Veterans Take Advantage of GI Bill Benefits for Grad School

The GI Bill may be best known for helping veterans earn a bachelor's degree, but at some schools, the majority of GI Bill students are graduate students.

At George Washington University, 70 percent of the student veterans are enrolled in graduate degree programs, said Mary Waring, the school's veterans coordinator. The school certifies more than 500 military veterans for GI Bill benefits every year, she said.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said that 26,386 Post-9/11 GI Bill students pursued graduate-level studies in 2010. According to a report by the VA, about 10 percent of all students using military education benefits in 2010, including the GI Bill and other funding programs, were enrolled in graduate degree programs.

The opportunity to earn a master's or doctoral degree with GI Bill funds is a valuable one, but veterans need to do some research first. College administrators, student veteran and support organizations emphasize that aid packages and funding for graduate-level education varies widely, not only among universities but also within them.

GI Bill funds for graduate degrees vary from school to school

Erik Brine, a graduate student at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, serves in the Air Force Reserve as a major. On active duty, Major Brine was a C-17 pilot who was deployed three times and served in 56 countries. At Georgetown University, he founded a chapter of Student Veterans of America, a national organization of student veterans that strives to ensure that veterans are welcomed and supported on college campuses. Brine advises veterans planning to use GI Bill benefits for graduate school to research both their own GI Bill eligibility and school policies.

"Veterans expecting to use GI Bill benefits for graduate schools should be sure they do their homework to understand what their benefits will cover before they commit to any specific school or program," Brine said. "The vet needs to know what percentage of GI Bill benefits he/she is entitled to. Then, if 100 percent eligible, determine if the school or program has a Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP), which requires 100 percent eligibility, and if so, what does it provide."

Currently, Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits are capped at the maximum in-state public school tuition for undergraduate programs. Veterans pursuing graduate degrees have to rely on the YRP to make up the difference. In the YRP, participating schools agree to contribute a certain amount toward the tuition fees that exceed GI Bill benefits, and the VA matches that contribution.

Starting in the fall of 2011, the GI Bill will cover graduate tuition at all in-state, public universities with no need for the YRP. However, tuition for graduate school programs at private universities could still exceed the maximum GI Bill benefit. Although the YRP program still exists for these schools, a new cap of $17,500 on VA contributions means that schools would have to either find new funds to make up the difference or pass those tuition costs on to veterans.

Graduate degrees help veterans succeed

"Veterans and wounded warriors make outstanding students at all levels, be it undergraduate or graduate and beyond," said Brian Hawthorne, a board of directors member of Student Veterans of America. "We encourage all veterans and service members to sign up for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and use as much of it as they possibly can. Higher education is essential for continuing to move up in today's workforce, and we hope that our service members will take advantage of these very generous benefits that they have so thoroughly earned."

The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers up to 36 months of college classes. With the opportunity to transfer credits completed before joining the military or earned through programs such as Tuition Assistance, along with military training that may translate into college credits, many veterans may not need all 36 months to earn a bachelor's degree. Remaining months of eligibility can be used toward a graduate degree.

Benefit packages vary from student to student. Hawthorne, pursuing a master's degree at the George Washington School of Political Management, is using a mix of GI Bill benefits, school loans and other benefits, while Brine is using a more traditional package of student aid and other VA programs, and transferring his GI Bill benefits to his spouse and children.

Under the new GI Bill rules in effect in 2011, veterans may face changes in their education benefits and tuition contributions, some of which are still to be worked out. Veterans considering using GI Bill benefits for graduate school should contact VA and school representatives to figure out what their education benefits cover and develop a budget to meet any additional costs.

"During this process, I would highly recommend each veteran contact the student veterans office and the student veterans organization on campus, if they exist, and the financial aid office," Brine said. "Individuals in these offices may be able to provide additional information on the specific school that may be instrumental in the decision-making process. Finally, the vet needs to compare the total cost of the intended education with all of the benefits available in order to make a well-informed decision on graduate education."

Share This

Email