California Military Department GI Bill® Award Program

California Military Department GI Bill® Award Program (formerly the California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program - CNG EAAP) issues educational awards to qualifying members of the California Army or Air National Guard, California State Guard and the California Naval Militia.

California Military Department GI Bill® Award Program Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible you must:

Be an active member of the California National Guard, the California State Guard or the Naval Militia;
Agree to remain an active member throughout the participation period in the program;
Agree to serve two years in the California National Guard, the California State Guard, or the California Naval Militia upon completion of the last academic period of utilizing this program;
Agree to use the award to obtain a certificate, degree, or diploma that you currently do not possess;
Agree to only obtain one degree (baccalaureate, graduate, or doctoral) while participating in the Program;
Agree to complete course of study within 10 years of initial acceptance into the Program;
Be enrolled in, registered at, or accepted to a qualifying institution;
Agree to maintain enrollment of a minimum of three (3) academic units per semester, or the equivalent, at a qualifying institution as defined by California Education Code section 69432(l);
Agree to maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA); and
Be a resident of California for at least one year.

Initial Applicants:

Initial applicants must submit the Program's Initial Application, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and the Statement of Understanding (SOU), a Letter of Recommendation and an annual Service Commitment Agreement prior to the April 30 deadline to be considered a priority applicant. Applicants who do not complete all 5 steps by the April 30 deadline can apply as a first-come, first-serve applicants by completing the Program's Initial Application, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Statement of Understanding (SOU), and a Service Commitment Agreement until January 14, or until all awards have been exhausted.

Renewal Participants:

Renewal participants must complete the CMD GI Bill® Renewal Application and the Renewal Statement of Understanding and, if the applicant entered the program during the 2020-2021 academic year or later, the annual Service Commitment Agreement. Renewal paperwork is available from January 15 (or the next business day) through the deadline date of June 1. Failure to renew will result in withdrawal from the CMD GI Bill®.

For more information please visit the following websites: https://nationalguard.csac.ca.gov/or http://www.calguard.ca.gov/education