Happy Veteran's Day and New GI Bill Details

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Happy Veteran's Day and New GI Bill Details

11 November 2008 1 views No Comment

In commemoration of Veteran’s Day, I’d like to point you to some education benefits for veterans, including the details of the New GI Bill, or post-9/11 GI Bill.

Veterans Benefits summary

The New GI Bill

This new benefit will cover the full cost of education at any public school in the country and many private schools. To qualify for the benefits, a veteran has to have served at least 90 days of active duty post-9/11 and have remaining entitlement. Only post-9/11 active duty service counts toward this benefit. Any remaining Chapter 30 or 1607 entitlement can be converted into this new education benefit. There is no requirement to buy in to qualify, and the benefits last for 15 years after separation.

This benefit discards the outdated benefits system and replaces it with a WWII style GI bill that provides upfront tuition payments directly to the school, and provides a book/supply stipend of $1,000 per year and a monthly living stipend. The tuition payments can be used at any public or private school but are capped at the cost of the most expensive public school in the state. Click here for a state-by-state breakdown. However, more expensive private schools offering a veterans-only scholarship will see that scholarship matched dollar for dollar up to the full cost of tuition.

The monthly living stipend will be based on the Department of Defense Basic Housing Allowance (BAH) for that region. The stipend will be pegged to the E-5 with a dependent rate for the zip code of the school.

When Can I Receive Benefits under the Post- 9/11 GI Bill?

Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are payable for training pursued on or after August 1, 2009. No payments can be made under this program for training pursued before that date.

Am I Eligible?

You may be eligible if you served at least 90 aggregate days on active duty after September 10, 2001, and you are still on active duty or were honorably–
- discharged from the active duty; or
- released from active duty and placed on the retired list or temporary disability retired list; or
- released from active duty and transferred to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve; or
- released from the active duty for further service in a reserve component of the Armed Forces.

You may also be eligible if you were honorably discharged from active duty for a service- connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001.

If I am eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill- Selected Reserve, or the Reserve Educational Assistance Program, am I eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill?

If, on August 1, 2009, you are eligible for one of these programs and you qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may make an irrevocable election to receive benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Note: Once you elect to receive benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you will no longer be eligible to receive benefits under the program from which you elected the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

How much will I receive?

Based on your length of active duty service, you are entitled to a percentage of the following:
- Cost of tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher education (paid to school);
- Monthly housing allowance* equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to a military E-5 with dependents, in the same zip code as your school (paid to you);
- Yearly books and supplies stipend of up to $1000 per year (paid to you); and
- A one-time payment of $500 paid to certain individuals relocating from highly rural areas.

NOTE – The housing allowance and books and supplies stipend are not payable to individuals on active duty. The housing allowance is not payable to those pursuing training at half time or less or to individuals enrolled in distance learning.

How many months of assistance can I receive?

Generally, you may receive up to 36 months of entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

How long am I eligible?

You will be eligible for benefits for 15 years from your last period of active duty of at least 90 consecutive days. If you were released for a service-connected disability after at least 30 days of continuous service, you will also be eligible for benefits for 15 years.

Example:

Tuition and fees for full time enrollment: $6700. Highest in-state tuition and fees: $7000.

Scenario 1: If you separated following three years on active duty and are going to school full- time, you would receive $6700 for tuition and fees, $1000 for books and supplies, and the monthly housing allowance.

Scenario 2: If you have an aggregate of 12 months of active duty in the guard or reserves and are going to school full-time, you would receive $4020 (60% of $6700) for tuition and fees, $600 (60% of $1000) for books and supplies, and 60% of the monthly housing allowance.

What does the Post- 9/11 GI Bill cover?

You may receive benefits for any approved program offered by a school in the United States that is authorized to grant an associate (or higher) degree. Visit our website at WWW.GIBILL.VA.GOV/GI Bill Info/programs.htm to verify that the program at your school, or the program at the school you would like to attend, is approved. You may also receive benefits for tutorial assistance or up to $2,000 for the reimbursement of one licensing or certification test.

If you transferred to the Post-9/11 GI Bill from the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty, Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserves, or the Reserve Education Assistance Program, you may also receive Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for flight training, apprenticeship or on-the-job training programs, and correspondence courses.

Can I transfer my entitlement to my dependents?

If you are a member of the Armed Forces on August 1, 2009, the Department of Defense (DoD) may offer you the opportunity to transfer benefits to your spouse or dependent children. DoD and the military services will issue policy on entitlement to transferability benefit in the coming months. Visit WWW.GIBILL.VA.GOV for up-to-date information on this and other education benefits.

Other Veterans Programs

+ The MGIB-SR program may be available to you if you are a member of the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.

+ REAP was established as a part of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. It is a new Department of Defense education benefit program designed to provide educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency (contingency operation) as declared by the President or Congress. This new program makes certain reservists who were activated for at least 90 days after September 11, 2001 either eligible for education benefits or eligible for increased benefits.

+ VEAP is available if you first entered active duty between January 1, 1977 and June 30, 1985 and you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate in this education benefit program. Your contributions are matched on a $2 for $1 basis by the Government. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.

+ Section 901 is an Educational Assistance Test Program created by the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1981 (Public Law 96-342) to encourage enlistment and reenlistment in the Armed Forces. Benefits are available to individuals who entered on active duty after September 30, 1980, and before October 1, 1981 (or before October 1, 1982, if entry was under a delayed enlistment contract signed between September 30, 1980, and October 1, 1981).

+ DEA provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition, or who died while on active duty or as a result of a service related condition. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training. If you are a spouse, you may take a correspondence course. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.

This National Call to Service Incentive program requires a participant to perform a period of national service to be eligible for benefits. It is a Department of Defense program that is administered by VA.

The most important you can do as a veteran is to contact the VA and speak with one of the educational service representatives. They’ll be able to help you determine what things you qualify for.

There are a LOT of veterans scholarships out there – Google for veterans scholarship deadline to see a sample of what’s available.

memorial The Financial Aid Podcast and the Student Loan Network salute everyone who serves our nation and puts their lives on the line for the country. Thank you.

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