Do You Get BAH During SkillBridge?
Navigate financial considerations during your military SkillBridge transition. Discover how active duty status affects your entitlements.
The Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge program offers service members a pathway to civilian employment by providing valuable training and work experience through internships and apprenticeships. This initiative helps individuals transition from military to civilian life.
Understanding SkillBridge
The DoD SkillBridge program allows active-duty service members to gain civilian work experience through industry training, apprenticeships, or internships, bridging the gap between military service and civilian careers by connecting them with approved industry partners. Participants acquire new skills, translating military experience into civilian job qualifications and enhancing competitiveness.
To be eligible, service members must be on active duty and within their final 180 days of service before separation. Unit commander approval is required, as participation is mission-dependent and not an automatic entitlement.
The program provides opportunities across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, and government services, allowing service members to engage in real-world job experiences, including hands-on training or working on specific projects with a host organization. This helps individuals explore career paths and build professional networks before military separation.
Basic Allowance for Housing Entitlement
Service members participating in the SkillBridge program maintain active-duty status and continue to receive regular military compensation and benefits. Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is a significant component of this compensation.
Service members continue to receive BAH during SkillBridge, provided they meet standard eligibility criteria like not residing in government-provided quarters. This non-taxable allowance offsets housing costs in local civilian markets when government housing is unavailable. BAH amount is determined by the service member’s geographic duty station, pay grade, and dependency status.
BAH is based on the service member’s assigned duty station, not the SkillBridge program location if it differs. If a service member chooses to participate in a SkillBridge program in an area with a higher cost of living than their duty station, they may be responsible for covering any difference in housing expenses.
While the service member’s BAH continues, any travel expenses incurred to reach the SkillBridge location are the responsibility of the service member. In cases where the program is located far from the duty station, service members should plan for these potential out-of-pocket costs.
Additional Financial Aspects
Beyond BAH, service members participating in the SkillBridge program receive full base pay. Special pays or allowances received prior to SkillBridge also continue, as they remain on active duty.
Service members retain standard military benefits, including medical and dental care. The SkillBridge program itself is structured to incur little to no cost for the service member, with the DoD covering program expenses.
SkillBridge host companies are prohibited from compensating service members for work performed during the program. The service member’s military pay and allowances serve as their primary compensation. This arrangement ensures the program remains focused on training and career development rather than employment, while still providing financial stability for the participant.