Veteran Trade Schools

VA-approved heavy equipment operator programs in Illinois

Quick answer

Most heavy equipment operator training in Illinois approved for the GI Bill® is on the job: 10 of the 10 locations are employers or sponsors offering apprenticeship or OJT, so you can earn wages while you train.

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 10 heavy equipment operator training locations in Illinois with 12 approved programs: 0 with school programs and 10 with apprenticeship or on-the-job training.

Before you enroll, open the VA profile to confirm the exact program, and ask the School Certifying Official to confirm your start date. [VA: Choosing a GI Bill approved school]

10 locations, by city

Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool program data, retrieved October 24, 2026. School details come from VA's data file dated October 8, 2026. The list is sorted by city, then name. It isn't a ranking.

Common questions

How many GI Bill-approved heavy equipment operator programs are in Illinois?

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 12 approved programs at 10 locations in Illinois as of October 24, 2026. That's about 4% of the 227 heavy equipment operator locations in VA's data nationally. By type: 10 employers and apprenticeship sponsors.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Which cities in Illinois have heavy equipment operator programs?

By number of locations: Bartonville (1), Cordova (1), Elk Grove Village (1), Marion (1), Mechanicsburg (1), Morris (1) and 4 more cities.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Are there paid heavy equipment operator apprenticeships in Illinois that take the GI Bill?

Yes. 10 locations offer VA-approved on-the-job training in Illinois (12 programs); 8 of them are registered apprenticeships. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you're paid wages plus a monthly housing payment that steps down every six months.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool] [VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships]

Other trades in Illinois

← All Heavy Equipment Operator programs · Does the GI Bill cover heavy equipment school?

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool data (ComparisonToolData.xlsx)”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Choosing a GI Bill approved school”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.