Q: I just got out of the Marine Corps about a little over a month. According to my DD 214, I got honorably discharged and I had served for almost two years. I know I am supposed to be getting 100% of the GI Bill but I don’t know who to send it to in order to get my rate reevaluated. If so, how long would it take for the VA to get back to me? Also, I currently live in California, but I am a resident of Michigan. Does that effect me wanting to go to an online school from another state other than those listed above? Mary
A: My question is why do you think you should get 100% of the Post 9/11 GI Bill with only two years of service? Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you have to serve for at least three years to get to the 100% tier or discharged with a service connected disability with at least 30 days of service. I’m guessing that is your basis, but you didn’t say if you discharge was for a service-connected disability or not.
I’m not sure what “it” is that you are referring to. I think your best bet is to contact your State Veterans Affairs Office, go in and have them help you with this. This could get too complicated to try and straighten out through the mail or over the Internet. They can tell you for sure if you should be getting 100% of the Post 9/11 GI Bill and how to fix it, if it needs fixing. By calling them first, you should know what paperwork you have to bring in.
As far as how long it will take? Fixing things when the VA is involved is not a fast process, nor is there anything anyone can do to speed things up. It is a slow moving machine that grinds up anything getting in its way, so be patient. They will get to it when they get to it.
Generally if you intend to go to school online, it really doesn’t make a difference as most online schools, or brick and mortar schools with online programs, have set online tuition rates. If you do run into a school that charges non-resident online rates, you would be responsible for paying the difference between the resident and nonresident rate. That additional amount could be paid for by the Yellow Ribbon Program if you are at the 100% Post 9/11 GI Bill tier, which now brings us full circle.
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Stumble!
Q: I was in the Guard and used one year of my Montgomery GI Bill. I then turned 21 and thought drinking was better than school and now I am trying to get back to school. I was wondering if I have any benefits left since I only went to two semesters of school, however, I have been out of the Guard for two years now? I also did my boot camp and AIT Post 9-11 so do I qualify at all for the new GI Bill with an 8-month long AIT?
A: If the Montgomery GI Bill was the one you had while in the Guard – the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) – then no, you don’t have anything left. The MGIB-SR operates under a different set of rules than the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (MGIB-AD), so your Guard GI Bill ended when you got out of the Guard. It would have ended 10 years from your date of Notice of Benefits Eligibility (NOBE) anyway, so depending on how long you were in, it might have already had expired before you got out.
If you have the MGIB-AD and depending on when you got out, you could have some benefits left. The MGIB also has a 10-year shelf life, but it starts on the day of your discharge.
And the news isn’t any better for the Post 9/11 GI Bill either. While you only need 90 days of Title 10 duty to establish eligibility, under its rules, training time does not count until you have at least 24 months of eligible Post 9/11 GI Bill time. Then you can pick up that training time in your eligibility.
So unless you deployed on a Title 10 order in support of a contingency operation, such as Iraq or Afghanistan, you don’t have any Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits you can use.
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Q: I was just disability retired on 29 January. I’m trying to start college this semester which starts on 13 January so I will still be on active duty for 2 weeks of the beginning of the semester. I have swapped over to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and I’m wondering if I will be entitled to the housing allowance for the rest of the semester. The only answers I can seem to get is that I will get tuition paid for but no one knows if I will get the rest of the benefits. I really hope that 2 weeks doesn’t knock me out for the whole semester. Please help! Thanks
A: The Post 9/11 GI Bill monthly housing allowance is based on both the zip code of your school and the number of credits you are taking, and paid at the pay grade of an E-5 with dependents.
For example, you’re a full-time student and your full monthly housing rate calculates out to $1,200 per month. That amount is divided by 30 days and the result is your daily rate – $40.00. Depending on when your semester starts and ends, your first and last monthly checks during a semester may not be full checks anyway. So if you miss the first couple of weeks of a semester, your housing allowance will be smaller – that’s all.
Your checks can also be smaller if you are not taking a full credit load. As I said, your check is based on you being a full-time student. If your school uses 12 credits as their full-time amount and you are taking 9, then you would get 9/12th or ¾ of $1,200, which is $900 for each full month that you are taking 9 credits, but you would also use up only 22.5 days of entitlement instead of the full 30 days.
You would also get the book stipend for the semester, which calculates out to $41.67 per credit.
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Q: I am currently finishing my associate’s degree at the University of Northwestern OH with my Post 9/11 GI Bill. I am hoping to use it for their CDL course, but I’m not sure if this can be done because it’s a certification at a degree producing institution. I am just hoping for a solid answer.
A: This would have been a problem before the GI Bill 2.0 change, because the Post 9/11 GI Bill generally did not cover the training leading up to a certification or license. However, they would reimburse you one-time for the cost of such a test. But if you didn’t pass it, they would not pay you to take it again.
But now after the change, not only will the Post 9/11 GI Bill will still reimburse you up to $2,000 for the cost of the test (and cover more than just one test), but they will pay for your CDL training leading up to the tests.
The one thing that will be different though is you will get $83.00 per month for books whereas a credit-based degree-producing course would pay $41.67 per credit. Not a big deal though as you should still do well on $83 per month for books.
For your CDL test and endorsements, you will have to pay up front out of your pocket and then request reimbursement from the VA for the costs of the tests. Be sure to keep receipts that clearly explain what each test and endorsement costs you, so there isn’t any question about it that could hold-up your reimbursement money. Your VA Certifying Official at your school can help you fill out the reimbursement paperwork and submit it.
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Q: I served Army Active Duty from 1998 – 2000 and paid in the $1,000 dollars to MGIB and had the Army College Fund for $26,500 in my contract. After my ETS, I joined the National Guard and have deployed for a total of 5 years and 4 months of Title 10, several trips to Iraq and Afghanistan. I was unable to use the ACF or MGIB benefits. Are they now gone and how can I maximize the use of the benefits or transfer them to my children?
A: No they are not gone, but you have a much better deal you can use – more on that in a minute.
The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) has a 10-year delimitation date or a shelf life, if you will. But the time starts from your last date of discharge. Since you are still serving in the National Guard, your date of discharge has not started yet.
But since you have deployed on Title 10 orders in excess of three years, you are fully vested in the Post 9/11 GI Bill. That is a much better GI Bill than the MGIB and ACF combined.
But let’s digress for a minute.
What most people don’t know about the ACF is the dollar amount includes what you get from the MGIB too, not the amount you will get in addition to the MGIB. So in reality, you didn’t have all that much in just the ACF.
Now let’s talk about the Post 9/11 GI Bill. You will still have the 36 months of benefits, but the Post 9/11 GI Bill pays better. The VA will pay your tuition directly to your school and you will get a monthly housing allowance that averages across the U.S. at $1,200; double that amount if you live on either the East or West coast. Plus once each semester, you will get a book stipend that pays you $41.67 per credit (up to the $1,000 per year cap).
And you have transfer-of-benefit rights with the New GI Bill, meaning you can transfer any or all of your 36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to your spouse or children or both if you want (as long as you are still serving – Once retired and it is too late to transfer benefits). So forget the MGIB and ACF and say hello to the New GI Bill.
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Q: My son enlisted in the Navy as of February 15, 2011. His one year will be accomplished soon. I was wondering if the New GI Bill will cover any student loans that were acquired prior to his enlistment. Thank you.
A: There are two separate issues here. First, the New GI Bill cannot pay for student loans. It is an entirely separate program and can only be used to pay for new schooling. Second, to get student loans paid for, your son would had to have signed up for the Student Loan Repayment Program at the time he enlisted. The repayment program is slightly different among the different service branches.
At the time he enlisted the Navy was paying up to $65,000 over a three-year period. How that works is each year, the military member has to submit DD Form 2475 on each eligible student loan. Many sign up for the program, but either don’t know or forgot about the requirement to submit the annual paperwork. So time goes by and they are upset because nothing was paid on their loans.
For the New GI Bill, your son will have to serve at least two years before he could use his Post 9/11 GI Bill. However, he will also have Tuition Assistance that he can use while in the Navy. Once he can start using his Post 9/11 GI Bill, then he could also use the Tuition Top-Up Program to help pay any tuition costs over what TA will pay. But he will have to wait for another year before he needs to worry about using that program.
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Q: I’m on my last month of entitlement for MGIB chapter 30. How do I go about getting a 12 month extension or so I have heard this rumor? If true please tell me who I need to call to get this extension started. Second question… I am able to change schools if/once a extension was granted? Thanks!
A: I’m assuming you are eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill by having served for at least 90-days on active duty. To get your extension, you don’t call anyone. You can either download the form, fill it out and send it in, or fill it out online and submit it.
The form number is you need is VA Form 22-1990. To either download or submit it online, go to the eBenefits website. Once your request is processed, you will get back a Certificate of Eligibility showing how many months of eligibility you have left to use.
As far as changing schools, yes you can do that. It requires submitting a different form, but it is on the same eBenefits website. That form number is VA Form 22-1995 Request for Change of Program or Place of Training.
I do not suggest doing both at once; it causes too much confusion. Request your additional months of eligibility first and once that transaction is complete, then submit the change of place of training. Hopefully, you have enough time to make all that happen before you need to start school.
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Q: My question is this: my son has two more years of high school and I choose to transfer most of my post 9/11 GI BILL to him for collage, how do I get started, how do I apply or where do I get this information, I’m active army and will have the adequate time to serve for this to happen, can you help me on these steps? Thank you!
A: First, you have to still be serving (which you are) and have served for at least six years. Then you have to agree to serve an additional four years., unless you are within four years of being retirement eligible, then your additional time would be prorated down to a lesser amount.
Once you meet the current and future service requirements, then go to the TEB website and enter into your son’s account the number of months you would like to give him. You can give him any or all up to the number of unused months that you have. If you have not used any, that would be 36 months.
Once finished, you will see the Status Block change to “Pending Review”. Keep checking back and look for the status to change to “Approved”. Be patient as it can take 8 to 10 weeks for the status to change.
Once that happens, then your son has to go to the eBenefits website and submit VA Form 22-1990e. In return, he will get back a Certificate of Eligibility. He will need to give his school a copy of that certificate when he registers for college as a Post 9/11 GI Bill student using transferred benefits.
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Recently I posted a blog on another site where retiree John asked if there was a group that could help him transfer his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to his dependents. As we all know there is not. Also, we know there have been a couple pieces of legislation that if passed, would have allowed it. However, not only did the legislation not pass, neither one ever came up for a vote; subsequently both pieces expired once they reached their time limits.
I decided to start a petition on behalf of all eligible veterans who retired after December 10, 2001 but before August 1, 2009. Because these vets retired before the “magic” date of August 1, 2009, they never had the opportunity to make a transfer request.
Now is your opportunity. If you want to try and get this wrong righted, sign the petition.
You can read the preamble of the petition which gives the background information and defines the veterans in each affected group, if you are not already aware of the situation. The petition part reads:
“We, the undersigned, call on the President of the United States to initiate a Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer-of-Benefits equality and fairness initiative to 20+ year retired military veterans, in both groups as defined in the Preamble, retiring between and including December 10, 2001 to July 31, 2009, by allowing them a one-time opportunity to transfer unused Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to dependent family members.”
You do not have to be in one of the affected veteran groups to support this petition. I can’t guarantee it will be successful, but it is obvious this thing isn’t going to resolve itself, so let’s take it to the Commander-in-Chief and see what happens.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions in this post are solely those of the blogger, not necessarily those of www.armystudyguide.com and/or its owner, QuinStreet Inc.
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Q: I was told that my son would qualify to have his student loans repaid if he scores above a certain score on his entrance exam. But I am confused by this because he doesn’t graduate from high school until May so he obviously doesn’t have student loans as of yet. How would this work? Would he have to do something after he is finished with college then fill out the necessary paperwork? I have heard it’s for existing loans but was told that is for Active Army and that for the reserves it is a little different as long as he scores 50 or above he qualifies. I was also told he could get MGIB benefit monthly to help pay for his school. Is this true? Thank you for any help you can give this confused parent.
A: What he is being told about the Student Loan Repayment Program is true for the Reserves, however, it should be apparent to whomever is telling him that he isn’t eligible for the program if he plans on going active duty. The active duty Student Loan Repayment Program is only for those who have eligible Federally-insured college loans at the time they enlist. If he is still in high school, he obviously doesn’t have student loans and would not qualify for the program – they shouldn’t even discuss it with him. All they are doing is confusing both you and him. If he plan on going in the Reserves, then he could use it for student loans he acquires after enlisting. They are two separate programs even though they are titled the same – I know, it is confusing, but welcome to the military!
Just so you know, there are two Montgomery GI Bills (Yes I know, could they make it any more confusing!). If he was going on active duty, he would qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty after paying in $1,200 in MGIB contribution.
But because it sounds like he is joining the Reserves, he would qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserves, which doesn’t have a required contribution. When they start throwing figures around, be sure you and him both know which GI Bill they are referring to as there is a world of difference in the pay structure between the two Bills. The one for the Reserves and National Guard pays $345 per month to go to school; the one for active duty pays $1,473 per month. With both there are 36 months of education benefits.
One more thing – if he went on active duty, he would qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill which does not cost anything. The only way he can get the Post 9/11 GI Bill in the Guard or Reserves is if he goes on a deployment on Title 10 orders. A total of three years of Title 10 orders would get him 100% of the Post 9/11 GI Bill which much better than either of the MGIBs.
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