If I Retired in 2006, Can I Transfer My Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits Now to My Son?
Q: I retired from the U.S. Marine Corps on 5/31/06 and I am a little confused with the transfer option to a dependent. My son is 20 years old and will be finished with his AA Degree this May. Can I transfer my post 9/11 GI Bill benefits over to him? Will he get a book stipend? Will he get the E-5 Basic allowance for housing if he is a full time student? Thank you so much for your time.
A: The issue with transferring Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to a dependent is the way Congress wrote the New GI Bill rules, you have to be currently serving after August 1, 2009 in order to get a transfer request approved. You were out over three years by that time.
But to answer your other questions, and if you were able to transfer benefits to him at the 100% level, yes if he attended a degree-producing school, he would get the book stipend of $41.67 per credit. It would come toward the beginning of each semester, but it is capped yearly at $1,000, enough for two 12-credit semesters per year. If he attended a non-degree producing school, then his book stipend would be $87 per month.
As far as the housing allowance, he would get the full amount authorized for the zip code of his school provided he was at the 100% Post 9/11 GI Bill level and taking enough credits to be considered a full-time student. And yes it is paid at the E-5-with-dependents pay grade.
I know it is frustrating that you have Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits that you will not use and a son that is going to school and could use the benefits, but you never got a chance to make a transfer request.