Overview: GI Bill For Licenses And Certifications

If you are wondering whether you can use your GI Bill entitlement benefits to take a license or certification test, then the answer is YES. The GI Bill covers the cost of license and certification tests to allow you to practice your profession and advance your career. Approved tests can be reimbursed up to $2,000 per test for the total test cost, which is prorated on your entitlement benefits.

Having a license or certificate opens many different opportunities for you. If you want to know whether you qualify for this benefit, how you can use it, and what tests you can take, read on further.

Eligibility Criteria for Certification Reimbursement

The GI Bill covers the license and certification test costs of all eligible individuals belonging to any of the following programs:

• Post 9/11 GI Bill
• Montgomery GI Bill- Active Duty
• Montgomery GI Bill- Selected Reserve
• Reserve Education Assistance Program
• Veterans Educational Assistance
• Dependents Educational Assistance

If you are eligible for this benefit, there is no time limit as to when you can take advantage of it. So, as long as you have remaining entitlement benefits, you can use them to take license and certification tests anytime!

What Licensing and Certification Tests are Approved?

Many veterans wonder if the GI Bill covers a particular test or certification.

To help with this, we listed some of the most common and exciting career opportunities with license and certificate requirements that are covered by the GI Bill.

GI Bill License Test Ideas:

A license is often required to practice your chosen civilian profession.

Here are some of the most common occupations with licenses paid for by the GI Bill:

Sales and Finance: insurance, real estate, sales, accounting, auditing, auction, appraisal

Health and Medicine: dentistry, medicine, medical tech, nursing, midwifery, veterinary medicine, embalming, occupational and physical therapy, counseling, psychiatry, and clinical psychology

Law and Local Authority: law, bail, private investigation, security, fraud, fire, and emergency

Construction and Domestic Needs: engineering, architecture, construction, land surveying, plumbing, electricity, locksmith work, pest control

Hospitality: hairdressing, manicure, aesthetics, cosmetology, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic, body piercing

Others: education and special education, social work, language interpretation, scuba diving (cool right?)

You can check out the complete list of accredited license tests here (just type in the name of the license test in the search bar).

GI Bill Certification Test Ideas:

Certificates are skill-based accreditations that many veterans voluntarily take to advance their careers. There are a ton of certification tests covered by the GI Bill...

...many that are non-traditional, fun, and exciting even as a hobby.

Take note that the GI Bill only credits certification tests taken for professional career advancement and not training certifications.

Here are some GI Bill- approved certification tests you can take:

Sports: sports referee, mixed martial arts, swimming

Health and Fitness: personal training, health coaching, yoga, pilates, kettle ball

Communications and Media: video editing, public relations, audio and video tech, radio and TV engineering

Hospitality: culinary, pastry, hotels, alcohol service

IT: website development, computer network engineering

You may see the complete list of accredited certification tests here.

What's The Difference between “National Testing” and “Licensing and Certifications”?

The GI Bill also pays for national tests to help you pursue a formal education such as college or graduate school.

Here are the national tests covered by the GI Bill:

Approved college admissions tests:

• SAT (formerly "Scholastic Assessment Test")
• ACT (American College Testing)
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
• Approved tests that you can take to earn college credits:
• AP (Advanced Placement Examination)
• CLEP (College-Level Examination Program)
• DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
• ECE (Excelsior College Examinations)
• PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) testing through learningcounts.org
• Approved graduate school admissions tests:
• GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
• GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
• LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
• MAT (Miller Analogies Test)
• Approved admissions tests for pre-health professional programs:
• DAT (Dental Admission Test)
• MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
• OAT (Optometry Admission Test)
• PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test)

Information sourced from the VA website.

You may see the complete list of tests and fees here.

Once you know what kind of test you want to take, you might be wondering about the costs of the test and how much the GI Bill will pay for.

If so, keep reading!

How your GI Bill Entitlement is Charged For Licenses and Certifications:

Your GI Bill benefits will cover the test costs for licenses, certifications, and national tests. The maximum payable amount for each test is $2,000.

The cost of each test is charged to your entitlement benefits on a prorated basis depending on your monthly rate for full-time training.

You can use this computation guide to see how much you can be reimbursed for:

(Actual Test Cost / $2,042.06) = Months of Entitlement Used

*This rate applies every time you take a test, and is rounded to the nearest whole month. 

You can take as many tests as you want in different fields, and retake any tests that you fail. Your GI Bill benefits will pay for all these tests as long as you have remaining entitlement benefits.

You can also retake a test that you already passed if this is required to renew your license or certification.

If you are taking a national test:

The GI Bill also pays for registration fees, the actual cost of the specialized test you are taking, and administrative fees associated with the test.

The GI Bill does not in any way cover fees such as pre-test costs and other optional charges, such as expediting fees for test results.

Now you know how much your GI Bill benefits can cover in taking license and certification tests. 

Step By Step Process To Use The GI Bill For License And Certification Tests:

Once you are ready to take the test, follow this step by step guide on how to use your benefits:

The process of using your GI Bill benefits to pay for license and certification tests is easy! Just follow these three simple steps:

1. Fill out the application form. These are available online or at the nearest VA regional processing office.

For the licensing and certification test reimbursement form, fill out the VA Form 22-0803, or click here to download the PDF file.

For the national test reimbursement form, fill out the VA Form 22-0810, or click here to download the PDF file.

You will need to provide your basic information, Social Security number, VA File number, information on the test you took, as well as the licensing organization.

2. Attach your proof of payment and an authorization letter to release your test information to the VA office.

3. Send in your application.

For license and certification tests, you may send your application through the Ask A Question website, or by mail to the nearest VA regional processing office.
For national tests, you may send your application by mail to the nearest VA processing office.

You can check out the complete list of processing offices here.

Wait up to 30 days for your application to be processed and approved. Take note that this does not include transit time for applications sent by mail.

That's it! Using your GI Bill benefits to pay for license and certificate tests is simple and easy.

Start taking those tests to open unlimited doors of opportunities for your shiny new civilian career.

If you're wondering what other GI Bill opportunities there are, explore our database of over 29,000 VA-approved schools, on-the-job training programs, and more: https://milversity.com/explore

How do I get a Real Estate License?

A real estate license allows you sell, broker, or rent real estate properties on behalf of a real estate brokerage. The requirements in getting a license vary from state to state, but in general, you can acquire this license by completing an average of 80 hours of real estate education from an accredited program (the bulk of the cost), pass a licensing exam that takes about 1.5 to 3.5 hours and costs anywhere from $15 to $60 or higher, and file a real estate application to your state’s Realtor® board.

Can the GI Bill help me get a Real Estate Agent License?

The GI Bill is an education benefit provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for members of Active Duty, Selected Reserve, and National Guard Armed Forces, as well as their families or dependents. It is aimed to help shoulder education or training costs in covered fields of study. While everyone knows the GI Bill will cover traditional college tuition, many people don't realize that it will cover many certifications such as a real estate agent license.

Qualified recipients of the GI Bill can be reimbursed for any (covered) licensing and certification tests they take, regardless if they pass or fail. The maximum amount of reimbursement per test is $2000, and you can retake the test as many times as you need to. The cost of the test will be deducted from your total months of remaining benefits based on your monthly benefit rate for full-time training. This will apply each time you take a licensing or certification test, or retake one that you previously failed.

It is important to note that this only applies for the test costs, and not on any other licensing fees, such as registering with the State Board.

How do I know if I qualify?

Everyone in the following Department of Veterans Affairs and GI Bill programs are qualified to avail of this benefit:

• The post-9/11 GI Bill
• Montgomery GI Bill for Active Duty and Selected Reserve
• Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
• Dependents’ Educational Assistance
• The Fry Scholarship

To find out whether you are eligible for any of these programs, visit the VA.gov website.

What is the process get GI Bill reimbursement for my license?

To get your reimbursement for the licensing or certification test cost, follow these steps:

1. Apply for education benefits, if you haven’t done so yet, online through the VA.gov website. After processing your application, the VA will determine your eligibility for the GI Bill and other programs.
2. Fill up the VA Form 22-0803 or the Application for Reimbursement of Licensing and Certification Test. Provide the following information:

• Your personal information (including your social security and VA file number)
• Your VA education information
• The test information (date and venue of the exam taken, type of exam)
• The licensing organization for which you are applying a license

3. Submit the form along with your test results, an authorization letter and signature, and your proof of payment, to the Ask a Question website, or mail these to the nearest VA regional processing office.
4. Wait for the reimbursement of payment.

Is there a time limit to use my GI Bill?

For the licensing and certification benefit, and for all other GI Bill education benefits, there may or may not be time limits in availing the benefits, depending on which program you belong to. Generally, however, the case is as follows:

• If you are under the pre-9/11 Montgomery GI Bill, you can use the benefit within 10 years.
• If you are part of the post-9/11 GI Bill program, you have 15 years to avail of the benefits.
• If you are enlisted in a GI Bill program after January 1, 2013, there is no time limit in availing any of the benefits you are qualified for.

Are there other licenses and certifications that the GI Bill can help me with?

Yes! A license or certification is a state-issued document that lets employers know you are competent in the field and meet state and government regulations.

Having one allows you to work on your chosen field, as well as providing career advancement opportunities.

The GI Bill can be used in helping pay for several licensing and certification costs, including getting a Maritime License, a CDL License, a Nursing Certification, and a Paralegal Certification.

For a complete list of licenses and certifications covered by the GI Bill benefits, explore our home page which shows you types of programs available.

To recap, the GI Bill can definitely help you in getting a real estate license by reimbursing licensing or certification costs, and the steps into availing of this benefit are quite simple and easy!

Do make sure that the school or program you are joining to acquire your real estate education, and the testing center where you will be taking your licensing test meet the state requirements and are approved by the state realtor board, and of course, the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Otherwise, you may not be able to get your money reimbursed, and worse, your license might not be accredited.

>> To view a list of VA-Approved Real Estate Schools, browse through the list here.