Navy College Fund

Navy College Fund Program

What is it?

Title 38, United States Code, Chapter 30 is the law governing the MGIB Program. It allows the services to offer to increase the MGIB basic allowance at the time of initial entry onto active duty, for an individual who has a particular skill or specialty and is entering a rating in which there is a critical shortage. Navy exercises this option through the Navy College Fund (NCF). The amount of money the service adds to the basic allowance is referred to as a "kicker."

Am I eligible for the NCF?

Recruits may be eligible and qualified; however, due to limited quotas and budget constraints, the NCF Program is not offered to every recruit. Unlike the MGIB Program, the NCF is funded solely by the Navy and therefore is given only at the discretion of the classifier, not the recruiter. To be considered for an NCF guarantee and to qualify for NCF benefits members must:

Qualify for training in a selected Navy rating as a non-prior service enlistee.
Enter active duty on or after 21 November 1989.
Agree to serve on active duty for 3 or more years (depending on the program for which the individual is selected).
Graduate from high school - no equivalency accepted.
Achieve an AFQT score of 50 or higher.
Be 17-35 years old.
Enroll in the MGIB Program and agree to pay the required $1,200 pay reduction.
Receive an "Honorable" Character of Service. This does not include "General Under Honorable Conditions."

NOTE: The guarantee of NCF is made only by the classifier and is documented on DD Form 4 or its annex. If NCF is not documented on your DD Form 4 or its annex, you will not receive NCF benefits.

How much is my NCF worth?

Remember, the amount of money the Navy added to the MGIB basic allowance at the time you entered active duty is your NCF kicker. For example, if your DD Form 4 or its annex reflects your NCF is $40,000.00 and your initial entry onto active duty was 1 November 1999, your NCF kicker and monthly kicker are calculated as follows:

$ 40,000.00 (NCF)
$ -19,296.12 (MGIB Program Basic Allowance on 1 November 1999)
$ 20,703.88 (NCF Kicker)
/ 36 (Maximum Months of MGIB Entitlement)
$ 575.11 (Monthly NCF Kicker)

You may obtain the MGIB Program basic allowance at the time of your entry onto active duty from the Department of Veterans Affairs (1-888-442-4551) or a PERS-314 MGIB Program Customer Service Representative (1-866-827-5672 Extension 4258).

Classifiers are beginning to document the exact NCF monthly kicker on the DD Form 4 or its annex rather than the entire NCF value. For example, if your DD Form 4 or its annex documents a monthly NCF kicker amount of $350.00, the Department of Veterans Affairs may pay you the current monthly MGIB Program basic allowance, plus $350.00 as your monthly NCF kicker. By federal law, the maximum amount a service may increase the rate of basic educational assistance is $950.00 per month.

Does the value of my NCF increase over time?

No, it remains at the amount for which your contract was written. However, the value of the MGIB Program continues to increase annually, and your benefit is always based on the current value. Using the example above, in November 1999, the value of the MGIB Program was $19,296.12 and today it's worth $37,224.00. Today, if you were to leave active duty after honorably serving your obligation, and enrolled in school full time, the Department of Veterans Affairs would issue you one monthly payment the sum of $1,034.00 (MGIB Program benefit) and $575.11 (NCF monthly kicker). Thus, when the MGIB Program basic rate increases, you would receive the increased MGIB Program benefit plus your constant $575.11 NCF monthly kicker.

IMPORTANT NCF INFORMATION

Disenrollment from the MGIB Program or loss of entitlement to MGIB Program benefits means loss of NCF benefits.
Benefit months are prorated for less than full training.
If a member does not complete their full active duty obligation, the monthly kicker is prorated.
Entitlement to MGIB Program benefits and the NCF kicker are the same. For example, if you are entitled to 36 months of MGIB Program benefits, you are entitled to 36 months of the NCF monthly kicker. Similarly, if you are entitled to only 15 months of MGIB Program benefits, you will be entitled to only 15 months of your NCF monthly kicker.