The Post 9/11 GI Bill About To Be Law

Find out the details behind the "Post 9/11 GI Bill" from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America legislative affairs rep Patrick Campbell. Pat was on the ground floor of this landmark legislation and explains how close the bill is to becoming law. He also reviews the differences between the post-9/11 GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill.

Comments

[Kirk Goolsby]

Thanks you Senator Jim Webb.

I believe this law should be called the Webb GI bill, for the man who is responsible for it.

[Bruce Augustine]

Does new GI BILL add anything to Chapter 35 benefits ?

[ROBERT]

God bless you all in the house who stood up and made dreams come true for our Veterans. The time is now for us Veterans to keep educating ourselves and moving into serving our brothers and sisters in the Armed forces by setting ourselves up as role models... Great Job...

[Matt Eugene Hood]

The GI Bill is still missing the point. Why is Blackwater paying their people $150 thousands dollars a years to create problems for American soldier. The problem with military pay is that Congress wants our military to fight for free. The Best GI Bill is to pay a private at least $30,000-$40,000 a year. If Congress will pay nickle's and dimes for a pilot to fly a billion dollar plane thats insane. It was GHW Bush who voted against the GI Bill from the start. How come the capitalist will not use the same principals to find. Let them fight has long has they want to and then put them behind a desk talent has the Blackwater group. If you will pay more as they do in society they come. And they will not leave.
The soldiers who are flying the BI or B2 bomber should get about $100,000 dollars a year. They can get their education in the military when they are not at war. Our soldiers are professional soldiers. Why are we not paying them to be them to be professional soldiers

[Rodney Williams]

I would like to clarify that the VEAP folks like myself who did not participate in VEAP and were therefore not eligible for participation in MGIB will not be left out this time. A few thousand of us are in this group and have no voice as such a small group but need this benefit. Many of us have served well after 9/11.

[mac]

so reservist like myself who have been deployed twice and have been on active duty for close to four years out of a six year enlistment still get the shaft. thanks.. for not helping me at all..but if i am wrong please let me know.
thanks
sgt mac
usmc

[Jackson]

I am an active duty Marine who entered the Corps in 1983. Initially, I signed up for the VEAP program. However, after the Gulf War, I discontinued VEAP. I currently have no GI benefits. Is the new GI Bill available to old-timers like me?

[jason]

sgt. mac.
It said on the FAQ page that you are eligible for 100% benefit if you have served 36 months on active duty.
with no enrollment fee, you should be automatically eligible. I do not know, that is just what I understood from reading the different articles.

[John]

How does the Webb GI Bill effect money for flight training? How about the transferability option? Will it give the same benefit to my daughter if I transfer my benefit to her, or will it be cut in half?

[SSG Scott]

I initially turned down the GI Bill when I originally enlisted and instead took the studen loan repayment program. Has this issue been raised yet and if so what is the answer? Does not ever signing up or contributing towards the original GI Bill disqualify me from the new proposed GI Bill. Thanks for any input.

[SGT Keith]

Is the benefits going to backdated. I joined the NCNG in July 2002 and am about to run out of GI Bill benefits. Is there going to be a backdating clause so we get the pay differnece or will we just get the current amount.

[UT2 MANNING]

I exited the service in Sep2003 and have used up all but 7 months of my GI Bill I know that the 7 months will be increased but do I miss out on the amount from the time I have used up?

[Ruanne]

SSG Scott, I did the same. Near as I can gather, those three years you served to pay off 1/3 of the loans per year will not count. Which leaves open the possibility that any years served since might be eligible. I will have served six years once I am out. Three years went towards loan repayment. Maybe the three years since earn the new GI Bill benefits? That would be smart, that would have more people staying in past the three year mark. But then again, my bachelor's degree is already paid for thanks to loan repayment - so maybe it's not fair to junior guys who don't have degrees yet. I'm not sure.

Here's the text about loan repayment, I do suggest everyone read the original in full:

"`(b) Inapplicability of Service Treated Under Educational Loan Repayment Programs- A period of service counted for purposes of repayment of an education loan under chapter 109 of title 10 may not be counted as a period of service for entitlement to educational assistance under this chapter."

[Alex]

If you did not sign up for the GI Bill when you entered service it does not disqualify you from the new GI Bill. You just have to serve after 9-11 for 3 years to get the full benefit. If you took student loan repayment, the time incurred for that option can not be used to count for the 3 years of service to qualify for the new GI Bill. For example, I recieved an HPLRP loan for $37K and incurred 2 years of active duty obligation. I would have to serve at least 5 years to get the full benefit due to the 2 years of HPLRP obligation. Those that end up serving less than what is counted for the 3 years of service will get a pro-rated new GI Bill rate. To be fair, those that did sign up will be refunded our $1200 enrollment fee.

To those that complain about the cut off and not being able to use your GI Bill due to life...I feel your pain but you did know the GI Bill guidelines when you exited the service. 10 years is a pretty long time. The VA did not keep those limits a secret. Take responsibility for your life decisions. In the words of my favorite HS calculus teacher, "Life is not fair." Don't rain on these new veteran benefits because this is the best thing to happen to veterans in a long long time.

[Gary]

I was in the reserves from oct 1973 till oct 1980, but missed the GI bill due to not serving a 180 days. the I got out reinlisted in 1981 active duty and served till 2001, and retired. I did not pay 1,200 dollars. Will I recieve the new GI Bill.

[Alex]

CLRP is a raw deal especially Air Force/Navy. $10K for 4 years obligation and no concurrent GI Bill option. Under the new wording I believe you can still qualify for the new GI Bill, but it looks like you will have to serve alot of time to get it. Perhaps 7 years total to get the FULL benefit. 4 years to cover your CLRP requirement, then another 3 years to count towards the new GI Bill. For Army it would just be 6 years because your CLRP requirement is only 3 years. CLRP is a crappy deal.

[alex]

Gary, I don't think you would have had time to serve after the 9-11-2001 cut of date since you got out in 2001. The only way for you to qualify is if you had served 30 days after 9-11 AND got out due to a service disability. Those are two big Ifs.

[tk3000]

Hello, I served in the Army from Feb. 2004 till August 2004. I had a fully honorable discharge, with disability rating of 30%. Now I am a disable veteran. I paid about six monhts of m GI Bill, which at the time meant that I was only eligible for about 6 months of the old GI Bill Benefits. From these 6 months I used used about 3 weeks (paying for certification tests). Based on what I read I should be fully eligible for the new GI BILL (36 months), and the new GI Bill seems to have a separate stipend for certf. tests as well. The problem and my question is related to the fact that if the fact that I used such 4 weeks would have any impact on my new GI Bill considering that I am eligible.
By the way right now I am enrolled in the chap. 31 (vocational and rehab), but the new GI Bill seems to have much better benefits than the chap. 31. Hopefully they will do something to improve the minute subsistence allowance that pay with chap. 31.

[ANTONIO Domingo]

Questions about the new GI Bill. I'm on the VEAP program, on the new GI Bill, can I transfer my benefits to my son. Thanks

[Derrell]

I served the Navy for 23 yrs. I was enrolled in the VEAP program. I did not get the opportunity to change from VEAP to GI Bill due to operational commitments. After retirement, I was accepted into medical school and had to take loans out to pay for my college. The VEAP program did not even cover the books needed. So, as a veteran, am I still eligible for this new Bill, even though I just graduated medical school. The retro-active payment for my education would help pay off these expensive loans.

[Penny Farmer]

My husband served in the Navy for 22 years, was exposed to radiation in the service and died of a brain tumor in 2003. Would his son be eligible for eduction benefits. VA claim filed for benefits is 6 years pending. I won't hold my breath. It just seems to me that veterans who served for decades won't get these benefits. He served in Desert Storm. I guess that doesn't count.

Veteran's Widow
in Minnesota

[Ed Ferguson]

I entered service in 1981 as an active duty Marine. I served on Active duty until August of 1988. Like many of my time, I was covered under the VEAP program. When I left service I had no education benefits. In 1991 my father convinced me to join the Army National Guard, I did in May of that year. As part of my contract, I signed up for student loan reimbursement. In accordance with Army Regulations, if you are discharged for any reason, you lose that benefit. I was discharged as an enlisted soldier and commissioned as an officer. I have completed my bachelors and masters degree using the GI Bill. However, the GI Bill was not enough for reservists, so I took out student loans from Sallie Mae. I continued my service on in the ARNG until November of 2006 when I retired. I was activated in June of 2004 and subsequently deployed to Iraq in the same year. I remained on active duty until August 2006. Within weeks of REFRAD, I was informed by DFAS that I was "overpaid." I was not allowed to take terminal leave prior to REFRAD. I am currently repaying DFAS at a rate of $50 per month. My question is why is it that my student loans cannot be forgiven from my service to my country and why must I pay back pay that has been included in my income and taxed with no benefit to me. The total amount of this overpayment is less than $850. Why must I enroll in a degree program in order to receive the GI Bill? I wanted to take some professional certification courses as a professional examination preparation but they will only be covered if I am enrolled in a degree program.

[Chris]

I hope this is a wake up call to all veterans, we need to be joining groups like the VFW and American Legion. It is their ability to work together with the Senators and congressmen to get this benefit passed overwhemingly. Whether this specific benefit helps you or not it is going to be helpful to many of our brothers and sisters. This shows me that our veterans organizations can work together but many of these veterans are WWII and Vietnam era men and women. If you want your voice heard stand up with these people and speak loud and clear. This also shows us who is listening to us Senator Jim Webb and Rep. Patrick Campbell have been woking on this for a long time, and will be great people to start with for more future changes. God bless our veterans and watch over our brothers ans sister currently in harms way.
Former ET1/SW Elie USN

[Dale]

I transferred from
VEAP the second time around and it cost me $2400 to switch to the MGIB. Will that also be a refundable situation under the new program?

[anthony]

I joined the Navy in Nov 2001,am eligible for GI bill,am also eligible for Navy college fund of $40k,also i added $ 600 more ,now with the new post sep 11,will i be able to combine my old GI bill with this one or what ?

[Justin]

What happens to those of us who have been using the chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill since we separated. I enlisted in the Navy in 1999 and separated in 2005 and have been using the GI Bill to go to school since then. By the time this bill goes into effect I would have used all of the 36 full monthly payments. The old GI Bill was not enough for me to pay tuition and cover cost of living so I have had to take on student loans. What happens in my case.

[Andy Fernandez]

Sir, I am an OEF/OIF Vet and I am using the Montgomery GI BILL in the Philippines to finish my Bachelor Degree, I would like to find out if the new Webb Bill also covered all veterans attending school outside the United States?

[JohnJohn]

If you used 36 months of chapter 30 your done. If you did not serve after 09-11-01 you are not eligible. If you served more than 30 days after that date and were medically discharged you are 100% eligible. Otherwise there is a timetable on this site so you can check how much of the benefit you are entitled. Those who used a partial amount of the Chapter 30 MGIB, you will not be back payed. You will be grandfathered into this new Chapter 33 program if eligible and you still have some benefits left, but I think there is paperwork involved. If you are about to start using your benefit and you are eligible for Ch.33, just go ahead and use it. The 2008-2009 academic year will only raise your benefit from $1,100 to $1,300 a month, but you will be backpayed in August 2009. I would not hold my breath for soemthing like that. This is all after the bill is signed into law of course, which is set to be signed right around July 4th. All the information I have posted is readily available on this site and others. GIBill2008.org

[Randy Pegram]

where are the answers to these questions posted I am also a VEAP soldier that has served well over 3 years since 9/11

[Mike Bean]

I enlisted in the Navy in 1987. I elected not to enroll in VEAP.I retired from the Navy in 2007. I have no Educational Benefits at all.
Will this new bill help me or my daughter with college expenses? M Bean, USN Ret.

[JEREMIAH FLETCHER]

WHAT ABOUT TECH SCHOOLS SOME PEOPLE CANT GO TO SCHOOL FOR 2 OR 3 YEARS TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK. I HAVE A WIFE AND TO KIDS I CANT GO TO SCHOOL FULL TIME AND WORK FULL TIME. WILL WE STILL HAVE TO PAY MORE THAN HALF OF THE COST OF MY SCHOOL.

[M.P.]

I joined the USMC in 92 and was honorably discharged in 96. I contributed to the GI Bill with hopes of continuing my education like most upon release. Like most though, I struggled earning a living, helping family, and balancing the dedication that is required in academia. As a trade off, I decided to take on an apprenticeship in a job that was not at the time covered in the OJT program. By the time I achieved my Masters Certification in my chosen industry (at 9 years), I went back to school as it was more fesible for me to earn a living and go to school. After 2 semesters my GI Bill ran out, meanwhile I served my country Honorably and traveled overseas doing Humanitarian missions all over the world.

Why is this New GI Bill overlooking vets that did their duty and were not able nor had the support to attended school within the parameters set up. My industry is very labor intensive and requires up to 60hrs of physical work during the wk. How can we, the veterans that earned the title of Marine and or any other vet for that matter not be entitiled to the educational benifits being delt out to veterans of the Post 9/11 era. I was in the Marine Corps during Gulf I, Bosnia, and Somalia as Combat Support. A vets a vet wether served in war or not and I believe all vets should be entitled the same benifits for life. I am a firm believer in continuing education...How can one be voted as more elgible than another if the service agreement was fulfilled. Meanwhile contractors overseas are being paid 100k a year and our privates, pfcs, lancecorporals, sgts, staffs, officers are being paid only a percentage of that...again overlooking the value of dedicated service...someone fill me in on this M.P.

[Wade Klinetobe]

Well I was excited at first, but now I see this as nothing but more red tape for veterans to work though to an already confusing process. It also does nothing to fix the problem of only being able to pursue ONE goal at a time. Example: If you are pursuing certificate programs for tech jobs you may need to obtain a CCNA,MCSE, and a LINUX cert. All of which are required to get a good job in the IT field. Since they are different goals you can only do one cert at a time. Next Problem: Not all classes are offered every semester so now you are forced to take two classes at a time. Possible fix: take classes at different campuses (GI bill only allowes you to get payment from one school at a time, NOT a fix). So here is your solution: Spend 7 years trying to get three certs. that should have taken you a little more than a year. You have to have a good job while you go because your payments are going to be crap ($400 dollars a month) If you live in California like I do the cost of living is extreamly high. Since you have little job skills to get hired at a good job your pretty much screwed. This is because of the way the VA has the VA edu plan process that keeps you himmed in to a general scope process that alienates most veterans from recieving their money they have earned. I may sound like jaded person, but as someone who has served in two conflicts and spent over 22 months in a combat zone I believe I have the right to be pissed off that I have to jump through these hoops with the VA to get something that is rightfully mine. If you were in the military you know this motto: KISS, (keep it simple stupid) because if you don't the GOV. will totally make it FUBAR. This is not a simple fix Mr.Webb is proposing, but I will commend him for trying to take care of the VETS.

[tk3000]

So, here is my question. I was in the Army for over 6 months. Had fully honorable discharge due to injure, and I am disable veteran. Since I only contributed 6 month I was told that I could only have 6 months of GI Bill benefits (rather than 36 moths)., from such 6 months I probably used up 3 or 4 weeks to pay for some certifications. So according to what I have been reading so far in this forum, I am entitled to 36 of the new GI Bill minus 3 - 4 weeks since I have used up 3 -4 weeks already to pay for some the certs. Which would mean that I am entitled to around 35 months of the new GI Bill. Is that first rational correct? I would also be entitled to have the US$ 600 that paid for the GI back or refunded to me somehow (since we are not supposed to have GI Bill any longer)..Another is that if the new GI Bill already has a separate stipend for certifications, wouldn’t that stipend retroactive pay for the certs I have taken already (leaving me with the full 36 month of the new GI Bill), or most likely not. Thanks for any clarification..
tk3000

[DAV Chapter Commander]

I see that credit is being given to many people and other veteran organizations, but didn't see anything about credit for the DAV, the largest and most active military organization that has been the forefront in fighting for all veterans rights. As the DAV has the most members, the congress and senate listens to them, for it is the votes that they need to be re-elected and the numbers causes them to listen and consider the veterans benenfits that we are fighting for. Therefore, when considering in joining a veterans group, check with you local DAV Chapter and let us build the numbers even higher and push to increase the much needed benefits for all veterans. I also belong to the VFW and the American Legion and while they are good organizations, for the most part they do not have the power and are not as active in fighting for our veterans benefits. Join the DAV and let us show Congress our strenght and get the benefits that we are entitled to. Good luck to all and God bless our troops everwhere,

[Shari]

I think this new version is great as a spouse of a National Guard Career Soldier. My husband has been wanting to transfer his GI Bill to me so that I can get a career that will help us and still be able to take care of our children when he is gone as much as he has been in the last 5 years.

[Randy K. Jensen]

Its a shame the Viet Nam, and Korean vets
didn't get a deal like this and I hope there is no time limit on the use of this bill since I'm a Viet Nam Vet going back to school at age 60 and plan on graduating this summer

[SFC (RET) GonzalezLatorres]

Does the New GI Bill rules applies to the Reserve Education Assistant Program (REAP), chapter 1607 of title 10?

[Mike Desjeunes]

The way I am interpreting this new GI Bill eligibility is that it only applies if you came onto active duty post 9/11. That means anyone on served on active duty and either separated or retired PRIOR to 9/11 is SOL? Hoping I'm wrong here but really don't think so.

[Kyle Stone]

Fantastic article. I've posted a similar version at GovCentral.com, an affiliate site:

http://www.govcentral.com/news/2169-house-passes-new-gi-bill

[Robert Loper]

This New G.I. Bill is A SHAME! for all veterans. Our Goverment should be taking care of all of us. I am 39 years old and have worked in the construction feild all of my life 3 kids and no time for school. I want to goto school and change my career. I am USMC Vet. 1992 to 1996. My G.I. Bill is expired......Thank You for your service and sacrifice.

[Jason]

Does this new GI bill enable vets that didn't opt for VEAP or Mont. GI bill eligible for benefits? I am still confused about people who are eligible? There's no place I can actually find the law? I served from 1999-2005 in the USN. I see that makes me eligible, but what if I didn't pay my $1200 dollars at the start of my enlistment?

[Tim Wiseth]

Does anyone know how this will affect veterans studying outside the US? We can't measure an individual state's most expensive state university to know what the rate will be? what will foreign universities be measured against to find the tuition limit?

[Mindie]

My husband signed under NCS in 2006 and is a Corpsman. He is told he does not get the MGIB even though he has served his active duty time. will this new bill make it where he will get the MGIB? I am active duty and I know this allows me to give him my MGIB but I also heard I would have to extend my contract. Is this true?

[Anderson]

i signed up for the army in january 2008 does the new gi bill have any affect on me?

[Len Lulow]

I hope this law will benefit many. I used my Chapter 30 GI Bill benefits after I got out of the USMC. I used the entire benefit, which lasted through my undergrad years, helping me get a very high GPA which I maintained throughout my grad school. The GI Bill was a great help in a critical part of my life. I would like to get my Ph.D. degree next, and so I must ask this question because I am just really, really curious: If I sign up again to do four more years (in the Army I suppose, since now I am too old to go back in the USMC), could I use the new Chapter 33 benefits after I get out even though I used all my Chapter 30 benefits from the first enlistment?

[Tim]

what about the $1,200 we paid when we entered the service? I heard that may be refunded or waived.

[Barb]

For some answers to frequently asked questions, I found this site:

http://www.gibill2008.org/faq.html

Hope this helps!

[Manuel]

Thanks for supporting us (veterans) education is a key to success. How about the veterans that serve more than 3 yrs afte 9/11 and used the whole GBIll before the new GBILL? Are we going to get retroactive pay?

[Douglas Wendling]

I have been in the NAVY for 10 years. I have the MGIB, the NAVY college Fund, I paid the $600 KICKER. My math says has me thinking that the MGIB Chpt 30 is a better benefit for me than the Webb Bill. It also seems that the Graham, Burr, and McCain proposal would pay me better too. Since they are just creating new chapters why can't they vote them both into law?