. It's about time that I have a little fun with my studies... It should be a nice intermission before I do something stupid like getting into a PhD program... heh

[CLEP101]

Dang, that is a fantastic idea. Do you know if that one grad certificate is on top of the one certification they will pay for in your career? I always looked at the "certification" as something like PMP, CISSP, etc. Never considered it from a grad school angle.

Doubtful but I thought I'd ask...

I'm not sure how the other certifications fall with regards to Tuition Assistance. However, at the Graduate level, you can pursue a Masters degree, then a Graduate certificate, or Grad cert, then the Masters. I think (don't quote me) the PMP, CISSP, A+, etc certs will fall under a different category, and will be considered undergrad. Don't know if TA will cover those, but I'm pretty sure the GI Bill will.

I thought the easier way to make the Army pay for nearly two Masters was to go the Grad certificate route in something that could be easily turned into another Masters using GI Bill. So I will basically be getting 1 1/2 Masters degrees using TA. Depending on how much money I have left when I'm done with those two, I might jump on something else. The MA in National Security sounds interesting.