I know that one campus course must be taken to get the BAH with the new GI Bill.

I only need one summer semester to finish my BA degree. An adviser suggested that I take a two week on campas course that was part of the same 15 week course. She said that people on financial aid do it and it is acceptable.
I called the VA to confirm this. The VA said they don't know. It depends on the wording of the school form.

Has anyone else had experience with this? I just need to know so I can prepare properly.

You need to speak to your ESO concerning this question. The last I heard concerning the Post 9/11 GI BILL BAH payments, you had to go full time to a Brick and Mortar school to be eligible.

quote:

Originally posted by Json123:
You need to speak to your ESO concerning this question. The last I heard concerning the Post 9/11 GI BILL BAH payments, you had to go full time to a Brick and Mortar school to be eligible.

While I haven't responded to his question because I don't know the answer to it specifically, you don't have to be full-time in a B&M school to get the BAH. He is correct that you only need to take one course "in residence" that applies to your degree per semester to be eligible.

quote:

Originally posted by Json123:
You need to speak to your ESO concerning this question. The last I heard concerning the Post 9/11 GI BILL BAH payments, you had to go full time to a Brick and Mortar school to be eligible.

This is incorrect.

As long as you are not taking courses solely via distance learning, are not on active duty, and are not training at half-time or less, you are still eligible for the BAH portion of the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Senate bill S.3447 was passed by Congress and from what I can see is just waiting a signature from the President. It updates most of the issues with the GI bill and if you are only doing online courses (a certain amount total) you are entitled to 50% of the national average of BAH (roughly $673/month) look up the bill for the entire lingo as it changes a lot of things including caps for the program. Good stuff regardless.

About Changes to GI BILL-I read this elsewhere; but not sure what "BREAK PAY" is or was?

Con — Break Pay Gone – Break or interval pay is no longer payable under any VA education benefit program unless emergency circumstances exist, for example catastrophic conditions or national emergency

I am not sure either. But from reading about the changes they now will pay the BAH during school recesses when I guess before they would cut it off.

JBJunior -

IMHO, I must strongly disagree with this being good stuff. the post 9/11 GI bill was the ONLY saviour in this world that was going to get me from nothing to CFII rotary wing licensed, with no costs out of my pocket (im already in debt 50k to student loans). At this point, with an annual cap of 17,500 dollars, NOONE is going to get through rotary wing training, let alone fixed wing, at a private university. Even at public schools, 17.5k will not cover the cost of tuition, flight fees, fuel fees, instructor fees, simulator time and ground training.

this amendmant just #$*%ed the people who wanted to utilize this bill for flight training.

quote:

am not sure either. But from reading about the changes they now will pay the BAH during school recesses when I guess before they would cut it off.

Not to argue but I disagree, from what I have read it seems exactly the opposite is going to be true i.e. BREAK PAY will no longer be given.

It only makes sense to approve more online education beause that is probably the cheapest form of education but just an FYI my EXCELSIOR College degree is pretty much worthless in the eyes of other schools.

From what I have read and gather it seems most of the new changes to the Post 9/11 GI BILL are for the worse and not better. The main positive changes addresses granting benefits to National Guard Members and Reservists.

Now it appears that the whole, prolonged process of verifying course/credit load and BAH amounts each semester will only add to the process which means more opportunity for the VA to make mistakes which has happened to me the past 2 semesters.

quote:

Originally posted by uberchris:
JBJunior -

IMHO, I must strongly disagree with this being good stuff. the post 9/11 GI bill was the ONLY saviour in this world that was going to get me from nothing to CFII rotary wing licensed, with no costs out of my pocket (im already in debt 50k to student loans). At this point, with an annual cap of 17,500 dollars, NOONE is going to get through rotary wing training, let alone fixed wing, at a private university. Even at public schools, 17.5k will not cover the cost of tuition, flight fees, fuel fees, instructor fees, simulator time and ground training.

this amendmant just #$*%ed the people who wanted to utilize this bill for flight training.

You are right that it may have negatively effected you. I guess I was being selfish and I do see benefits that are a huge positive to me. I already have my BA and I am going for my MA and haven't ever thought of using it for anything like flight training but that is awesome. None of the schools you looked at do the Yellow Ribbon program? Also, they changed the "test for licensure" limits to allow more, does that not help?

JW- You are exactly right about break pay. The way I read it was that they were eliminating the break in payment because I guess I assumed people weren't being paid over the breaks currently and they were changing it. I guess they assume that one can get a job for two weeks (yeah right, in most situations) but the bills still have to be paid for that period, very strange.

I have never used "Break Pay" but it is good to realize and recognize any REDUCTION in overall benefits in order to stay informed and up to date of any other changes that may not be as obviously apparent.

Anti-Veteran/Military Groups are enraged that we have this benefit and if allowed they will chip away at it little by little.

quote:

Originally posted by JBjunior:
Senate bill S.3447 was passed by Congress and from what I can see is just waiting a signature from the President. It updates most of the issues with the GI bill and if you are only doing online courses (a certain amount total) you are entitled to 50% of the national average of BAH (roughly $673/month) look up the bill for the entire lingo as it changes a lot of things including caps for the program. Good stuff regardless.

What I posted came straight from the VA's website. Check it out!

quote:

Originally posted by 10937001:

quote:

Originally posted by JBjunior:
Senate bill S.3447 was passed by Congress and from what I can see is just waiting a signature from the President. It updates most of the issues with the GI bill and if you are only doing online courses (a certain amount total) you are entitled to 50% of the national average of BAH (roughly $673/month) look up the bill for the entire lingo as it changes a lot of things including caps for the program. Good stuff regardless.

What I posted came straight from the VA's website. Check it out!

Not sure what you are referring to. I agreed with you about the previous statement and the paragraph you quoted was just passed in the last two weeks and is awaiting a signature from the President. It will not be reflected on the VA's website until middle to late of next year because that is when most of it will take effect.

Lets say I decide to get out to finish my MA. I have already transferred in the maximum credits allowed (two courses) so taking a "butt in seat" course wouldn't work. I would be entitled to the $673 a month BAH and all other entitlements. Previously, I would have gotten nothing for BAH.

quote:

just an FYI my EXCELSIOR College degree is pretty much worthless in the eyes of other schools.

It may not be where the degree is from...

I got into a competitive Tier I Grad School, and I have an undergrad from Excelsior.

Most of my credits for my Excelsior degree were from miltitary schools/training and are listed on the transcript as pass or fail which for me the transcript was not accepted by other schools for that reason.

Interesting, I did not come across that problem. Were you trying to transfer? If you were trying to transfer those credits then I understand.

1. Wildkat504 - If you take a two week class for the summer, it must be a brick/mortor classroom course and you will only receive the BAH for that two week period.

2. JBjunior - the change your referring to does not go into effect until Aug 2011.

3. JWCallihan - "Break Pay" is the pay student receive for the Break in between semesters. If your Spring 11 courses end May 6th and your Summer 11 courses start 2 Jun - the 3 weeks between semesters you are on "Break". If the "Break" is less than 56 days and you are not changing schools, students have received "Break Pay". This ends Aug 2011.

4. uberchris - The $17,500 only applies to private schools - not public institutions of higher learning.