The G.I. Bill is an attractive option to help veterans get an education, but many military personnel don’t realize that there are also opportunities to help them start working on a degree while they are still actively serving, allowing them to maximize the effect of the GI Bill once they are out of the service.

Those who are currently serving can use the military Tuition Assistance program, which reimburses military personnel for educational expenses. This program pays for 100 percent of tuition and fees, up to $4,500 per year.

The program can make it easier for soldiers to work on a degree while they are serving. Many veterans must drop their educational plans when they are deployed, which can make it hard to find a job when they return, as New York’s commissioner of labor, Patricia Smith, recently told NPR.

She said that when a soldier’s education is interrupted it can make a tough job market even harder.  Smith told NPR that unemployment rates for veterans are nearly twice what they are for civilians. However, completing a degree can make the job search easier.

In these cases, online education can be a great benefit the active-duty service member.  If they are attending an online school or online military college, they are still able to attend classes even while deployed.  In many cases, their education benefits can cover the total cost of getting an online degree.  They are able to take advantage of tuition assistance while in the military and at war.  Then, once they return to U.S. soil and civilian life they are better prepared for the job market.