If I Go to Summer School, Will I Still Receive My Kicker Money Along With My Post 9/11 GI Bill?
Q: I have just finished my first year, both fall and spring semester, and everything has been going great. My question is about summer school. If I go to summer school as a full time student do I still get the kicker money that I have been receiving? Also how will going to summer school effect that final semester that the Post 9/11 GI Bill would pay.
A: I get questions on summer school a lot and I’m not sure why. Generally speaking it is no different than other semesters other than it is usually broken down into two 8-week sessions instead of one long 16-week semester for example. In the end, it comes out the same. Most of the schools drop the number of credits required for each session and still be considered full-time students.
For example if a school requires 12 credits per semester to be considered full-time, they usually drop each summer session to 6 credits and maintain that same status. So for a summer session, you get the full housing allowance by taking 6 credits as you do in a full semester where you take 12 credits, but you will only get it for two months instead of four. In the end it comes out the same.
The VA gives you 36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits – enough for a four-year degree if you use them wisely. Whether you use them for two semesters per year over the course of four years or go straight through, it is up to you.
As far as your kicker, yes you would continue getting it in the summer. The VA breaks down the amount you are authorized into 36 equal monthly payments – one for each month of entitlement so your pay for the summer session would not change.
You had asked how your last semester would be affected if you took a summer session. As long s you have at least one day of entitlement left at the start of the semester, you would get paid for the whole semester even though you ran out of entitlement early in the term. However if you reach your delimitation date during the semester, your benefits stop the day after your delimitation date. That is the difference between running out of benefits and them expiring.
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