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GI Bill Information: Ask the Expert BlogArchive for July, 2010
July 30th, 2010
by Jeffery Anderson
by Jeffery Anderson
I just got off of active duty and my son is only two so he will not be old enough to use it within ten years as per the instruction. Can I transfer the regular GI Bill (not the Post 9/11 GI Bill) to my sister who was not a dependent nor is she now? Please help to the best of your knowledge, I would greatly appreciate it. Casey
Hi Casey, I’m afraid I have bad new for you all around. The Montgomery GI Bill does not have a provision allowing the transfer of your benefits. The only person who can use your Montgomery GI Bill is you.
Depending on how long you were on active duty you may also be eligible for Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. The Post 9/11 GI Bill does have a provision allowing the transfer of benefits to an eligible spouse or dependent child. However, the servicemember must be on active duty to transfer their benefits as they must agree to remain on active duty for 4 years after the transfer is approved.
In case you should go back into the military and have the opportunity to transfer your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits that you may be eligible for, a sister is not eligible to receive your benefits. However, your son does not have to use transferred benefits within the normal time limit of 15 years for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. A dependent child has until they turn 26 years of age to use any benefits that were transferred to them.
July 30th, 2010
by Jeffery Anderson
by Jeffery Anderson
My question is I am 32 years old. My father who was a Vietnam Veteran 100% service connected at the time of his death. My father never explained to us that we could use the DEA education. Is it too late for me to use the GI Bill Chapter 35? Nomi
Hi Nomi, I’m sorry to hear about your father. You may have missed out on the Dependents’ and Survivors’ Education Assistance Program (DEA) benefits if you are now 32. Normally the DEA pays up until a dependent child is 26 years old, but there are a number of extensions available to eligible children to be able to use the benefits up until 31 years of age.
About the only way to get an extension past 31 years of age is if the dependent child served on active duty or their National Guard unit was activated after 10 September 2001. If that happened, the DEA benefits can be extended for the time spent on active duty plus 4 months, even if it takes the benefits past 31 years of age.
If you have a good reason for not using the benefits, it wouldn’t hurt to contact the VA, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Good reasons would be like an illness kept you from using the benefits or your employment would not permit you to take the time to use the benefits. I would be prepared to offer solid proof for whatever argument you use.
You may have better luck at this point trying your state’s Department of Veterans Affairs. Many states have programs similar to the VA’s DEA program and their age limitations may be a little more generous. You may be able to get some tuition assistance at a state supported college or university.
I would also try the financial aid office of the school you are thinking of attending. Many times there are scholarships available that don’t receive a lot of publicity. I would think that being the child of a Vietnam Veteran you should be able to find some assistance.
July 30th, 2010
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
My dad has been in the Navy for 20 years and he’s going to be retiring soon, like within a year. He said he heard that he needs to be in for 2 or 4 more years to transfer his GI Bill to me. Is that true? – Bobby
Not in his case Bobby. If he is approaching retirement within a year, the additional Post 9/11 GI Bill service requirement doesn’t apply. Here is a chart from the VA’s website that breaks down the additional service requirement for a servicemember within four years of retirement:
- Is (or becomes) retirement eligible during the period from August 1, 2009, through August 1, 2013. A service member is considered to be retirement eligible if he or she has completed 20 years of active duty or 20 qualifying years of reserve service.
• For those individuals eligible for retirement on August 1, 2009, no additional service is required;
• For those individuals who have an approved retirement date after August 1, 2009, and before July 1, 2010, no additional service is required;
• For those individuals eligible for retirement after August 1, 2009, and before August 1, 2010, 1 year of additional service after approval of transfer is required;
• For those individuals eligible for retirement on or after August 1, 2010, and before August 1, 2011, 2 years of additional service after approval of transfer are required;
• For those individuals eligible for retirement on or after August 1, 2011, and before August 1, 2012, 3 years of additional service after approval of transfer required.
I highlighted the statement pertaining to your dad. Basically as the chart shows, if your dad was eligible for retirement after August 1, 2009, but before July 1, 2010, no additional service is required.
However, it is really important he makes the transfer of benefits to you BEFORE he retires. Once he is out he can’t make the transfer of his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to you.
July 30th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
Hi, I got my commission in the Air Force in 1983 and only served a year then went into the Air National Guard and have been serving for 28+ more years. I have been on 90+ day (MPA) orders on and off since 9/11. I have a son who is 25 and going to college. Do either he or I qualify for any benefits? Thank you for your time! — Catherine
You may be eligible for educational benefits, and your son may have some limited ability to make use of benefits that you transfer, if you are eligible.
In order to be eligible for educational benefits under the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, you must have at least 90 consecutive days of active duty time that falls after September 11, 2001. As a member of the Air National Guard, only a limited amount of your time, if any, will qualify toward the new GI Bill. Only time spent deployed under Title 10 of the US Code counts toward eligibility; active duty for training and active duty in Active Guard Reserve (AGR, or Title 32) does not count.
So, go over your records and see if you have at least 1 block of 90 days or more at one time on qualifying active duty. If you do, then add up all the days of qualifying active duty, and this will determine the percentage of benefits for which you are eligible under the new GI Bill. It starts at 40% with 90 days, and goes up to 100% with 36 months or more of active duty.
If you are eligible for the new GI Bill, you can apply to transfer some or all of your months of benefits to a child or spouse, as long as you are still in the service. However, if you transfer benefits to a child, the child must use any benefits before his 26th birthday, or lose them.
July 30th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
I lost my certificate of eligibility for the post 9/11 GI Bill. Where can I go to get a replacement? — Janell
There is no automated system to request a replacement certificate of eligibility for the GI Bill if you have lost your original. You have to contact the GI Bill office of the Department of Veterans Affairs to request a new certificate.
You can contact the VA either online, using the VA’s question and answer system, or by phone, using the toll-free number 1-888-442-4551. Make sure you have any relevant information available, such as you social security number and your discharge paperwork.
July 30th, 2010
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
Can I use my GI Bill while on active duty? If so how do I use it to pay for a course? — Clarence
You can Clarence, but I would suggest using Tuition Assistance first as it doesn’t cost you anything, if you stay under the $250 per credit and $4,500 annual cap.
If your tuition costs more than what the VA will pay, or you hit your annual cap early and you want to take more classes, then submit VA Form 22-1990 by using the VONAPP Website or download the form, fill it out and submit it using the instruction on the form.
You also could use a combination of TA and your GI Bill – it’s called Tuition Top-Up. If your tuition exceeds what TA pays, your service branch still pays the full amount, but the VA pays the difference back to your branch. In turn, the VA converts the amount they had to pay into months and days of benefit and deducts that amount from your GI Bill benefits. It is a great way to extend your GI Bill education benefits.
July 29th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
I would like to know as a member of the Air National Guard, do I rate any school benefits? I had a total of almost 7 years combined Army Reserves and Air Guard. I also had 13 years prior service, Vietnam Era. — Jesus
You may be eligible for benefits, depending on your activity in the Reserve and Guard during the last several years.
Under the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, introduced in August of 2009, anyone with at least 90 consecutive days of active duty military service after September 11, 2001 is eligible for the new GI Bill. Regular component active duty counts for this, as does deployment of Reserve and National Guard troops under Title 10 of the US Code. Active duty for training, and active duty for Title 32 Active Guard Reserve status does not count.
So, if you have been deployed for at least 90 days at one time since September 11, 2001, then you are eligible for education benefits. These benefits start at 40% if you have 90 days active duty, and increase with more active duty time. The maximum is 100% tuition benefits for those with 36 months or more of active duty.
If you don’t have enough qualifying active duty time, you might have some benefits available if you signed up for the Montgomery GI Bill (Selected Reserves) when you first joined the Reserves or the National Guard. Failing that, if you signed up for educational benefits during your prior service, even if they have expired, you may be able to get use them if you have active duty time in the last 10 years.
July 29th, 2010
by GIBillExpert
by GIBillExpert
Currently I am receiving benefits under chapter 33. I qualify for 80% coverage after an active duty service of 24 months. My question is in regard to the Yellow Ribbon Program that private institutions agree to with the VA. From my understanding because I only receive 80% benefits of because 24 months of active duty, I can not be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Is it possible to pay the 20% difference out of pocket to the institution making me eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program? — Gregg R.
No, I’m afraid not.
The Yellow Ribbon Program is an arrangement between the Department of Veterans Affairs and a large number of universities. By this arrangement, if a qualifying veteran uses the new Post 9/11 GI Bill to fund his education through that university, but the tuition is higher than the maximum for the GI Bill, the VA and the university essentially “split the difference” by each paying half of the remaining tuition.
However, in order to be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, you must be eligible for 100% tuition benefits through the Post 9/11 GI Bill. If you are only eligible for partial benefits, you can’t apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program. And no, you can’t pay part of the tuition from your own pocket to make up the extra percentage.
There are, however, many other means of making up that gap. Consider using federal student aid through FAFSA. This is in the form of loans and grants given out based on financial need. There are also scholarships and state programs available, and your school may have work-study programs that fit your educational needs. If you look hard enough, there’s a way to make it happen.
July 29th, 2010
by Ron Kness
by Ron Kness
I am currently on active duty and am eligible for the “old” GI Bill. My wife wants to use the benefits of the “new” GI Bill to go to college, since I plan on using TA while I am still in the Navy.
I currently have seven years of AD service and just completed my reenlistment for an additional six years. Because I am still on active duty and only plan on using the Post 9/11 GI Bill for transfer to my wife, am I required to switch over to the New GI bill before I transfer benefits, or does my wife obtain a course of study and then have me apply for the new bill/dependent transfer? I’m just not sure as to whether the new bill benefits are currently available, or do I physically have to apply for them due to the fact that I still retain the old GI bill and am still on active duty. Thank you. — Zach
Zach, you have to request the transfer of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits first using the TEB Website. Once her transfer is approved, then switch over to the New GI Bill by having her submit VA Form 22-1990e. She can do that either through the VONAPP Website or download the form, fill it out and send it in using the instructions on the form.
In return, she will get a Post 9/11 GI Bill Certificate of Eligibility that she will need when she enrolls in school. Once registered, and her school schools sends in a Certificate of Enrollment, that will match up with her Certificate of Eligibility, and she will start getting paid.
July 29th, 2010
by Jeffery Anderson
by Jeffery Anderson
I am originally from Hawaii and have just recently moved to Texas. I just got my paperwork from the VA stating that I do qualify for the GI Bill. I’ve been wanting to go to school for a while, and have found a couple that I’m looking into. My biggest problem is paying for the tuition for the first semester. Any thoughts or ideas on how I should go about this hurdle? Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks, Rick
Hi Rick, I’m guessing you need help with the first semester because you are going to have out of state tuition but by the time the second semester begins you’ll qualify for in state tuition. I’m not sure which GI Bill you are using, but let’s look at your options with the Post 9/11 GI Bill first.
If you are using the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you are also eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. I would look to see if any of the schools you are thinking of attending are on the VA’s list of schools in Texas participating in the program. If you choose a school that is in the program and the school accepts you into their Yellow Ribbon Program, then some or all of your tuition that isn’t covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill may be covered by the school. The VA will match the school’s contribution. This is a great program and could help you every semester you are attending school.
Another avenue for assistance would be federal student aid. They have grants and loans available to all students who desire to attend school and need some financial assistance. You can use this assistance at the same time that you are using the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
If you are using the Montgomery GI Bill to attend school, the Yellow Ribbon Program is not an option. I would look to federal student aid for assistance with your Montgomery GI Bill benefits. I did not see anything on the Texas Department of Veterans Affairs website that could help with your situation. All of their programs seem to be for Texas residents.
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