REAP provides educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency declared by the president or Congress.
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 ended REAP on November 25, 2015. Some individuals will remain eligible for REAP benefits until November 25, 2019, while others are no longer eligible for REAP benefits.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill in many ways has replaced REAP because it also provides educational assistance benefits for Reserve and National Guard members called to active duty on or after September 11, 2001, and in many cases provides a greater benefit than REAP.
We are committed to ensuring that Reservists, National Guard members, and Veterans understand this change, and we are working to identify individuals who no longer have eligibility for REAP and inform them of potential eligibility to other benefit programs.
This change affects beneficiaries differently:
Veterans who have not enrolled in school and applied for REAP benefits prior to November 25, 2015, are no longer eligible for REAP benefits. However, in most cases, you will be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
The Colmery Act, also known as the Forever GI Bill, enacted August 16, 2017, provides an opportunity for reservists who lost their REAP benefits to elect to credit their REAP eligibility toward the Post-9/11 GI Bill. These reservists: