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Is My Son Covered for Tuition, Housing Allowance, and Book Stipend for 4 1/2 Academic Years?

February 17th, 2012
by Ron Kness
I transferred my 9/11 GI Bill to my son who is graduating HS this year. I have to wait until his 18th birthday this month to actually request VA for the letter of eligibility. It is to my understanding he does not have to actually have a HS diploma to request the letter as long as he is 18. I gave him 36 months and 100% eligibility. Does that mean that he is covered with the tuition, housing allowance, and book stipend for 4 1/2 academic years if the school academic year is 8 months (fall and spring semester)? So for a private school, that would be max of 17,500/year for at least 4 academic years? Also, can he pursue 2 majors and 1 minor during these 4 years or is he only limited to 1 major degree. – Isaias

Hi Isaias. Yes, according to the Post 9/11 GI Bill rules, he has to be either 18 or have his high school diploma in hand if he is less than 18 at the time of graduation. With 36 months of eligibility and 8 month semesters, yes indeed he is covered for 4 ½ academic years of school.

As hard as it is to believe, yes, he can attend a private school and the VA will pay up to $17,500 per year in tuition and eligible fees. His housing allowance would be based on the zip code of his school and by how many credits he takes. To be eligible for the minimum housing allowance, he needs to take at least 51% of the number of credits his school considers to be full-time. Of course taking a full load will get him 100% of the authorized housing allowance authorized for that zip code. And it gets better. He will also get a book stipend once each semester calculated at $41.67 per credit.

If his tuition will exceed what his GI Bill transferred benefits will pay, or if he ends up paying out-state tuition, he should ask if his school is a Yellow Ribbon school. If so, then his school could pay up to half the difference between what they charge and what the VA pays. The VA would pay an equal amount leaving very little left for him to pay.

As far as majors and minors, the VA will pay for them, but they must be related. For example, The VA would most likely pay for a major in Business and a minor in Accounting as they are related. Keep in mind the VA will only pay for the necessary courses needed to complete each degree plan will not pay for courses outside the degree plan.

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Posted in Housing Stipend, New GI Bill, Transferred Benefits | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “Is My Son Covered for Tuition, Housing Allowance, and Book Stipend for 4 1/2 Academic Years?”

  1. Bong says:
    April 28, 2012 at 11:20 pm

    Definitely find as much scholarship money as you can, and find out if you will qluiafy for any financial aid from each of the schools you’re looking at. If your family is middle class, you may still qluiafy for some grant money, though definitely not the full amount. The maximum stafford loan a dependent freshman can take out is $5,500 for the year. If your school costs $40,000 your freshman year, then that means you’ll have to find a way to finance $34,500. If you can’t find enough scholarships to keep you within your limits for stafford loans (unless your parents are willing to pay), then go to an in-state public school. The people that are complaining about not being able to afford their student loan payments are those that took out huge private loans for school. Stafford loans are limited to protect the student. Sit down with your parents and discuss how much you can really afford for school.

  2. Ron Kness says:
    May 1, 2012 at 7:15 am

    Good advice! Thanks Bong.

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