Veterans Educational Benefits

Manatee Technical College is certified by the Florida State Approving Agency for Veterans Educational Benefits. Veterans may apply for educational benefits online at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/. Veterans are also encouraged to complete a FAFSA to determine qualification for additional funds. Manatee Tech does not take part in student loans, so anything you qualify for would not have to be repaid if you complete your program.

Go to https://jst.doded.mil for Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy Active Duty, Reserve and Veterans Transcripts.
Go to https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/ for Air Force Transcripts.

Send to:
VA Representative
Victoria Hirsch, Manatee Tech VA Benefits
6305 State Road 70 East, Bradenton, FL 34203
Telephone: 941.751.7900 x 46015 

Manatee Technical College will readmit a service member with the same academic status as they had when they last attended the school or were accepted for admission to the school. This requirement applies to any student who cannot attend school due to military service. 

The student must notify the school of their military service and intention to return to school as follows:

  • Notification of military service: The student (or an appropriate officer of the armed forces or official of the Department of Defense) must give oral or written notice of such service to the school as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances. This notice does not have to indicate whether the student intends to return to the school and may not be subject to any rule of timeliness. 
  • Notification of intent to return to school: The student must also give oral or written notice of their intent to return to school within three years after the completion of the period of service. A student who is hospitalized or convalescing due to an illness or injury incurred or aggravated during the performance of service must notify the school within two years after the end of the period needed for recovery from the illness or injury. A student who fails to apply for readmission within these periods does not automatically forfeit eligibility for readmission but is subject to the school’s established general practices. 

The school must promptly readmit the student into the next class or classes in the program beginning after they provide notice of intent to reenroll, unless they request a later date or unusual circumstances require the school to admit them at a later date. This requirement supersedes state law – for example, a school must readmit a qualifying service member to the next class even if that class is at the maximum enrollment level set by the state. 

The school must admit the student with the same academic status, which means: 

  • to the same program to which the student was last admitted or, if that exact program is no longer offered, the program that is most similar to that program, unless the student chooses a different program;
  • at the same enrollment status, unless the student wants to enroll at a different enrollment status;
  • with the same number of clock hours previously completed, unless the student is readmitted to a different program to which the completed clock hours are not transferable; and
  • with the same academic standing (e.g., with the same satisfactory academic progress status) the student previously had. 

If the student is readmitted to the same program, for the first academic year in which they return, the school must assess the tuition and fee charges that the student was or would have been assessed for the academic year during which they left the school. However, if the student’s veterans education benefits or other service member education benefits will pay the higher tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are paying for the year, the school may assess those charges to the student as well. 

If the student is admitted to a different program, and for subsequent academic years for a student admitted to the same program, the school must assess no more than the tuition and fee charges that other students in the program are assessed for that academic year. 

The cumulative length of the absence and of all previous absences from the school for military service may not exceed five years. Only the time the student spends actually performing service is counted. 

If the school determines that the student is not prepared to resume the program with the same academic status at the point where she left off or will not be able to complete the program, the school must make reasonable efforts at no extra cost to help the student become prepared or to enable them to complete the program. This includes allowing the student to retake a pretest at no extra cost.   

The school is not required to readmit the student if it determines:

  • that there are no reasonable efforts it can take to prepare the student to resume the program at the point where they left off or to enable the student to complete the program, or
  • that after it makes reasonable efforts (those that do not place an undue hardship* on the institution), the student is not prepared to resume or complete the program. 

*Undue hardship means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense considering the overall financial resources of the school and the impact of such action on its operation.

  • Chapter 33: Post-9/11
  • Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill®
  • Chapter 31: Veteran Readiness and Employment
  • Chapter 35: Dependents’ Educational Assistance
  • Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve
  • GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

MTC will accept approved tuition assistance vouchers. We are set up in GoArmyEd.gov. Each branch of service provides its Service members with the ability to utilize their own financial aid to assist with the payment of college courses. Before enrolling at Manatee Technical College, Service members are required to speak with their Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their military service.

Below are links to the various branch of services’ Tuition Assistance pages:

Air Force: https://www.my.af.mil/ 
Army: https://www.army.mil/ 
Marines, Navy, & Coast Guard: https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/ 
Florida National Guard & Air Guard: https://www.airforce.com/ways-to-serve/air-national-guard/florida
26 West Center State College of Florida: https://26west.scf.edu/veterans/

You can check the current pay rates here: https://www.vets.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool/

Manatee Technical College may not provide any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly upon success in securing enrollments or the award of financial aid to any individual or entity engaged in any recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions about awarding FSA program funds. Only these two types of activities are subject to the incentive compensation ban: securing enrollment (recruitment) and securing financial aid. No other activities are subject to the ban.

You can explore our Career and Technical Education programs. On each program page you will find the contact information of the guidance counselor for the program that will help you enroll in the program. During the enrollment process you will learn about the graduation requirements and the time of the program will take to complete. The guidance counselor of the program will service as your Academic Adviser throughout your program.

Your instructor has many contacts in the field. Your instructor and other staff members at MTC will be able to assist you when you reach program completion.