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GI Bill Information: Ask the Expert BlogArchive for January, 2010
January 29th, 2010
by Jeffery Anderson
by Jeffery Anderson
I am retired from the Marine Corps, and was under the old GI Bill (24 years active service, retired in 1999). I used some of my benefits while pursuing a Graduate Degree (post-retirement), but I believe I still have some funds remaining. My son is applying for Grad school this Fall, and we are looking at sources of funding for tuition and other expenses. If I have funds/eligibility remaining, am I able to transfer my eligibility to my son? If so, what is the process? Thanks in advance. William
Hi William, I was also in the Corps, and went in close to when you did. I went through Basic School in 1976. Unfortunately the GI Bills prior to the Post 9/11 GI Bill did not provide the ability to transfer benefits. The provision allowing the transfer of benefits was added to the New GI Bill in August 2009, and to be eligible a service member must have been on active duty in August 2009, or come onto active duty since then. Part of the reason for that is that to be eligible to transfer benefits a service member usually is required to extend their time on active duty.
I spent a little bit of time searching to see if I could find an education benefit program your son might be eligible for. I looked on the Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society Website, and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Website, but the programs they offer are for undergraduate studies. The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation does have a long list of links for financial aid resources, that it might be worth your while to investigate. You might also check with your state’s Department of Veteran’s Affairs office. Sometimes there are state programs for dependent children. I would also check with the financial aid office at the school your son is thinking of attending, they are sometimes aware of scholarships and grants that may be available.
January 29th, 2010
by Jeffery Anderson
by Jeffery Anderson
I am trying to figure out if I am reading the chart correctly, as it doesn’t seem to make sense. My state is NH and I am eligible for $933 per credit hour, however only $4700 per semester? My school (UNH) charges $460 per credit hour, but it is on a 4-credit per class system. In order for me to go to school full time the in-state costs are around $6700 per semester. Am I correct to understand that the New GI Bill will only cover $4700 per semester, and I will be unable to go to school full time unless I pay the difference? Jennifer
Hi Jennifer, You are reading the chart correctly. I agree that there are a few states that the maximum provided per semester doesn’t seem to make make sense. The VA set the tuition rate at each state for the highest in-state tuition at a state supported school in the state. Most of the states seem to have a generous maximum per credit hour. For some reason though, the total for a semester in a few states doesn’t cover many classes. New York is another state like that. For most states the New GI Bill is a very good deal, and pays most, and in some cases all of the costs. I don’t know if the average number of courses carried per semester was something the colleges provided, or how that part of it was arrived at. It’s a new program, and they may do some adjusting in the future.
If the University of New Hampshire was participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, it wouldn’t be an issue. Yellow Ribbon schools will pay a portion of the costs over and above what the New GI Bill will cover. They can pay up to 50 percent of the overage, and the VA will match their contribution. I looked at the list of schools in New Hampshire participating in the Yellow Ribbon program, and there are a lot of them, but unfortunately the University of New Hampshire is not one of them.
So as it stands now, you are correct, you would have to pay the difference. The VA just adjusted the amounts for each state, and New Hampshire now has a total per semester of $4977, so that helps a little. You might ask someone in the school’s financial aid office about the Yellow Ribbon program, to see if they may be planning on participating. They may also be aware of some grants or scholarships for veterans that could help you. If you are eligible for the housing stipend from the New GI Bill, you may be able to apply some of that to tuition, also. The housing stipend for that area of New Hampshire is almost $1500 per month.
January 29th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
I’m eligible for 80% of the benefit (I served 26 months and was honorably discharged). Will my school be paid 80% each month, while I cover the 20%, or will the VA cover me 80% of the time, as in 80% of 36 months? – Jake O.
You get 36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, just like someone who get’s 100% of the benefits. The percentage refers to how much you, or the school, will receive with each payment. This affects both the amount of tuition that the bill pays, and the maximum amount at which it caps out.
In your example, the GI Bill will pay for 80% of the full tuition for your school. However, the maximum that it can pay will be 80% of the cost of the most expensive in-state undergraduate program for your state. You must cover the remaining 20% yourself. You can also apply for scholarships and other forms of financial aid to cover the difference.
January 29th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
I am currently active duty as a medical intern at an Army hospital. I entered the service through the HPSP scholarship program, and was in reserve status for 3 1/2 years of medical school before graduating and starting my residency. My current obligation to the Army is 4 years after I finish my residency training (should graduate June of 2012). My plan at this point is to pay back my 4 years and then get out, and possibly complete further training with a specialty fellowship in the civilian world; the fellowship would likely take 2-3 years. To my knowledge, I never signed up for, or declined, either the Montgomery or post 9/11 GI bills. My question is whether the GI bill would benefit me during fellowship training–I’m not sure whether this type of training is included in the benefits. A second question is whether I would be eligible to pass on some of the education benefits to my children later on (such as for college). Thank you for any help you can give me with these questions. – Vanya W.
You need not have signed up for anything to get the benefits of the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, and after you serve at least 36 months of active duty you should be able to use it to pay for tuition for a medical specialist fellowship, if it is a program that is run by an institute of higher learning that confers traditional educational degrees. Of course, the details of your fellowship also come into play. The new GI Bill pays full tuition directly to your school; if your fellowship also pays full tuition directly to the school, you can basically have one or the other. You should contact the university that you are planning on attending for your specialty training and speak to their Veterans Affairs office about it, to make sure.
Whether you are able to transfer your educational benefits to your children depends on how long you serve on active duty, but you won’t be eligible if you only serve 4 years. You will become eligible to transfer your educational benefits after serving 6 years of active duty, and to do so, you must agree to serve at least 4 more years on active duty. For more detail, see the TEB web site run by the Department of Defense.
January 29th, 2010
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
I do the social media for this site and this question was on the Facebook page. Thanks! My husband has started utilizing his benefits that were going to run out in April of 2010. Will he be able to finish school with the benefits or will they expire in April. He was told initially that once he started he had 4 years to use them, but we just want to make sure because that date is coming up soon. Any idea if they will expire on his original date or will he be able to use them for the next few years? — Dottie
Dottie, first let me thank you for helping veterans via your FaceBook site.
I’m not sure who told him he had 4 years to use his benefits; he might have confused that with having enough benefits to get a 4-year degree, but that is not going to help him now. His benefits will expire on April 2010. Except in very rare cases, the VA doesn’t issue extensions, so that isn’t an option either.
Montgomery GI Bill benefits have an eligibility end-date 10 years from the date of last discharge. If his benefits are going to end in April 2010, then he must have gotten out in the year 2000. Since he doesn’t have any service after September 10, 2001, he can’t switch to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, so that isn’t an option. If he did have qualifying service for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, he could have gained both benefits and extended his end date (which is 15 years under the New GI Bill).
GI Bill ending-date questions are the most asked questions I get and I’m trying to still figure out why. Servicemembers are suppose to be aware of their ending date both when they both sign up for the GI Bill and it should be part of the out-processing briefing, but many veterans aren’t getting the information. The 10 years pass quickly and they end up losing education benefits.
January 29th, 2010
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
Hi, I’m on active duty and want to use the benefits to get my private pilot liscense. I’m stationed at Ft.Richardson, AK and want to attend Alyeska Helicopter school. Question is, they say they dont accept the GI Bill so if I use the Montgomery GI Bill will the payments come directly to me so I can pay the school? Just trying to find any way to use the benefits to pay for it so I don’t have to shell out $10,000-$15,000. Thanks for your time. — Derek
Hi Derek. If your flight school was an approved VA training program, then yes, you could pay the school, but the VA has some unique rules when it comes using your GI Bill for flight training. The Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) will reimburse you for 60% of flight training costs, however, first you must:
- already have your private pilot’s license and;
- show proof you meet the medical requirements for your flight certificate.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill generally will not pay for flight training unless the training is through an accredited college or university and then it may be covered, however, the same two rules apply as with the MGIB.
The VA is willing to pay for flight training beyond the private pilot’s license for veterans wanting to fly commercially, which is in-line with theVA’s premise of training you for a career. For most people, a private pilot’s license is more for hobby flying rather than earning a living from it.
Tuition Assistance (TA) does not cover flight training either, unless it is part of your degree program. Check with your Education Services Office, but that may be your out – declare a commercial aviation major, if that is what you intend to do for a career, and see if TA will cover flight training. If not, you may have to pay for your private pilot’s license and then continue using your GI Bill for your rotary wing training.
January 28th, 2010
by Jeffery Anderson
by Jeffery Anderson
I want to know if I can use the MGIB or the New GI Bill to help pay for my school loans? I was a member of the Army National Guard in Michigan from ‘93 to Feb. of ‘99. I started school in 2007 and stopped when I decided to join the active Army this last August. Sallie Mae won’t defer my loans unless I was deployed or “mobilized.” I am at AIT right now, and will resume school when I am finished. Will either program help with my current loans? Michael
Hi Michael, Unfortunately, the MGIB and New GI Bill will not help with existing college loans. The military education benefit program that can take care of existing college loans is the Loan Repayment Program, but you must be enrolled in it when you first enlist, and you waive the ability to become eligible for GI Bill benefits during your initial enlistment. If your Army recruiter was aware of your college loans, he (she) must have felt that they would not qualify for the Loan Repayment Program. The loans must meet certain requirements to be eligible for the program.
The good news is that while you are on active duty you can use Tuition Assistance to help pay for your remaining time in college. In some cases it can pay all of your tuition costs, and you can use it for a graduate degree, also. If you decide to wait until you get out of the Army to continue your education, you can become eligible for the New GI Bill. The New GI Bill can pay for most of your education costs, and when combined with the Yellow Ribbon Program, it may pay all of your costs.
January 28th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
I am an active duty service member and I’ve heard that under the new GI Bill my wife could be eligible as well. Is this true? If so, what are the necessary steps to get started? — Genaro
Yes, there is now a program that allows you to transfer some or all of your GI Bill benefits to a spouse or child. This is part of the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, and is referred to as Transfer of Educational Benefits, or TEB.
There are some limitations on eligibility to apply to transfer GI Bill benefits, however. First, you must currently be on active duty and have served on active duty for at least 6 years. In addition, you must be willing to sign an agreement to remain on active duty for at least 4 more years following the approval of your transfer.
If your transfer is approved, you may transfer any number of months of your remaining GI Bill benefits to your dependent. You can change this number at any time, even after you leave the service, but you can only change the dependents you have named while you are on active duty.
You can find out more information about the TEB program and the new GI Bill in general at the Veterans Affairs department GI Bill page.
January 28th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
How does the new GI Bill work if you go to school part time? I am on the Montgomery GI Bill now. – Chris F.
The new Post 9/11 GI Bill works exactly the same way when you are going to school part time as when you are going to school full time. While the older Montgomery GI Bill will pay a specific fraction of its normal rate based on whether you are a full-time, 3/4 time, 1/2 time, or 1/4 time student, that is only necessary because it pays a specific rate each month. The New GI Bill pays for your entire tuition, up to a maximum. That means that there is a limit built in. If you go to school part time, it still pays for your full tuition, but that tuition is less because you’re taking fewer courses.
January 28th, 2010
by Jeffery Anderson
by Jeffery Anderson
I am active duty Air Force since December 2006. I opted for the College Loan Repayment Program, and also paid the $1200 for the Montgomery GI Bill. My 4 year enlistment is coming to an end and I would like to know if I am eligible for the New GI Bill after my current enlistment. I was told that I had to re-enlist to receive the Montgomery GI Bill, but haven’t heard anything about the New GI Bill and CLRP. This information will help influence my decision to re-enlist or not, so I need to know. Thanks, John
Hi John, the New GI Bill is the same as the Montgomery GI Bill in that regard. The military considers your first enlistment to be tied into the College Loan Repayment Program. If you re-enlist, you can become eligible for the New GI Bill. After 90 days you can be eligible for partial benefits with the New GI Bill, and at the end of 36 months you can be eligible for the full benefits.
I don’t know your personal situation, but the New GI Bill can provide you with a lot of benefits for your education, so it might be worth re-enlisting. When you combine the New GI Bill with the Yellow Ribbon program, you may not have any college costs at all if you need to finish an initial degree, or plan on earning a graduate degree. With enough active duty service you can also become eligible to transfer your benefits to a spouse or dependent child through the New GI Bill.
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