Training

1
REAP Reserve Educational Assistance Program
(Chapter 1607)
July 2008 WAVES Conference Portland, Oregon
U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional
Processing Office Muskogee, Oklahoma
2
This Presentation will Cover

• Eligibility
• Entitlement
• Termination of Benefits
• Monthly Rates
• New Education Provisions

3
How is Eligibility Established?

• The Department of Defense (DOD) and the
  Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
• are solely responsible for determining
  eligibility for the REAP (Ch 1607) program.

4
Eligible Service Branches

• ARNG - Army National Guard
• ANG - Air National Guard
• USAR - Army Reserves
• USNR - Navy Reserves
• AFR - Air Force Reserves
• MCR - Marine Corps Reserves
• CGR - Coast Guard Reserves

• AMIR - Army
• Individual Ready Reserves
• NVIR- Navy
• Individual Ready Reserves
• AFIR - Air Force Individual Ready Reserves
• MCIR - Marine Corps Individual Ready Reserves

5
Eligibility Requirements

• On or after September 11, 2001, a service member
  of the ready reserve is eligible if
• Served on active duty in support of a
  contingency operation for at least 90
  consecutive days,
• OR
• Performed full time National Guard duty for 90
  consecutive days or more for the purpose of
  responding to a national emergency and supported
  by Federal funds.
• Individuals are potentially eligible as soon as
• they have served 90 consecutive days on active
• duty in a qualifying period of active duty (Title
  10).

6
Increased REAP Percentage

• PL 110-181, has made the 80 rate available to
  anyone who was mobilized for at least 2
  continuous years of active duty OR served
  multiple mobilizations totaling 3 years or more.
• All qualifying mobilization periods beginning on
  or after 9/11/2001 may be used to determine
  eligibility for the 80 rate.
• Payment of the higher rate is not authorized
  prior to January 28, 2008, the effective date of
  the law.

7
Effect of Breaks in Selected Reserve

• Public Law 110-181 allows DOD or DHS to continue
• REAP eligibility to members of the Selected
  Reserve
• who have a break in service regardless of the
  length of
• the break. The member must continue to serve in
  another
• component of the Ready Reserve (such as IRR/ING)
• during the break.
• DOD/DHS makes this determination and not the VA.
• This provision is retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001.

8
Entitlement

• All persons eligible under REAP will have 36
• months of entitlement regardless of how long they
• served.
• No beneficiary can receive more than 48 months of
• entitlement under any combination of education
• programs.
• (Chapters 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 1606, 1607)

9
Combination of Programs

• A member may be eligible
• for education benefits under
• more than one education program.
• The member must elect which
• benefit s/he wishes to
• receive. Education benefits
• cant be paid until an election is
• made.

10
Delimiting Date for 1607

• Some reservist may be entitled to a 10 year
• ending date from the date released from
• Selected Reserves, IF the following applies

11
Delimiting Date for 1607

• Members who separate from the Selective Reserves
  after
• completing their Military Service Obligation
  (MSO)
• under other than dishonorable conditions. The
  10-year
• period of eligibility begins on the date the
  member is
• separated from the Selective Reserves.
• The effective date of this provision is
  retroactive to September 11, 2001.

12

• Members who were called up from the IRR or
  the Inactive National Guard (ING), completed
  their REAP qualifying period of active duty
  service, and then returned to the IRR/ING are not
  eligible for the 10-year post service eligibility
  period.

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What Does VA Need?

• VA needs the following evidence to make this
  determination
• Copy of claimants Discharge Certificate. DOD
  issues this certificate to all individuals upon
  completion of their service contract.
• DD Form 4/1 and 4/2, Enlistment/Reenlistment
  Contract.
• VA will contact DOD and the claimant to obtain
  this information.

14
Ending Date for Members Released for Disability

• A service member who is separated
• because of a disability (which was not
• the result of the individuals own
• willful misconduct) has a period of
• eligibility of 10 years.
• This period begins on the date the
• member became eligible for REAP.
• A service member must have been
• discharged for disability in order to
• receive this 10-year period.

15
Monthly Rates

• Monthly rates payable under REAP are a percentage
  of the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB-Ch30) three-year
  rate (new 1,321.00 rate begins August 1, 2008).

16
Current Monthly Ratesthru 07/31/08

• Service member served Full time rate
• 90 days lt 1 year 40 440.40
• 1 year lt 2 years 60 660.60
• 2 continuous years 80 880.80

17
MGIB-SR Kickers

• The MGIB-SR kicker will be paid under REAP. The
  possible monthly kicker levels are
• Low - 100
• Medium - 200
• High - 350
• This kicker is not subject to any adjustment
  because of the percentage level paid under REAP.
  However, it is prorated based on a claimants
  training time.

18
Effective Date of Benefits

• REAP benefits are potentially payable on
• December 9, 2001, which is the 90th day after
• September 11, 2001.
• Retroactive benefits can be paid to any
• eligible REAP participant after
• December 9, 2001.

19
Prior Benefits Under MGIB-SR

• VA will pay REAP from the earliest date possible.
• A claimant who had previously used benefits under
  MGIB-SR (Ch 1606) can not elect to be paid
  additionally under REAP for this same period .
• MGIB-SR benefits previously paid will be deducted
  from REAP benefits due.

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Programs of Education

• REAP benefits may be provided for any program of
  education that is an approved program under MGIB
  (Ch 30)
• REAP is payable for flight training
  correspondence apprenticeship/OJT
• Effective October 1, 2008 payment will be
  authorized for accelerated programs

21
Programs of Education continued

• REAP is NOT payable for
• tuition assistance top-up
• death benefit
• transferability of entitlement to dependents
• licensing certification tests before 01-06-06
• national tests for admission or credit taken.

22
Programs of Education continued

• Members in drilling status are eligible for REAP
  and the militarys tuition assistance benefit for
  the same course.
• Members serving on active duty are not eligible
  for tuition assistance and REAP for the same
  courses.
• Members eligible for REAP are not eligible for
  tutorial assistance.
• Members eligible for REAP are eligible for the
  work-study program if they are training at the ¾
  time rate or more.

23
Buy-up Program

• Eligible REAP participants may now participate in
  the buy
• up program. Eligible reservists may pay up to
  600.00 to
• increase their monthly rate of pay by as much as
  150.00 per
• month. The reservist must be a member of a Ready
  Reserve
• component to pay the buy-up.
• This increased benefit is effective January 28,
  2008, the
• effective date of the law.

24
Monthly Verification of Enrollment

• Effective April 1, 2008, individuals receiving
  benefits under Ch 1607 are now required to verify
  their enrollment in order to receive payment.
  Ch 1607 recipients will be able to verify their
  enrollments through the Web Automated
  Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) application, or
  from a touch-tone phone in the same manner as
  persons eligible for benefits under Ch 30 and
  Ch 1606 verify their enrollments.

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Summary

• We have discussed
• The eligibility requirements for REAP
• Determined by DOD
• An eligibility claimants entitlement
• 36 months but no more than 48 months under any
  combination of programs
• Monthly rate determination
• amount of time served on active duty equates to a
  percentage of MGIB three-year rate
• New Education Provisions

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Questions