I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the educational benefit introduced by vac. If a Mbr qualifies for the $80,000 amount. Is that only used for 1 end state? Let's say I choose to attend Dalhousie University for a degree in science, which costs approx. $30,000, I graduate. Now I want to further my education to increase my lively hood. I then apply to Medical school or basket weaving which costs another $40,000. Can I only use the 80 grand to pay for both or just one?
VAC Education and Training Benefit (ETB) [Merged]
- Thread starter Mediman14
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Hi all -
I applied for the education and training benefit through VAC which requires 6 years of paid service to apply.
VAC recently denied my claim and said I fell short with 2151 paid days instead of the required 2191 representing 40 days short.
In the letter, it was stated that the information came from the DND Pension Service Centre. When I called the DND Pension Service Centre, I was told that they had no record of my reserve time, because it wasn't pensionable. I had approximately two years in the reserve before going Reg force for approximately six years.
I'm not sure how to obtain records to give to VAC for my reserve time. This whole system is very hard to navigate, given most of my information would be held up in archives somewhere. My service time in the reserves was 2000-2002 qualified QL3 infantryman, then 2002-2008 as an AVS Tech.
Any suggestions?
Kind regards
I applied for the education and training benefit through VAC which requires 6 years of paid service to apply.
VAC recently denied my claim and said I fell short with 2151 paid days instead of the required 2191 representing 40 days short.
In the letter, it was stated that the information came from the DND Pension Service Centre. When I called the DND Pension Service Centre, I was told that they had no record of my reserve time, because it wasn't pensionable. I had approximately two years in the reserve before going Reg force for approximately six years.
I'm not sure how to obtain records to give to VAC for my reserve time. This whole system is very hard to navigate, given most of my information would be held up in archives somewhere. My service time in the reserves was 2000-2002 qualified QL3 infantryman, then 2002-2008 as an AVS Tech.
Any suggestions?
Kind regards
First option, you could do an Access to Information Request, (this can be done online, see link 3 below).
You should find a Record of Qualifying Service CF 2440 on your Personnel file - you could request an entire copy or just the form -
Personnel Files are stored Bank Number: PSE 901
Here are some links- http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/transparency-access-info-privacy/index.page
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/transparency-access-info-privacy/index.page
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/transparency-access-info-privacy/request-forms.page
A second option would be to check your records of employment available through your 'My Service Canada Account' - https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/ei-roe.html.
You should find a Record of Qualifying Service CF 2440 on your Personnel file - you could request an entire copy or just the form -
Personnel Files are stored Bank Number: PSE 901
Here are some links- http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/transparency-access-info-privacy/index.page
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/transparency-access-info-privacy/index.page
http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/transparency-access-info-privacy/request-forms.page
A second option would be to check your records of employment available through your 'My Service Canada Account' - https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/ei-roe.html.
Teager
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I find it odd that VAC is only looking at pension as a means for someone's total service. Since reserve pension hasn't been around all that long they should know this or that some people did not buy back.
Guess it's just another way to Delay and Deny.
Guess it's just another way to Delay and Deny.
Not sure when I'll get a reply, but I just submitted the following access to information request:
"Part 1.1 of the Veterans Well Being Act established the Education and Training Benefit. Veterans who wish to become police or other peace officers may have to complete training at one of the various police academies in Canada, and may or may not be employed, paid, or receive allowances during said time. I want to know if VAC has approved payments under the Education and Training Benefit for the purposes of eligible veterans to attend any of the following:
- The RCMP training academy 'Depot' in Regina, Saskatchewan, to become a regular member of the RCMP.
- Any training program run by the Canada Border Services Agency for the purposes of becoming a Border Services Officer
- Any training program run by Correctional Services Canada for the purpose of initial training and qualification as a Correctional Officer
- Training at the Ontario Police College to become a police officer in Ontario
- Training at the Atlantic Police Academy / Holland College for the Police Science (Cadet) program
- Training at the Justice Institute of British Columbia Police Academy for the purpose of becoming a police officer in British Columbia
- Training at the Ecole Nationale de Police du Quebec for the purpose of becoming a police officer in Quebec
- Any other training program in Canada, that is not a college diploma or university degree, that qualifies an individual to be hired and to serve as a sworn police or peace officer in any Canadian jurisdiction."
When I hear back I'll post, though I'm sure it'll be quite a while. I know this has been of interest to several people.
"Part 1.1 of the Veterans Well Being Act established the Education and Training Benefit. Veterans who wish to become police or other peace officers may have to complete training at one of the various police academies in Canada, and may or may not be employed, paid, or receive allowances during said time. I want to know if VAC has approved payments under the Education and Training Benefit for the purposes of eligible veterans to attend any of the following:
- The RCMP training academy 'Depot' in Regina, Saskatchewan, to become a regular member of the RCMP.
- Any training program run by the Canada Border Services Agency for the purposes of becoming a Border Services Officer
- Any training program run by Correctional Services Canada for the purpose of initial training and qualification as a Correctional Officer
- Training at the Ontario Police College to become a police officer in Ontario
- Training at the Atlantic Police Academy / Holland College for the Police Science (Cadet) program
- Training at the Justice Institute of British Columbia Police Academy for the purpose of becoming a police officer in British Columbia
- Training at the Ecole Nationale de Police du Quebec for the purpose of becoming a police officer in Quebec
- Any other training program in Canada, that is not a college diploma or university degree, that qualifies an individual to be hired and to serve as a sworn police or peace officer in any Canadian jurisdiction."
When I hear back I'll post, though I'm sure it'll be quite a while. I know this has been of interest to several people.
That was fast, I just got the ATIP results. Bottom line up front, VAC's ETB will help pay for police training programs that have tuition fees paid by the student.
VAC has approved 20 ETBs for police training. 16 were for the Ontario Police College. That leaves four more, and they redacted the counts for Justice Institute of British Columbia, Halifax Regional Police Training School, and the Ecole Nationale de Police de Quebec. I know VAC redacts when counts are very low so as to not potentially compromise individual privacy and make people identifiable. I can infer from that that between JIBC, Halifax, and Quebec, four more ETBs were approved since the result was definitely not 0. They have not approved any for RCMP, CBSA, Corrections, or the Atlantic Police Academy.
A quick bit of follow up digging confirmed that every approved program has tuition fees. They didn't approve any for Atlantic, but they do have fees so it's probably just that nobody applied. RCMP, CBSA and Corrections have no fees, and so they probably won't pay ETB notwithstanding that the recruit probably still has considerable costs of living to cover.
So, there we go. Nice to see this applied to a professional training program that isn't a conventional university or college degree/diploma.
VAC has approved 20 ETBs for police training. 16 were for the Ontario Police College. That leaves four more, and they redacted the counts for Justice Institute of British Columbia, Halifax Regional Police Training School, and the Ecole Nationale de Police de Quebec. I know VAC redacts when counts are very low so as to not potentially compromise individual privacy and make people identifiable. I can infer from that that between JIBC, Halifax, and Quebec, four more ETBs were approved since the result was definitely not 0. They have not approved any for RCMP, CBSA, Corrections, or the Atlantic Police Academy.
A quick bit of follow up digging confirmed that every approved program has tuition fees. They didn't approve any for Atlantic, but they do have fees so it's probably just that nobody applied. RCMP, CBSA and Corrections have no fees, and so they probably won't pay ETB notwithstanding that the recruit probably still has considerable costs of living to cover.
So, there we go. Nice to see this applied to a professional training program that isn't a conventional university or college degree/diploma.
I recently sat in a scan seminar, a lady from VAC gave a good detailed speech about the programs offered form VAC. She did mention that, there are some stipulations you must take into consideration when applying for the ETB. She had indicated that if you are on the rehab program thru VAC then you are not entitled to receive the ETB. I tried to find what other stipulations there was, but I couldn't find any. I called VAC today and asked, the VAC rep didn't really know of any stipulations. Does anyone know what other stipulations that limits a person from receiving the ETB?
just wondering, maybe someone could share some light on this. if a veteran was to get accepted for the ETB, if he or she currently have a mortgage, how are they able to maintain mortgage payments, bills etc while attending school on a full time basis? Are they expected to have a job while attending school? Is there another program that takes care of that? If not, is it expected for the veteran to give up their mortgage and move in with someone for free? Or are they expected to save up throughout the years? Not everyone will receive an enough disability payment to maintain this
I realize that the ETB is a good thing, but thinking realistically, is this program available for all? Let's face it, the majority of veterans take advantage of SISSP 24 months. The ETB is not available till after the 24 months, given that the 90% Top up will be gone.
Thoughts? Am I missing something? Or am I not being informed correctly?
I realize that the ETB is a good thing, but thinking realistically, is this program available for all? Let's face it, the majority of veterans take advantage of SISSP 24 months. The ETB is not available till after the 24 months, given that the 90% Top up will be gone.
Thoughts? Am I missing something? Or am I not being informed correctly?
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Heres what I can tell you about ETB from what I know as I am headed into the paperwork for my second payment of term 2. I am working full time, but I am on a rotating shift schedule so it gives me a little bit more flexibility of doing the program (online). They give you the amount for your books and tuition and then they give you an additional amount for living expenses. I can't tell you what the number is because it is different for everyone and I don't think they know how it works either. It helps me work less overtime 
Mediman14 said:
You are missing some stuff. Most veterans are not medical releases, and fewer still qualify for Earnings Loss Benefit at 90%. Most vets leave the military and, like anybody else, find a new job to pay the bills.
Many people work full time jobs and go to school part time, or vice versa. If someone makes the decision to release from the CAF, it’s their responsibility to plan accordingly in terms of personal finance.
I’m looking at the ETB for a graduate program once i get my next move in my current career. I’ll be working full time and probably taking a single course per semester until I’m done.
Others will use ETB to subsidize a full time education (eg trade school, university degree) while also working part time and maybe taking student loans. This is all pat for the course.
However it’s used, ETB is a pretty generous benefit. It’s not intended to be a full free ride through all your costs while in school (that’s what ROTP is for), but it’s a hugely valuable help,
Brihard,
You are right, not everyone is medically release. Honestly, I wasn't even thinking that! It was not meant to be a rant, Just wondering if there was such a program that take care of all that besides school. I am still serving but will be 3B releasing in two months, I will be taking advantage of SISSP.
I will say, it's unfortunate that SISSP and the ETB are not linked together
You are right, not everyone is medically release. Honestly, I wasn't even thinking that! It was not meant to be a rant, Just wondering if there was such a program that take care of all that besides school. I am still serving but will be 3B releasing in two months, I will be taking advantage of SISSP.
I will say, it's unfortunate that SISSP and the ETB are not linked together
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Mediman14 said:
Depending on your ILP or other post-secondary credits earned prior to release, you can use those with your:
- CAF LTD (previously SISIP LTD), and
- CAF Voc Rehab (previously SISIP Voc Rehab) toward earning a collage diploma within the 24 month period.
If your 3b release injuries are deemed CAF related, after the initial 24 months:
- You might qualify for VAC IRB or VAC DEC, if not then
- You then you might qualify for the ETB.
If you choose a university that has an articulation agreement with your college,
you'd only require two additional years study from your ETB funds toward a successful degree.
Saint Mary's University (SMU) BCOMM $8769 tuition + $1800 books per year - $1478 Income tax =
$7953 net / 12 = $662 per month net ETB: for food, rent, other expenses.
Edit to include: If additional funds are required, DND Banking through BMO offers up to $50,000 line of credit for education.
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Mediman,
Yes my degree is completely online, I found when I was searching for what I wanted to do, that there are only a few schools in Canada that offer Emergency Management and Disaster Planning as a degree program and they offer both 100% in-class and 100% online options. I was surprised when the letter came as to how much I was getting above schooling costs and when I called they stated its on a sliding scale. Tuition and books cost x, total cost of program is y and we slide the scale to break it down into my 8 semesters and send me the total at the end of each semester for the next. This is provided I pass the courses in each semester.
Honestly if you call and ask them about it, the front line agents don't know much about it. The last time I called, the first person didn't know the answer to my question, his supervisor didn't either. They had to call one of the less than dozen people that work on that benefit to get the answer and call me back
Yes my degree is completely online, I found when I was searching for what I wanted to do, that there are only a few schools in Canada that offer Emergency Management and Disaster Planning as a degree program and they offer both 100% in-class and 100% online options. I was surprised when the letter came as to how much I was getting above schooling costs and when I called they stated its on a sliding scale. Tuition and books cost x, total cost of program is y and we slide the scale to break it down into my 8 semesters and send me the total at the end of each semester for the next. This is provided I pass the courses in each semester.
Honestly if you call and ask them about it, the front line agents don't know much about it. The last time I called, the first person didn't know the answer to my question, his supervisor didn't either. They had to call one of the less than dozen people that work on that benefit to get the answer and call me back
Milhouser911
Jr. Member
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Has anyone seen or heard of a mechanism that would allow someone to combine the SISISP LTD education program with this ETB IOT attend a 4-year program? LTD states that they will only fund a program that can be COMPLETED in 2 years, so I've been told it can't be done, but these programs would tie together very nicely and become much more than the sum of their parts if that were allowed.
In my case, I'll be taking the LPN (Practical Nursing) program funded by LTD, which is 2 years, rather than the RN (Registered Nurse) program, which is 4. Unfortunately, the bridge program between LPN and RN is still almost 4 years, which puts me in the position of taking an extra 2 years of classes (albeit there will probably be some PLAR potential to reduce the number of concurrent courses) to achieve something that could be done in 4.
In my case, I'll be taking the LPN (Practical Nursing) program funded by LTD, which is 2 years, rather than the RN (Registered Nurse) program, which is 4. Unfortunately, the bridge program between LPN and RN is still almost 4 years, which puts me in the position of taking an extra 2 years of classes (albeit there will probably be some PLAR potential to reduce the number of concurrent courses) to achieve something that could be done in 4.
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Sorry, both programs are separate.
As I mentioned above though, with some creative pre-planning, you can use both toward your end goal of RN training.
So 2 years of LTD at community college for your LPN diploma,
Then after choosing a university RN program that will PLAR your diplmoa use the ETB to finish off your RN degree.
Yes, it might take a few additional months but it's subsidised training without debt.
As I mentioned above though, with some creative pre-planning, you can use both toward your end goal of RN training.
So 2 years of LTD at community college for your LPN diploma,
Then after choosing a university RN program that will PLAR your diplmoa use the ETB to finish off your RN degree.
Yes, it might take a few additional months but it's subsidised training without debt.
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