Presently, the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) program provides education benefits to veterans and servicemembers who have at least two years of active duty. Service for School would essentially extend these benefits to any American citizen who performs at least two years of civilian public service.

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Any American citizen with a high school diploma is eligible for Service for School (GEDs don’t count), and they can receive up to 36 months of education benefits. Eligible citizens who wish to reduce student debt they have already incurred may do so at any time – there will be no retroactive time limit.

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Like the MGIB-AD program, “assistance may be used for college degree and certificate programs, technical or vocational courses, flight training, apprenticeships or on-the-job training, high-tech training, licensing and certification tests, entrepreneurship training, entrance examinations, and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. Benefits are generally payable for 10 years following your release from honorable active service.”

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Service for School will also have a $600 Buy-Up Program, where participants can contribute up to an additional $600 to their benefits during their time of service to receive increased monthly benefits.  For an additional $600 contribution, participants may receive up to $5,400 in additional benefits.

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To qualify for Service for School, it’s not about what you do for your employer, it’s about who your employer is – much like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. PSLF is an existing federal program that forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after the borrower has made 120 monthly payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer. As with PSLF, the following employment will qualify for Service for School: