Attention U.S. Veterans: The CIP Exam Has Been Approved for Reimbursement Under the GI Bill

I am very pleased to announce that the Certified Information Professional (CIP) exam has been approved for reimbursement under the Veterans Education Benefit program for Licensing and Certification reimbursements administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - aka the GI Bill.

This is something that is intensely personal to me. When I got out of the Marine Corps, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that I had the GI Bill to help fund my education and professional development. Since its inception in 1944, the GI Bill has helped more than 20 million veterans, including me, go to college, learn a trade...or get certified. I used my GI Bill to get a degree, which led to my first job in this industry, and the rest is history!

Here's How It Works

If you haven't applied for education benefits, you will need to do that first; if you've already applied, you don't need to do it again.

To apply for reimbursement, you need to provide the following information to the VA:

• Your name, address, and Social Security Number or VA Claim number
• The name of the test you took and the date you took it
• The cost of the test
• A copy of the test results, whether or not you passed it
• The name and address of the organization issuing the certification - that's us!
• This statement: "I authorize the release of my test information to VA."

Date and sign the request and send it to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC 20420. A checklist is also listed on the back of the official VA License or Certification Brochure.

Keep in mind that the GI Bill only covers the CIP exam itself and does not include the prep course, other preparation materials, or any of AIIM's other training courses. It does include any necessary exam retakes, either because you were unsuccessful or if you choose to maintain your CIP status that way. And under the Forever GI Bill, as of August 1, 2018 benefits for certification tests are prorated: instead of using an entire month's benefits, you only use the actual cost of the exam, in this case, $349 for the CIP.

For several years now we've been trying to determine a way that we can help veterans and military personnel in transition and this is just the first step.

Click here to check out the Official CIP Exam Guide which covers the answers to frequently asked questions about the CIP.