GI Bill Information: Ask the Expert BlogExpert Answers to Your GI Bill Benefits Questions
Author: GI Bill Expert
by GIBillExpert
No, you probably won’t be able to get your $1,200 contribution to enroll in the Montgomery GI Bill refunded to you. Once you put the money in, it is essentially gone, and even if you don’t use the education benefits, or you lose them due to waiting more than 10 years, you can’t get the money back.
There is one exception. If you change over to the new Post 9/11 GI Bill (assuming you are eligible), and completely use up the benefits of that bill, then with your last check from that bill you receive a refund for the money you put into the older Montgomery GI Bill. But that’s a lot of work to get that $1,200 back.
by GIBillExpert
There’s no actual limitation on the number of courses that you can take while on the new Post 9/11 GI Bill. There is a cap on the total fees per term (which you mention), but you are allowed to take more than a full-time course load if you can handle it.
There are some practical limitations. The book stipend doesn’t increase over $1,000 per year, so your books may cost more than what is allotted for them. The difference should be manageable, though. Other than that, if you can take extra classes, go ahead. It helps you get the most out of your GI Bill, and your time at the college.
by GIBillExpert
Those are some good questions.
The Montgomery GI Bill provides you with 36 months of educational benefits, at whatever the current rate is for the bill. You have 10 years from the last time you left active duty to use up your benefits. If that time passes, any remaining months are lost. So, since you used up about 24 months, you should have 12 months of benefits left, which expire in 2013. To find out how many months are left specifically, call the VA’s toll-free GI Bill number, 1-888-442-4551.
Because your active duty service includes a significant amount of time after September 11, 2001, you are also eligible for the new Post 9/11 GI Bill. You could change over to the new bill, if you wish, but you may find it in your best interests to stick with the Montgomery GI Bill. You should check out the VA web-site and do the math (or talk to a VA education counselor) to find out which one suits you best. You would have as many months of the new GI Bill as you have remaining on the Montgomery GI Bill.
You can also use both. Due to the specific limitations of using different education benefits together, you can actually get some extra benefit out of the new GI Bill if you have completely used up the Montgomery GI Bill. If you have completely exhausted your MGIB benefits, you can still get another 12 months of the Post 9/11 GI Bill. But you have to completely use up the MGIB to get that benefit.
It’s always in your best interest to take a full load of courses (full-time), if you can. If you can’t, your benefits are reduced. However, that might be unavoidable, and it happens. But your college determines what is a full time course load (it’s usually 12 semester hours at a time). Speak to an educational counselor for your school about that.
by GIBillExpert
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation!
The easy way to check on your remaining time left on your GI Bill is to check your monthly statement from the VA. If you can’t find that statement, or haven’t been getting them, or can’t find the time balance on it, then the best way is to call the VA at their toll-free GI Bill number, 1-888-442-4551.
by GIBillExpert
While a General Discharge (even under Honorable Conditions) normally disqualifies you for the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, you are likely to be eligible for the bill due to your previous honorable service. Your DD-214 (discharge form) should indicate that you re-enlisted, and be helpful in demonstrating that to get the benefits. However, if you can find your re-enlistment paperwork, that will also help (especially the discharge orders).
You might have a small fight to get the paperwork through, due to your circumstances, but stick with it and the benefits will be worth it.
by GIBillExpert
The Hazelwood Act benefits may be of benefit to this student.
There is no limitation on the benefits of Texas’s Hazelwood Act based on having already used up VA educational benefits, such as the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEA, or Chapter 35). If the veteran parent of the student would be eligible, and is 100% disabled, and the student is a dependent of the veteran, then the student may be able to use the benefits.
Make sure that the student is actually a dependent of the veteran, however. It is unusual for a 31-year-old to be a dependent by military standards; the state may require a dependent ID card to be shown.
by GIBillExpert
If your husband has had enough active duty time (that is, deployment time) to be eligible for the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, and he was still in the Guard when he made the transfer, then he could have transferred benefits to you. To find out whether the transfer of educational benefits is complete, you need to contact the VA via their toll-free number, 1-888-442-4551. If you are ready to use the benefits, apply for the educational program you want to go to, and speak to the university’s financial aid or veterans’ affairs office about applying for the GI Bill. This will involve you going to the VONAPP page on the VA web-site to fill out the on-line application.
by GIBillExpert
The Montgomery GI Bill can be used to pay for the classes toward many license programs. To determine whether a program will be covered, you can look it up on the VA’s “Find a School” page for your state. The MGIB can also cover the cost of any tests needed to obtain a license, in many cases. For that, you must already be enrolled in the MGIB (generally for the classes leading to the license), take the test, then apply for compensation from the VA after you take the test.
It’s important to note that these programs aren’t covered by the newer Post 9/11 GI Bill, in many cases. The new GI Bill doesn’t cover tests or many non-degree-related programs. So, if you are eligible for both bills, it may be in your best interest to stay with the MGIB.
by GIBillExpert
In a word, no.
In order to be eligible for any version of the GI Bill, you must serve the required period of time (36 months for the Montgomery GI Bill, at least 90 days for the Post 9/11 GI Bill) and have received an Honorable discharge. A Chapter 10 discharge refers to a discharge from the Army in lieu of a Court Martial, and this is usually used to separate soldiers for misconduct. It most often results in a discharge of General – Under Other than Honorable Conditions. A General discharge disqualifies you for the GI Bill, even if you have enough time in. This is true even for General discharges that are characterized as “Under Honorable Conditions.” Your discharge must be Honorable to get the GI Bill.
You should not that you may have other veterans’ benefits, but not the GI Bill.
by GIBillExpert
What GI Bill did you sign up for? If you served in the Army Reserves, you would have been eligible when you first enlisted to sign up for the Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserves option. However, unlikely the Active Duty version of the Montgomery GI Bill, the Reserve version isn’t intended to be used after you leave the service. In order to use the Selected Reserves bill, you must use it while you are still on active drill status in the Reserves (or National Guard). Because the Reserves take little of your time, generally, it is assumed that you have the time.
If you had the opportunity to sign up for the Active Duty version of the bill (some Reservists in certain circumstances did have the opportunity), and you paid in the $1,200 spread over a year of service (at $100 per month), then you were eligible for that version when you left the service. However, the Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty version) expires 10 years after you leave active duty, so it would have expired some time in 2003.
The GI Bill was not an automatic benefit until the new Post 9/11 GI Bill was introduced in in August of 2009. That bill provides benefits for any servicemember who has performed active duty service (or Title 10 deployed service for Reserve and National Guard) for at least 90 consecutive days after September 11, 2001.
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