How to Pay for Code Platoon – GI Bill

Preparing for a new career field can be an exciting process, but finding the right training program can be daunting. One of the main factors in choosing the right fit is cost. It’s not easy managing a career change while balancing everyday expenses. As a mission-driven nonprofit, Code Platoon’s goal is to provide viable financial options to our Veterans and military spouses, creating one less barrier between our students and their next profession.

In this four-part series, you will learn a bit more about potential funding options and how you can apply them to your training at Code Platoon! In this post, we cover the GI Bill.

GI Bill   

The GI Bill is one of the best benefits of being a military member. GI Bill® programs help service members, veterans, and families reach their education goals. Most people think of the GI Bill® only as a way to pay for traditional college programs but the Bill has expanded greatly and can be applied to other education programs. The VA realized that traditional colleges may not provide the desired skill sets everyone is looking for and they have developed plans that pay for many alternative types of training including Code Platoon.

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the first version of the GI Bill® into law in 1944, it had a major impact on the U.S economy, with many historians citing that this measure contributed to the rise, if not creation, of the middle class. Soldiers returning home from World War II to purchase homes, take up loans to start their own businesses, collect unemployment for up to one year, and pursue higher education. This historic and important document has undergone several changes over the decades, most for bettering educational and career opportunities for qualifying Veterans, Servicemembers, and their dependents.

Who is eligible: Military Servicemembers, and spouses of Servicemembers, who have served at least 90 aggregate days on active duty after September 10, 2001, those still on active duty or individuals who were honorably discharged from active duty. This benefit is also extended to Servicemembers who received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and was honorably discharged after any amount of service, and those who served for at least 30 continuous days, without a break in service, on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability.

Benefits received: Depending on the Servicemembers’ time in service, the complete or a percentage of Code Platoon’s tuition costs will be paid for. Students may also be entitled to receive a stipend for books and supplies up to $1,000.

Students who are using the GI Bill® to attend Code Platoon’s In-person program may be entitled to receive a monthly stipend equal to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) based on a E-5 paygrade with dependents in the same zip code as the Code Platoon classroom. Those enrolled within distance learning like our Live Remote and Evening and Weekend programs may be eligible to receive a monthly housing allowance equal to half of the national average BAH rate.

Code Platoon is approved by the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs to accept GI Bill® benefits for students who attend in-person through our Chicago classroom. Any questions? Email Greg, our prospective student outreach coordinator, at greg@codeplatoon.org

Alicia Boddy is Code Platoon’s Chief Operations and Development Officer. Alicia oversees Code Platoon’s day to day activities including fundraising, grant writing, board development, and strategic planning. Alicia also serves as our VA certifying official, helping students navigate their benefits with the Department of Veteran Affairs. Alicia loves living in Chicago with her husband, Jeff, and three kids. You can often find them exploring the city, eating Lou Malnati’s pizza, and cheering on the Cubs, Blackhawks, and Buckeyes!