Since the VA opened up application for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, news on the financial aid plan being offered to veterans has been on the uprise. Here’s four highlights that have been brought up in the first week of May:
1. Transferability to Dependents
The Post 9/11 GI Bill allows a member of the military to transfer up to half of their benefits to a spouse or child if they have been part of the military for a minimum of six years and agree to serve for another four years. The Department of Defense (DoD) has the final word of approval on this eligibility.
This transfer of benefits is meant to have a positive impact on recruitment and retention. Those that have already served for ten years and cannot serve for an additional four years due to disability may also qualify for transferring benefits. Another temporary ruling has been put into effect (until 2013) where if the military personnel was already scheduled for retirement before the four years are up in 2012, they may be eligible to transfer benefits provided they serve until their retirement date (more).
None of this is considered final yet because the rulings have not been officially signed (more).
Addressing these nitty-gritty aspects of eligibilty was likely brought up by several stories of specific issues that came up in an article released today on Navy Times. Two members of the military that served for 20+ years were faced with their benefits potentially not being available to their children due to injury and already-scheduled retirement. This is obviously a great injustice to someone that has served the country for several decades; the DoD and VA realize these kinds of issues need to be addressed.
2. Housing Stipends for Distance Learners
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Bob Filner is currently trying to pass an amendment to the Post 9/11 GI Bill prior to the benefits beginning in August that allows distance learners to receive a living stipend. While this originally was discussed back in February, it was brought up again only a couple of days ago during the rush of May Post 9/11 GI Bill concerns.
Unfortunately, as it stands now, the final ruling (stated yesterday) was that distance learners will not be getting the living stipend. This has a large impact on online education and is one of many reasons why some people might still be applying for the older Montgomery GI Bill. Which leads into the next topic…
3. Post 9/11 GI Bill vs Montgomery GI Bill
Several issues have caused people to weigh the the benefits of the Post 9/11 GI Bill versus the older Montgomery GI Bill.
As an example, distance learners do not benefit from the living stipend, so if they are attending a distance learning program with low tuition costs (such as a community college), the flat fee provided by the Montgomery GI Bill (currently $1,321/month) might yield more than the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
Another case are military students attending college in California. Due to the fact that California has declared their tuition costs are zero to in-state students, the Post 9/11 GI Bill provides no tuition benefits to a California student. The flat fee for the Montgomery GI Bill could therefore be more beneficial if given the right circumstances (more).
4. GI Bill Eligibility and Tuition Rates
People are still looking for information regarding whether they qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill and what tuition is being offered by state. The following are some excellent resources that are from May 2009 for further reading:
