I've read through the forum here pretty well over the last couple of hours and I'm sad to admit that I'm just not getting it.

What exactly does the GI Bill do for me?

It sounds like a dumb question, but I'm not seeing that answered very well here. I know that it gives money to you for school, but I can't for the life of me figure out how much.

I re-enlisted after nearly a fifteen year absence from the Army. In July I'll have been in the Reserves one year. I'm currently going back to school and tuition assistance is paying a good chunk of my tuition.

I've filed for the VA for the GI Bill, but I'm not sure what to expect from them. My contract also has a "GI Bill Kicker" which pays me an additional sum each month when I'm in school.

For all of that though, I'm still confused as to what exactly my GI Bill benefits are.

Can someone break this down barney style and spell it out for me?

Here it is as simple as I can make it...
Tuition Assistance (TA) is paid by your reserve component or state. The MGIB-SR is what you will get paid by the VA. The current full time rate for training whether college or trade school is $317. Then you said you have a kicker, this is an extra amount added on to the $317. There are 3 different kickers that the reserves or National Guard pay, Low ($100), Medium ($200) or High ($350). So if you are in full time school your monthly rate is $317 plus the amount of your kicker. If you are in half time training simply divide that amount in half. If you are receiving TA and going to school less tan half time (like taking one 3 hour class for a whole semester)VA can not pay you anything. If you are going to school now or have been going at a half time or more, fill out a VA Form 1990 which is you application for education benefits. Tell your school to send the VA an enrollment certificate so VA can pay you. Also, the VA can pay you one year retroactively from the date they receive your VA 1990. So they can pay you for school you have already taken up to one year from the "date of claim". Hope this helps!