For prospective military students in a county with 6 persons or less per square mile that intend to relocate to a school within 500 miles or travel by air to attend campus, the Rural Benefit extension of the Post 9/11 GI Bill allows a student to receive $500 towards relocation fees.

This $500 benefit package is a one-time assistance program the Department of Veteran Affairs offers to military students who would like to attend college but are located in a rural area where higher education is impossible.

Normally, online education is the only feasible option for a prospective college student that cannot attend a campus. With a program like this, however, a student could easily participate in a hybrid learning program similar to what is offered by Saint Leo University, where they could have distance learning and campus classes facilitating their learning experience.

Hybrid learning is a realistic alternative to an online education student for receiving the housing stipend of the Post 9/11 GI Bill and is recommended for a veteran, member of the reserve, or active duty that is interested in online school while still taking advantage of the housing stipend of the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The Rural Benefit makes this possible for even the most out-of-city students.

For more information on the Rural Benefit, visit here.