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GI Bill Information: Ask the Expert BlogArchive for 2009
December 31st, 2009
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
Hi, I am a little confused over whether I still have my GI Bill benefits or not. I enlisted in the Marines in December 1985 and I paid for the MGIB ($100/month for one year). I served 3.5 years on active duty in the Marines when I was accepted to the Naval Academy. After graduating from the Naval Academy, I served just over five years on active and then I remained in the Reserves until I was called back up to active duty in 2003 – 2005 severing about 18 months on active duty. I was deployed, overseas, for some of that time in support of OEF. I last served on active duty at the end of 2005. Did I lose my GI Bill benefits by graduating from the Naval Academy? Or, is it still available for me to use? — Joe M.
Actually, no. Although the old GI Bill (the Montgomery GI Bill) was specifically for enlisted soldiers, you are still entitled to it, since you signed up for it when you joined. The 10 years you are allowed to apply for the benefits begins on the last day of your most recent period of active duty service, regardless of whether that service was as an enlisted man or an officer. So, you are still eligible for your Montgomery GI Bill benefits
In addition, since you have served a significant amount of time on active duty after September 11, 2001, you are also eligible for benefits under the new Post 9/11 GI Bill. It is available to all veterans with at least 90 days of active duty service following that date. Although the years of your service obligation due to your commission from a service academy do not count toward the required time, you still served well above the 36 months of total active duty time required to get full benefits. You can choose the program for which you would rather apply. I recommend contacting your local Veterans Affairs office and getting in touch with an educational counselor who can tell you which program will be of greatest benefit to you.
December 31st, 2009
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
If I used all 36 months of the MGIB, am I eligible for additional benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill? – Todd R.
Unfortunately, no. If you have already used up all of your authorized benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill, then you are not eligible to apply for benefits under the new Post 9/11 GI Bill. If you have used only a portion of your Montgomery GI Bill benefits, then the benefits under the new GI Bill are limited to the time remaining under the MGIB. An information pamphlet addressing these issues is available here, from the Veterans Affairs site.
December 31st, 2009
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
Question:
My paperwork was submitted at the end of August and I still cannot verify my enrollment and receive my benefits. I am signed up for the Montgomery GI bill and I am getting ready to start my second quarter. I have been unable to email the VA or contact anyone by phone. what can I do? Thanks! — Andrew.
My paperwork was submitted at the end of August and I still cannot verify my enrollment and receive my benefits. I am signed up for the Montgomery GI bill and I am getting ready to start my second quarter. I have been unable to email the VA or contact anyone by phone. what can I do? Thanks! — Andrew.
Answer:
Hi Andrew. Many veterans face the same frustration with the GI Bill application process as you are facing right now. With the new Post-9/11 Bill starting in August 1, 2009, everything, including all the other GI Bills, is backed up at the VA.
To check on your enrollment, first try checking through the VA’s W.A.V.E. (Web-Automated Verification of Enrollment) Website. As soon as the VA receives certification of your enrollment from your school, a record is set up in your name and you can use WAVE to verify your attendance.
You will not get your monthly payment unless you verify your enrollment monthly, usually by the last day of the month. You verifying tells the VA you did not make any changes to your enrollment for the current month.
If you’ ve tried to check on your enrollment through W.A.V.E., and your current period of enrollment isn’t showing up, it is because the VA probably has not processed it. Check with your School Certifying Official and see if, and when, they submitted the Certification of Enrollment. If your Certifying Official thinks a reasonable amount of time has passed for processing since it was sent in (and if appears there has been), then contact the VA by using either their Ask A Question feature or call them at 1-888-442-4551.
With the processing backup at the VA aside, normally problems lay either with your school not sending in your Certification of Enrollment or the student not verifying enrollment monthly. Good luck.
December 31st, 2009
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
Question:
I am currently deployed in Iraq and was wondering, can my wife use my GI Bill to go back to school, and pay off her student loans she currently owes her school? — Jeromy
I am currently deployed in Iraq and was wondering, can my wife use my GI Bill to go back to school, and pay off her student loans she currently owes her school? — Jeromy
Answer:
Hi Jeromy. With the limited amount of information you provided , I’ll try and answer your question. If you qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, then yes, you can transfer some, or all, of your unused eligibility to your wife and she can go back to school.
As far as paying off her student loans, you can’t use your GI Bill for that. Your wife will have to make arrangement to pay off those loans.
To qualify for student loan repayment, you would have had to decline the GI Bill and even then, it would apply only to your student loans and not those of your wife.
December 30th, 2009
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
Question:
I finished my first term of 3 years honorably. I was in for a total of 5 years active, but I got a general discharge. Do I qualify for the G.I. Bill? Also, I paid 100 dollars a month for 12 months. — Juan
I finished my first term of 3 years honorably. I was in for a total of 5 years active, but I got a general discharge. Do I qualify for the G.I. Bill? Also, I paid 100 dollars a month for 12 months. — Juan
Answer:
I have bad news Juan. You must have an Honorable Discharge to use the GI Bill. Other discharges, such as Under Honorable Conditions or a General Discharge, make you ineligible to use the GI Bill.
And the news gets worse. The $1,200 dollars you paid, in addition to at least three years of service, created the MGIB eligibility for you, but to collect your GI Bill education benefits, you had to:
- have an Honorable Discharge and;
- have a high school diploma or a GED and;
- meet the requirement in one of the four categories.
The $1,200 dollars you paid in was part of the requirement to establish eligibility for the Montgomery GI Bill. Whether you choose to use your GI Bill or not – in your case you can’t because of your General Discharge – once the money is paid in, you can’t get it back.
I know this is not the answer you wanted to hear, but those are the rules according to the VA. I’m sorry this couldn’t have turned out better for you.
December 30th, 2009
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
Question:
I have served 8 years in the Army and have reenlisted twice, but now I’m looking at a general discharge. Do I still get my GI Bill? — Ronnie W.
I have served 8 years in the Army and have reenlisted twice, but now I’m looking at a general discharge. Do I still get my GI Bill? — Ronnie W.
Answer:
Its good to hear from you Ronnie. Your eligibility for education benefits under the GI Bill (either the Montgomery GI Bill or the new Post 9/11 GI Bill) depends partly on the type of discharge you receive in separating from the military. In general, you need either an honorable discharge, or another discharge or release due to hardship, disability. A dishonorable discharge, or a general discharge under other-than-honorable conditions makes you ineligible for GI Bill benefits from that term of service.
However, if you have re-enlisted, the situation may change. Each time you re-enlisted, you were honorably discharged, ending a period of service. You are probably eligible for your GI Bill benefits under either of the current GI Bills due to your time in your first two terms of service. In that case, you have 10 years from the end of your last qualifying period of service in order to apply for benefits. I recommend you contact at the Veterans Affairs office to verify your eligibility.
December 30th, 2009
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
Question:
I would like to know if am still eligible for benefits under the old Montgomery GI Bill? I served on active duty from July 1994 to July 1998 and non-active duty for 4 years, but paid money for the GI Bill. — Roosevelt B.
I would like to know if am still eligible for benefits under the old Montgomery GI Bill? I served on active duty from July 1994 to July 1998 and non-active duty for 4 years, but paid money for the GI Bill. — Roosevelt B.
Answer:
Hi Rossevelt. Unfortunately, you are probably no longer eligible for educational benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill. In order to make use of these benefits, you must apply for them within 10 years of the most recent discharge from active duty. This would indicate that your window of opportunity to apply for the MGIB probably expired in 2008. Your time in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) does not count for this purpose.
There are some possible exceptions. If you were prevented from using your benefits due to being held by a foreign power, or due to a disability, you may be able to apply for an extension through the Veterans Affairs office. Also, if you served on active duty, other than for training purposes, since that time, for at least 90 days, the deadline is extended to 10 years past the end of that period of active duty.
Although you are probably not eligible for GI Bill benefits, you may find that you are eligible for certain scholarships due to your veteran status and having served during the first Gulf War period. I recommend you contact a financial adviser at the university that you are considering. You can also find some information on these scholarships at the CollegeScholarships.org web site.
December 30th, 2009
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
Question:
Does Ohio State accept the G.I. Bill? — Lee
Does Ohio State accept the G.I. Bill? — Lee
Answer:
Semper Fi Lee. Ohio State University does accept the GI Bill. You can contact Ms. Gina Lee in the Office of Human Resources, Veterans’ Affairs at Ohio State.
To go to school, Ohio State has a three-step process:
- first, you must apply and get accepted at Ohio State;
- second, after getting accepted, you have to register for classes;
- third, contact Ms Lee and she can help you get the correct forms filled out and coordinate your GI Bill benefits.
You will also need a certified copy of your DD214. Because of people altering their DD214, the VA suggests keeping a certified copy on file at your local County Recorder’s office where it can be accessed when needed.
If you are a first time student, you will need to fill out VA Form 22-1990 to apply for GI Bill benefits. You can either download it, complete it and mail it in, or you can go on the VONAPP (Veterans Online Application) website and complete the form electronically.
If you were in the Marine Reserves, then you will also need a copy of your DD Form 2384 (Notice of Basic Eligibility) along with your application. You should have received a copy when you became eligible for the GI Bill.
December 29th, 2009
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
Question:
I am thinking of joining the US Army as an Officer. I am trying to make sense of the benefits offered. I have roughly $15,000 in outstanding federal student loans incurred while obtaining my BBA degree at Sam Houston State University in Texas. If I join the Army, do I qualify for any loan repayment scheme through the MGIB or other programs? If so, how does it work? — David L.
I am thinking of joining the US Army as an Officer. I am trying to make sense of the benefits offered. I have roughly $15,000 in outstanding federal student loans incurred while obtaining my BBA degree at Sam Houston State University in Texas. If I join the Army, do I qualify for any loan repayment scheme through the MGIB or other programs? If so, how does it work? — David L.
Answer:
Hi David. The basic answer to your question is that no, you probably won’t be able to get loan repayment if you join directly as an officer. There are loan repayment options available for those who are joining as enlisted members of the services and agree to serve at least a certain number of years on active duty. However, these options are not available for officers. The Montgomery GI Bill and new Post 9/11 GI Bill both pay for current schooling, rather than help pay for loans already incurred.
There is, however, a possible route you may wish to consider. If you join the Army as an enlisted soldier first, you can qualify for loan repayment programs, and will also begin at a higher pay grade than many other enlisting soldiers, due to your bachelor’s degree. Since you already have a degree, once you have served your agreed term (probably 4 years), you can apply for Officer Candidate School (OCS) and receive a commission. This does create a delay in becoming an officer, but still provides a good way to recover from those debts, get a good-paying job, and eventually end up where you want. I recommend you contact a local recruiter for more information, and check out the Army recruiting site.
December 29th, 2009
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
Question:
I did not sign up for the Montgomery GI Bill in 1983. I am now retired. Am I eligible for the 911 GI bill? — Mark
I did not sign up for the Montgomery GI Bill in 1983. I am now retired. Am I eligible for the 911 GI bill? — Mark
Answer:
Hi Mark. You may be eligible to apply for the new Post 9/11 GI Bill. If at least 90 days of your service was after September 11, 2001, and you were discharged honorably or for medical or hardship reasons, you can apply. You must apply for benefits within 10 years from leaving the service, however.
Whether you originally signed up for the Montgomery GI Bill when you enlisted makes no difference. The new GI Bill is a benefit available to most service-members, not a special enlistment bonus. However, there are some other details that go into eligibility for the benefits. A number of pamphlets and fact sheets on the new GI Bill are available on the Veterans Affairs web site to answer your questions.
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