What is Top-Up?
The VA has a program for people on active duty to use their GI Bill in conjunction with tuition assistance. The program “Top-Up” allows the VA to pay you the difference between the total course cost and the cost covered my your service department, up to the maximum rate we would pay a veteran. For example, if you were enrolled in a one-month course that was considered full time and the total course cost was $1500, and the military was paying $1000, we could pay the difference, $500. We could pay that amount because the $500 is less than the maximum rate payable to a veteran, $900. If the same course was $1500 and the service department was only paying $100, the most the VA could pay would be $900, the maximum rate payable to the vet. We pay whichever one is less. If you are getting 100% TA for a class, you would not be eligible for Top-Up for that class. Keep in mind the VA looks at the figures on the approved application for TA to determine the amount paid by the service member. If th
