Things you may not know the GI Bill covers

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - If you’ve served our country, you may have access to help starting a new career, hobby or business.

From going to college, to becoming a tattoo artist, Florida Panhandle Warrior Partnership says your options are endless with the post 9/11 GI Bill.

PWP says more than half of service members who leave active duty, take on a different profession.

As far as the GI Bill, anyone who has served on active duty after 9/11/2001, for 90 days is eligible.

You start your eligibility at that point, unless you were service-connected disabled, then you become eligible in 30 days.

Benefits max out in percentage once you spend 36 months on active duty during the time frame.

PWP Program Lead Keith Manley says you can use it for college or tech school, among other things.

“You can get scuba certified all the way to the level of instructor with the GI Bill and that includes equipment and if you’re a scuba diver, you know that equipment is pretty expensive. If you ever wanted to do karate and be a be a karate instructor. It covers it right? You can go get your instruction, your certification all the way up to instructor level,” Manley added.

Manley says the small business administration has an entrepreneurial program covered under the GI Bill, if you want to start your own business.

PWP Case Coordinator Kenny Thompson says to reach out to Panhandle Warrior Partnership if you want help applying.

“See what you qualify for and just go through it and just try to keep this stress level down for vets so we can help the process go move easier and not unusual,” Thompson said.

He advises you to have an idea of what kinds of work you’d like to get into and make sure to pay attention in your TAPS classes as you leave the military.

You can call PWP at 850-945-VETS, or 8387.

You can visit Panhandle Warrior Partnership | Veteran Non-Profit, email kmanley@panhandlewarriorpartnership.org, or visit them on social media.

Watch the full interview with PWP here.

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