Thinking about a post-military job in the aviation industry? Your military or veteran education benefits may be able to help. Here are the military and veteran education benefits that pay for aviation maintenance and flight training and how much you might get.
Military Tuition Assistance
Active-duty and some reserve component service members may receive reimbursement for a portion of their aviation maintenance or flight training through the military tuition assistance program.
Eligible members of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Space Force, along with some members of the National Guard, receive tuition assistance, although the services set their own rules about who qualifies. Tuition assistance will pay up to 100% of tuition as long as the price stays below a certain cap: $250 per semester hour and $4,500 per year.
The military’s education service officers approve tuition assistance requests.
Read More: Military Tuition Assistance Overview
Post-9/11 GI Bill
Veterans who have earned the full Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit could get all of their aviation maintenance training covered, and professional pilots-to-be can also receive a benefit.
The Department of Veterans Affairs administers the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The benefit covers full in-state tuition at public institutions of higher education The institutions must guarantee the in-state rate to GI Bill recipients.
In the 2026-2027 academic year, it will cover up to $30,908.34 at private academies for a veteran who is 100% eligible.
At the same time, GI Bill beneficiaries receive a housing stipend while they train equal to the military's Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 service member with dependents. Veterans who earned only a portion of their GI Bill receive a partial benefit.
Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients who want to become commercial pilots must meet minimum qualifications before the GI Bill will cover flight training. Candidates must have a private pilot's license and meet applicable medical requirements, and the pilot school or training center must be approved for VA education benefits.
Read More: Post-9/11 GI Bill Overview
Montgomery GI Bill
The Montgomery GI Bill, which predated the Post-9/11 GI Bill, reimburses veteran beneficiaries at the 2025-2026 rate of $2,518 a month for up to 36 months.
Both the active-duty and reserve variants of the Montgomery GI Bill will pay for flight training. However, the benefit will pay only 60% of the charges for flight school.
Read More: Montgomery GI Bill User’s Guide
Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
The VA’s educational benefit program for children and spouses of service members who died or are missing, captured or permanently disabled may receive Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance.
It will pay for many of the same degree and training programs as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, at the same levels, with the exception of flight training. DEA won’t pay for flight training at a vocational school but may cover it if it’s part of a college degree program.
Read More: Survivors’ and Dependent’s Educational Assistance
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