Coolest Things You Can Use Your GI Bill For 

In this post, we explore some of the coolest things you can use your GI Bill for—including 4 unique career fields that you can use your GI Bill to pursue!

The GI Bill assists countless veterans looking to improve their lives after the service and create a clear and distinct path toward a career. This path can take them down a variety of roads, as the GI Bill covers a variety of different forms of continued education. 

Online, in-person, and on-campus forms of continued education all exist in some form, and with the GI Bill, many of the individual institutions and schools offer accommodation for housing and dependents. Many also will work with your schedule, giving you the opportunity to earn a living while pursuing your dream career. 

Let’s take a look!

Coolest Things You Can Use Your GI Bill For

While there are lots of creative ways to use your GI Bill, we will focus on four exciting and unique fields that are worth taking a closer look at: IT/Cybersecurity, Aviation/Flight School, Culinary Arts, and Music/DJ School.

Also, be sure to check out our other Veteran GI Bill guides listed at the end!

IT and Cybersecurity

Pursuing IT and Cybersecurity Work

With a societal drive toward technology and innovation, IT and cybersecurity work are in high demand across industries and proficiencies. Developing, installing, maintaining, or managing anything related to telecommunications and computing allows countless veterans the opportunity to serve companies and causes, and with the GI Bill, education and training are easily accessible. 

Whether it is innovating the latest code for an up-and-coming start-up company or maintaining telecommunications for an industry leader, working in IT and cybersecurity provides unparalleled stability, as you adjust to civilian life. 

IT and cybersecurity provide an eye pointed toward the future, putting to work the problem-solving capabilities that the military service also deploys. With a never-ending need for those good with computers and data management, veterans pursuing an enriching career in IT and cybersecurity can rest easy, knowing that job security and advancement exist across industries, giving veterans and their families the peace of mind that they are seeking out of a career. 

Aviation and Flight Training

Understanding the Logistics of a Future in Aviation

On the surface, pursuing a career as a pilot after service in the armed forces seems like an easy transition, especially if the service involved flight in the first place. However, it does help to understand the types of qualifications that one can receive through utilizing the GI Bill for flight training and how flight training can lead to a long-term career.  

Depending on the VA benefit program being used, as well as other factors, funding for the cost of flight training can be partially, if not fully paid for. If you use the Montgomery GI Bill for active duty (MGIB-AD) or the Montgomery GI Bill for selected reserve (MGIB-SR), the VA will pay you back for some of the approved fees that your flight school charges. 

If you use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, your payment depends on three factors: 

· How long you served on active duty after September 10, 2001 

· How much entitlement you have left for school or training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill 

· The program and type of school you’re enrolled in 

With the utilization of these GI Bills and the drive to fly, there’s no limit to how high you can soar in aviation. That includes achieving the following qualifications through flight training: 

· Rotary wing 

· B747-400 

· Dual engine 

· Flight engineer 

Culinary Arts

Discovering Culinary Arts School

For many, cooking transcends itself from the utilitarian task that we need to survive to the passion and skill that can make a long and rewarding vocation. Whether it is working in the finest kitchens in America or at your favorite local restaurant, the opportunity to cook for others requires education, and luckily, the GI Bill is equipped to support it. 

Enrolling in a culinary arts school, as opposed to pursuing a degree in Culinary Arts, will allow you to receive a comprehensive culinary education in a shorter amount of time and provide a clearer path toward your dream career. Many also offer housing and dependent options for those needing additional accommodation. 

You may have a passion for making the perfect pastry, or maybe your dream is to one day open your own restaurant. Whatever the case may be, the GI Bill can assist you in that educational journey toward discovering the culinary arts. 

DJ School

Follow Your Passion for Music at DJ School

Pursuing a career in music and entertainment doesn’t have to be one without education and training. The GI Bill is accepted at numerous DJ schools, where you can learn to record, mix, engineer, and produce music for the entertainment industry. 

Whether your goals include entertaining at weddings in your area or winning Grammys and being a force in the industry, this level of hands-on learning and mentorship is an invaluable part of pursuing a career in the world of music and audio engineering. 

Your passion for music can make waves quickly, and whether you’re seeking to pursue that continued education online or in person, the GI Bill is able to assist you in making your DJ goals a long-term career.

Related:

Guide to the GI Bill for Trade Schools and Certifications

Does the GI Bill Expire?

The GI Bill Comparison Tool — 4 Features Every Veteran Should Know!

Want Expert-Level Support for Your VA Disability Claim? WE GOT YOUR SIX!

• VA Claims Insider is the #1 most trusted name in VA disability claims.  
• Work directly with a VA claims coach who can educate you to VA claim victory.  
• 25,000+ disabled veterans served in our membership programs since 2016.  
• 30% average rating increase for veterans who complete our #1 rated Elite program.  
• 4.7/5.0 average rating out of 5,500+ total reviews; over 4,500 5-star reviews. 

Author

Dan Pearce

Dan has an expansive library of content that he’s created across industries, serving as a creator for countless articles, podcasts, videos, eBooks, websites, and more. He boasts a passion for storytelling and utilizes a degree in English with a double creative writing emphasis in Fiction and Poetry Writing, in order to embolden his subject matter to unparalleled heights.