Are you a veteran or military spouse interested in learning to code? Are you interested in learning how the benefits you’ve earned for your service can help you learn how to code? Coding bootcamps have become a popular option for people looking to jumpstart a career in tech, particularly as an alternative to the time constraints associated with attending a four-year university program.
Attending a coding bootcamp can be the perfect option for a veteran looking to transition back to civilian life quickly. These accelerated courses place veterans in live in-person and online classrooms with expert instructors who can help accelerate their coding education. Rather than requiring commitments of two to four years, these accelerated training bootcamps aim to teach veterans essential career skills in a time-efficient, professional manner. The goal of these programs is to ensure that veterans receive access to high-quality, professional career training services and veterans can use their GI Bill benefits, as well as benefits offered through other related programs, to cover the cost of tuition and fees to enroll in high-tech courses, including coding bootcamps.
Not only will veterans be able to cover the cost of attending a bootcamp, but they may be able to receive funding and support for associated costs, such as necessary training equipment or travel costs for attending an in-person bootcamp.
This guide will break down what you need to know about the GI Bill and VET TEC, what coding bootcamps accept the GI Bill or are approved under VET TEC, and the many scholarships for veterans interested in learning to code. While applying for this funding can seem overwhelming, these programs offer vital assistance to veterans re-entering the civilian workforce or hoping to improve their career opportunities. In recent years, several restrictions and limitations on these programs have been eased, meaning that even more honorably discharged veterans, military spouses, and families of soldiers can cover the cost of their education with funds from the US government.
What Is the GI Bill?
Since 1944, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, commonly known as the GI Bill, has assisted millions of veterans and their families attain education and vocational training to help them adjust back to civilian life and the workforce. The GI Bill has paid about $400 billion to 25 million beneficiaries since its inception. There are several education benefits offered through the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Forever GI Bill.
Post-9/11 GI Bill
The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides educational benefits to veterans and service members who served on or after September 11, 2001. To qualify, one of the following must be true:
- You served at least 90 days on active duty (either all at once or with breaks in service) on or after September 11, 2001, or
- You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or
- You served for at least 30 continuous days (all at once, without a break in service) on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability, or
- You’re a dependent child using benefits transferred by a qualifying Veteran or service member
The Post-9/11 GI Bill will cover full tuition, school fees, housing, and books and supplies. Veterans can also receive benefits for training programs that are offered through live online instruction, are provided as part-time training programs, or programs that are both online and part-time. This means that veterans who are unwilling or unable to relocate to a university or other four-year institution for their training will still be able to receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Qualifying service members can receive benefits for up to 36 months, with various stipulations extending or pausing the time during which they can receive benefits. The amount of time you spend on active duty determines the percentage of total benefits you can receive, and veterans who meet specific criteria will be entitled to additional benefits.
Forever GI Bill
Passed in 2017, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, commonly known as the Forever GI Bill, provided much-needed improvements to the benefits offered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The bill removed the time limit for using benefits, allowing veterans to use their GI Bill benefits at any point during their lifetimes. Additionally, the bill increased the number of benefits available to veterans who served for a short time. This means that veterans who may not have been eligible for benefits in the past can now receive assistance in paying to attend a professional skills training program. Veterans are strongly encouraged to check whether or not they now qualify for any of these new benefits. In addition, the Forever GI Bill altered how veterans' benefits can be transferred or received by dependents and survivors, further expanding the scope of students who can benefit from these programs.
What Does the GI Bill Cover?
The GI Bill covers the cost of tuition and provides a housing and educational supplies stipend if you attend an approved coding bootcamp. Beyond this, the GI Bill provides students with financial assistance for other professional training opportunities, such as Motion Graphics Certificate programs or Digital Design Certificate programs. To receive benefits as a veteran, you must apply for GI Bill benefits online or in person at the VA nearest you. The VA will process your application and mail a certification of eligibility (COE) letter detailing how much of the GI Bill you’re eligible for. Prospective students should be aware that they can only apply for benefits directly through the VA and that training service providers often cannot assist with this process.
What Is the VET TEC Program?
VET TEC is a pilot program that will pay the cost of tuition and provide a monthly housing allowance (MHA) for approved coding bootcamps. It was originally designed as a five-year pilot program but was greatly expanded by the Isakson and Roe Act of 2020, and now offers $45 million in funding a year. As the program continues to expand, veterans will want to keep themselves up to date on the benefits offered. If you are interested in using the VET TEC program to pay for your coding bootcamp, you should apply as soon as possible, as applications are considered based on the date received by the VA.
To qualify for the VET TEC program, veterans must meet all of the following requirements:
- Be eligible for GI Bill benefits.
- Have at least one day remaining of unused GI Bill benefits.
- Be admitted into a program by a VA-approved provider.
- Be within 180 days of leaving active duty or are currently not on active duty.
What the VET TEC Program Covers
The GI Bill will cover the cost of tuition and provide a housing and educational supplies stipend if you attend an approved coding bootcamp. Beyond this, veterans can also receive training in several in-demand technology fields, including data processing, information science, and media applications. To access these benefits, you must apply through the VA, which will process the application and mail a certification letter detailing how much of the GI Bill you are eligible for. As with GI Bill benefits, training providers cannot directly handle the benefits application process, so veterans will need to go through the VA to receive approval for this funding.
Since the VET TEC program won’t count against your GI Bill entitlement, VET TEC may be a better option for those interested in preserving their GI Bill for higher-cost or longer educational opportunities, such as a bachelor’s degree. VET TEC aims to get as many veterans as possible into classroom spaces with experienced professional instructors, so veterans who are eligible to receive VET TEC funding should strongly consider applying if they feel that professional computer programming training is a good fit for them.
Coding Bootcamps That Accept GI Bill or VET TEC
Coding bootcamps must be approved by the VA to accept GI Benefits, VET TEC, and other VA benefits programs. The approval process is designed to ensure that veterans are receiving top-of-the-line skills training from expert instructors. In addition, this approval process guarantees that veterans will be supported in attending industry-leading training providers, which will vastly improve their learning outcomes and career opportunities. As the VET TEC program expands, more service providers are becoming approved for support. With the passage of the Isakson and Roe Act of 2020, service providers can become eligible providers after only two years of offering courses, provided that they demonstrate that their instructors have professional training experience. This means that veterans will have even more options available for receiving financial support to attend live coding bootcamps. A few examples of approved GI Bill and VET TEC coding bootcamp providers include:
Courses covered: Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate, Data Science Certificate, Web Design Certificate, Graphic Design Certificate, Full-Stack Web Development Certificate, UI Design Certificate, D igital Marketing Certificate, Digital Design Certificate, Software Engineering Certificate, Python Developer Certificate, JavaScript Development Certificate, UX & UI Design Certificate, Data Analytics Certificate
Formats available: Full-time and part-time
Location: Manhattan and live online
Accept GI Bill?: Yes
*To be eligible for GI Bill funding, you must attend in-person courses in Manhattan.
Accept VET TEC?: No
Benefits: Custom workbooks, one-on-one mentoring sessions, free retake option
Courses covered: Software Development and Cybersecurity
Formats Available: Full-time, part-time, self-paced
Location: Seattle and live online
Accept GI Bill?: Yes
Accepts VET TEC?: Yes
Benefits: Modular courses are designed to match any skill level, 6:1 student-to-instructional staff ratio, career coaching
Course covered: Computer Programming Web Developer, Software Engineering Immersive
Formats available: Full-time, part-time (evening and weekends), and self-paced
Location: Chicago, live online
Accept GI Bill?: Yes
Accept VET TEC?: Yes
Benefits: Career placement services, every student is paired with an industry mentor
Courses covered: Beginner Coding Bootcamp, Intermediate Coding Bootcamp, (Under VET TEC: 12-Week Hack Reactor Software Engineering Immersive, Hack Reactor Software Engineering with JavaScript and Python)
Formats available: Full-time
Location: Live online
Accept GI Bill?: No
Accept VET TEC?: Yes
Benefits: 1:1 career coaching
Courses covered: Software Engineering, User Experience Design
Formats available: Full-time
Location: Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle
Accept GI Bill?: Yes
*Only for full-time, in-person programs
Accept VET TEC?: No
Benefits: One-on-one career support, self-paced pre-work to set you up for success
Courses covered: Coding Bootcamp (Under VET TEC: Full Stack Software Development Training, Full Stack Web Development)
Formats available: Full-time
Location: Irvine, and live online
Accept GI Bill?: Yes
Accept VET TEC?: Yes
Benefits: Career support services
Course covered: Coding Bootcamp,(Under VET TEC: Full Stack Web Development with Java)
Formats available: Full-time
Location: Denver and live online
Accept GI Bill?: Yes
Accept VET TEC?: Yes
Benefits: Job preparation workshops, helps prepare students for the Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE Programmer exam
Tech Elevator
Course covered: Coding Bootcamp, (Under VET TEC: Java Web Application Development Bootcamp)
Formats available: Full-time
Locations: Columbus, Detroit, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and live online
Accept GI Bill?: Yes, but only at their Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh campuses
Accept VET TEC?: Yes
Benefits: Personal career coaching
Courses covered: Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, Full-Stack Software Development (Under VET TEC: Software Development Bootcamp–C#, Software Development Bootcamp–Java)
Formats available: Full-time weekday, Full-time weekend
Location: Cleveland, Columbus, and Live Online
Accept GI Bill?: Yes
Accept VET TEC?: Yes
Benefits: Career support services
The VA provides a complete list of coding bootcamps approved to accept GI Bill benefits. It also offers a list of VET TEC-approved coding bootcamps, including a list of its preferred bootcamps that agree to refund tuition and fees if a student doesn’t find meaningful employment within 180 days of completing the program. As more and more programs become eligible for VET TEC assistance funding, veterans are encouraged to check back regularly to see if other ideal training programs have become approved. Veterans are also encouraged to explore the various program offerings available for support, as each service provider will offer a different mix of professional training courses that cover different skills, coding languages, and professional specializations. Each of these coding bootcamps will teach different skills and there is a significant difference between learning Python and aiming to work in data science versus learning JavaScript to build a web design career. Students interested in learning more about the different kinds of computer programming career paths available to them should explore Noble’s Learn Coding page, as well as Noble's collection of individual computer programming Learn pages.
Additional Financing Opportunities for Veterans
In addition to the GI Bill and VET TEC benefits, several other financing opportunities are available to veterans interested in learning to code. Each financing option will have advantages and disadvantages, but veterans should be aware of the options available.
Chapter 35
If you are the child or spouse of a service member or veteran who has disabilities or is missing, captured, or dead, you may be eligible for financial assistance for job training under the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program, also referred to as Chapter 35. There are some eligibility requirements for this program, which are listed on the VA website.
Scholarships
Several coding bootcamps offer scholarships or tuition discounts for veterans. Examples of coding bootcamps that provide scholarships to veterans include Code Platoon and Code Fellows. These scholarships may come with additional conditions and requirements, as well as a secondary application process.
Income Share Agreements
This contractual agreement allows students to pay a certain percentage of their salary once they meet a certain monthly income threshold for a designated period. This is most commonly provided by service providers with a historical track record of placing students in high-paying jobs and many service providers will waive the fees entirely if students do not find industry employment.
Personal Loans
Bootcamps often work with industry-leading loan providers to help students access low-interest loans. This option is best for those interested in making smaller monthly payments. However, getting a personal loan may put your credit score at risk and may take longer to pay off than comparable funding services.
Employer Sponsorship
If your current employer provides a professional development stipend, you may be able to enroll in a coding bootcamp and be reimbursed by your employer. Most large companies want to ensure that their employees are up to date with their professional development training, so it will be worth exploring what options are available through your employer.
Pay Upfront
You can always pay the remainder of your bootcamp cost after VA benefits upfront if you have the means. Doing so will allow you to be free of debt or payment obligations once you complete your bootcamp. This also makes the process simpler, since you won’t have to jump through any additional hoops to qualify for funding.
Ready to Start Your Coding Career?
Are you interested in finding the coding bootcamp that’s right for you? Check out Noble Desktop’s coding bootcamps, each of which offers veterans the opportunity to build a new career in an in-demand computer programming field. These classes are all taught by Noble’s experienced instructors and provide veterans and their families with the essential one-on-one skills training programs they need to improve their future career opportunities. You can take in-person classes at Noble’s location in NYC or attend a live online coding bootcamp from anywhere in the world. However, regardless of whether you attend the classes in person or online, you will receive all of the professional skills development training resources, such as one-on-one career mentorship, that you are entitled to as a student in a Noble Desktop course. You can also find other coding bootcamps in your area using Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool. Veterans searching for classes in this way will need to check whether or not the courses they are interested in are eligible for GI Bill/VET TEC tuition assistance.