GI Bill STEM Extension
GI Bill STEM Extension
There are limits to your GI Bill benefit, but some students may qualify for an extension of federal education benefits thanks to a program called the Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship.
Some informally refer to this as a so-called GI Bill extension, but this is actually a scholarship separate from but associated with the GI Bill program.
It’s meant to provide additional education funds to veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill to get education in high-demand technological fields. At press time, STEM Scholarship funds are not offered for graduate programs.
Who Qualifies for the Rogers STEM Scholarship?
You may qualify for a GI Bill STEM extension (the Rogers STEM scholarship) if you are a veteran or a Fry Scholar meeting one of the following:
- You are enrolled in an undergraduate STEM degree program;
- You are enrolled in a “qualifying dual-degree program,” according to the VA;
- You have “a post-secondary degree or a graduate degree in an approved STEM degree field” and want to continue in a clinical training program for health care professionals;
- You have a post-secondary degree in a STEM degree field “and are working toward a teaching certification,” according to VA.gov.
Approved Courses of Study
There is a long list of approved programs under this GI Bill STEM extension. They include but are NOT limited to:
- Agriculture science
- Natural resources science
- Biological science
- Biomedical science
- Computer services
- Information science and support services
- Engineering
- Engineering technologies or an engineering-related field
- Health care or a health-care-related field
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Undergraduate Medical residency
- Physical science
- Science Technologies
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a full list of eligible STEM degree programs.
What You Get with the Rogers STEM Scholarship
If the VA approves your STEM Scholarship application, you may qualify for up to 9 months of added benefits or $30,000, whichever comes first. According to VA.gov, “Your monthly benefits will be the amount you received through the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship.”
You cannot use the Yellow Ribbon program for the Rogers Scholarship or transfer this scholarship to a dependent.
Requirements for Students In Undergrad STEM or Dual-Degree Programs
To be eligible for the STEM Scholarship in these cases, the following must apply:
- You are in a STEM degree program for 120 standard semester credit hours (or 180 quarter credit hours) to complete AND;
- You’ve completed at least 60 standard credit hours (or 90 quarter credit hours) AND;
- You have 6 months or less of your Post-9/11 GI Bill (or Fry Scholarship) benefits left.
Requirements for Students In Clinical Training Programs
To qualify, you must meet all the requirements below:
- You have a degree in a STEM field, AND;
- You’ve been accepted or are enrolled in a covered clinical training program AND;
- You have 6 months or less of your Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship benefits left.
Requirements for Those Studying for a Teaching Certification
All of the following must apply:
- You have a post-secondary degree in a STEM field, and
- You are in a teaching certification program, and
- You have 6 months or less of your Post-9/11 GI Bill, or Fry Scholarship benefits left.
How to apply for the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship
The Department of Veterans Affairs encourages applicants to apply online using a 15-minute process. Apply for the STEM Scholarship
If the VA approves your application, you will be notified by physical mail. You must bring that notification (including the enclosed VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for the GI Bill) to your registrar’s office or its equivalent.
The VA also sends out physical mail notifications for those not approved for the program.
>> For more scholarships for military, veterans, spouses, and dependents, please use the CollegeRecon Scholarship Finder.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
