Students in the Military

Finding the time to further your education may seem like a daunting prospect and is made even more difficult for service members who are faced with frequent deployments and relocation. Berkleemusic offers a number of flexible options that will help service members with a demanding military schedule achieve their musical goals.

Courses at Berkleemusic allow you to study with the world-renowned instructors of Berklee College of Music from where ever you are in the world. A typical week of lessons at Berkleemusic takes about 5-8 hours, and you can complete your weekly assignments whenever you have time.

"Sometimes it's good to read a book and talk to someone about what you've read. It's even better when you can talk to the person who wrote the book you're reading," says Staff Sgt. Williams of the United States Marine Corps. "That's one of the great things about Berklee's online program. I can learn from the person who wrote the book, and enjoy the flexibility that I need."

We are affiliated with DANTES, a US Department of Defense organization created to help Service Members continue their education while serving their country.

Tuition Assistance

Here's what you will need to do:

1) Apply for Tuition Assistance through your Education Office

Detailed instructions on applying for Tuition Assistance, as well as forms required for each individual branch of the military, can be found at www.military.com.

2) Enroll in a Berkleemusic Course or Certificate Program

To enroll in an individual course, simply click the "Enroll Now" button on the course description page. On the final page of the course registration, select Tuition Assistance as your method of payment and your enrollment will be placed in a "Pending" state. Once your Education Office has approved your Tuition Assistance request, send us the approved voucher. The voucher must include the correct start and end dates of the term.

To enroll in a Certificate Program, first be sure to ask your Education Counselor if the military will cover the registration and technology fee for your program. Certain branches of the military will not cover this fee, which you will have to submit in order to complete your registration.

• If the military will cover your registration and technology fee, simply send in the approved Tuition Assistance forms, along with the name of your chosen course or certificate program.
• If the military will not cover the registration and technology fee, enroll in your chosen Certificate Program by clicking the "Get Started" button on the Certificate Program description page. You will need to complete the enrollment by paying this fee. Once you have done this, you should send your approved Tuition Assistance forms to the Continuing Education Registrar.

All forms can be sent via fax to 617-747-2149 (Attn: Continuing Education Registrar), via e-mail to registrar@berkleemusic.com, or via mail to the following address:

Berklee Media
1140 Boylston Street
MS-855
Boston, MA 02215
Attn: Continuing Education Registrar

3) Verification of Paperwork

Once we have received and have verified your Tuition Assistance forms, a payment will be applied to the outstanding tuition and any remaining balance will need to be paid by the student prior to the term beginning.

4) Need Help?

If you have questions at any point during the Tuition Assistance process, the Continuing Education Registrar is here to help. You can reached the Continuing Education Registrar by email at registrar@berkleemusic.com, or by telephone at: 866.BERKLEE (US) or 1.617.747.2146 (International).

Military Deployment

If you are suddenly deployed while pursuing a certificate program or taking an online course, Berkleemusic will work with you so you may continue your studies. Contact the Continuing Education Registrar at registrar@berkleemusic.com for more information.

Montgomery GI Bill

Most Berkleemusic programs are approved for Montgomery GI Bill benefits. Please contact us at 1-866-BERKLEE or email us at registrar@berkleemusic.com to determine if the program you are planning on pursuing is approved.You may also check the VA website at www.va.gov to determine if the program you plan to pursue is approved. The Montgomery GI Bill cannot be used for individual courses or courses taken outside of an approved program

For students who wish to use their Montgomery GI Benefits for Berkleemusic programs, follow these simple steps:

1) Complete form 22-1990 Application for VA Education Benefits if you have not already done so. You can now apply online at www.va.gov.

2) If approved, you will receive a certificate of eligibility, which should be faxed to the Continuing Education Registrar at 617-747-2149.

3) Register for the program you are interested in pursuing and pay any tuition and fees due.

4) Notify the Continuing Education Registrar that you have enrolled and wish to use the GI Bill. This can be done by sending an email to registrar@berkleemusic.com.

5) Continuing Education Registrar will complete form 22-1999 Enrollment Certification. You will need to request certification of enrollment every term you take a course with Berkleemusic.

At this time Berkleemusic is unable to accept advanced payments through the VA.

Top-up

Top-Up is a program that allows GI Bill participants' to use the GI Bill to supplement the tuition and fees not covered by tuition assistance. The amount of the benefit can be equal to the difference between the total cost of a college course and the amount of Tuition Assistance that is paid by the military for the course.

The amount of the benefit is limited to the amount that the person would receive for the same course if regular MGIB benefits were being paid. In no case can the amount paid by the military combined with the amount paid by VA be more than the total cost of the course.

If you receive the Top-Up benefit, your regular GI Bill benefits will be reduced. The amount of entitlement charged for Top-Up payments is determined by dividing the amount of the payment by the claimant's full-time monthly rate.

The benefit is available for all courses that began on or after October 30, 2000. A copy of the Tuition Assistance Authorization form for the course that has been signed by an authorized military official will be required. People who have not requested MGIB benefits before should submit a VA Form 22-1990 to establish eligibility.

The application and other evidence should be sent to one of the VA's four education processing offices in Atlanta, Buffalo N.Y., Muskogee, Okla., or St. Louis.

The Top-Up program is not available at this time to persons who are eligible for the GI Bill for Selected Reserve program.

If you haven't previously filed a claim for MGIB, you should do the following:

1) Complete an application for VA education benefits, VA Form 22-1990.

2) Indicate "Top-up" on the VA application in item 1A under the MGIB–Active Duty block.

3) Send your TA approval form, along with the application for VA education benefits, to the VA Regional Processing Office that handles your claim. The address is on the form.

If you've previously filed a claim for MGIB and weren't denied benefits, simply submit your signed TA approval form to the VA Regional Processing Office that handles your claim.

Important: These claims are handled differently from claims for MGIB without TA. For Top-up claims, you won't need an enrollment certification on VA Form 22-1999. You won't need to check for approval of the program for VA benefits; approval isn't an issue. That's because Top-up is payable for any course for which TA is payable under DOD criteria.

VA determines your eligibility for MGIB. If you're eligible for MGIB, the TA approval form establishes your eligibility for Top-up. No certifications from the school are needed.

For more information on the Montgomery GI Bill or to obtain required forms, please visit www.gibill.va.gov/. For more information on Top-up, please visit For more information on the Montgomery GI Bill or to obtain required forms, please visit www.gibill.va.gov/pamphlets/tatu.htm

If you are unsure of what forms you should complete, please contact us at 1-866-BERKLEE or email us at registrar@berkleemusic.com.

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