RE: http://forums.military.com/money-for-school/gi-bill/new-webb-gi-bill-overview

I see, because I served during the Cold War and the first Gulf War that's nowhere near as important as anything after one after 9/11. It should change across the board. Gee thanks for your gratitude Uncle Sam.

I have to agree with skipcj. I was in the Army from 1993-1998. I got out to support my then husband while he was in Special Operations. I don't think it's fair that people like myself who are unable to use the GI Bill in time are punished. I was only able to use about one year worth of benefits due to my divorce and raising children by myself for many years after I got out. I think this should be changed across the board for everyone.

So when can I expect a refund of my $1200?

content edit by Admin

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RobRodriguez,

Does anyone know if you are going to have to be a full time student to receive the housing allowance?

I think that if they are transferable to the dependants, then there should be a higher requirement to serve a longer enlistment.

Reply to flip2pogi:
The entire tuition, housing and book stipend will be paid according the student enrollment rate. Half-time will get half the benefits, 1/4 time will get 1/4 the benefits, etc...

So what happens if someone drops out of school? Do they have to pay back all tuition, housing, and book costs?

quote:

Originally posted by 7038536:
So what happens if someone drops out of school? Do they have to pay back all tuition, housing, and book costs?

The current language of this law says that if a person drops due to miltiary service issues they will not be charged and will not lose any of their 36 months of benefits. It is my understanding that if a person leaves school for a non-excusable reason - such as just didn't want to finish - then they have a one-time grace and are not asked to repay the benefit, but they lose they are still charged against their 36 month benefit entitlement.
Hope that helps...

In my humble viewpoint this is an excellent move in the right direction. Will some veterans not be included - the answer is yes. But, we must start somewhere and with a starting point. Sep 11, 2001 is the starting point. Does this mean that everyone prior to this is not worthy, not true!!

I am glad to see that those VEAP, Guard and Reserve Veterans who fall under less of a GI Bill then the current active military will be placed on a fairer scale.

As a disabled veteran of OIF2, I am glad that I would be able to pass the opportunity that my country has given me to one of my five sons. I cannot attend college myself due to the nature of my disabilities caused by my combat tour.

Plus this new GI Bill will be great for our country. Look at history and the results from the WWII, Korean and Vietnam veterans who had used their GI Bill benefits.

Can anyone tell me how it would work on the old gi bill i was getting a direct deposit each month this looks different. Will i not get the regular payment? if so it will be a signifigantly less amount.

Payment Rate for
Full-Time Student
OLD-- Annually set - nationwide - monthly payment rate. Set to increase to $1321 for 2008-2009. Paid to the student each month.
NEW-- A payment indexed to full in-state tuition for public schools. National average reported to be near $1,700 a month. Paid to the school for each term.

I recently retired on 1 January 2008. I am frustrated that I will not be allowed to pass my GI Bill benefits to my son. I was fortunate and was able to utilize Tuition Assistance and a portion of my GI bill to attain my Bachelors Degree. I would like to pass them to him to allow him to help attain his college education. Otherwise from what I understand since I recently retired I don't have the option to pass the benefits down. How about the grandfather clause such as the other GI bill to allow VEAP to buy into the Montgomery GI bill. Allow us to reap the benefits of the new one also.

Those the new GI Bill apply if you got out 15 Nov 01?

Great! I am at the end of my schooling, I exhausted my 1607 benefits and my kicker. Now they want to give anyone else a bunch of money to go to school...Why didn't I wait!I tried to balance being in the military--teenagers--work--school...Now they do it. Too Late!

I read that if you were discharged for a service connected reason that you are entitled 100% to the new GI Bill, What if you were discharged prior to 9/11? Are you still eligible

Sorry, service connected disability. I was discharged prior to 9/11/01 for that reason. Am I eligible for the new GI BIll?

quote:

Originally posted by Mercer03:
Can anyone tell me how it would work on the old gi bill i was getting a direct deposit each month this looks different. Will i not get the regular payment? if so it will be a signifigantly less amount.

Payment Rate for
Full-Time Student
OLD-- Annually set - nationwide - monthly payment rate. Set to increase to $1321 for 2008-2009. Paid to the student each month.
NEW-- A payment indexed to full in-state tuition for public schools. National average reported to be near $1,700 a month. Paid to the school for each term.

According to the current language in the pending law - the tuition payment will go to the school. My guess is that you would get the Stipends directly deposted.

quote:

Originally posted by PlummerAbram:
Those the new GI Bill apply if you got out 15 Nov 01?

No. you have to have 90 consecutive days after 9/11.

quote:

Originally posted by 17064583:
I read that if you were discharged for a service connected reason that you are entitled 100% to the new GI Bill, What if you were discharged prior to 9/11? Are you still eligible

Doesn't qualify for any service dates prior to 9/11. The benefit you need to look into is Voc Rehab.

I am an Officer. I have 10 years in. I have the MGIB (I didn't orginally come in on a scholarship, so yes I did qualify for it). I even paid the $600 kicker a few years back. My question is: What happens to the $1,800 now? I suppose the $600 was for not?

One more question...

Where is a good place to figure out what I can actually spend my GI Bill? I have 2 Master's Degrees already. Would the GI Bill cover a PhD?

If and when this new bill goes into effect, will there be any refunds for the $1200 we had to use to enroll? and i added another $600 as a kicker, will that be refunded either?
I am getting out at the end of this year, to go to school, would it be better for me to just wait until this new policy goes into effect so there isn't more confussion with the transitioning of my payments from the old way to the new way?
I know one of the worst things to do with colleges is have a mix up in payments.
If we are full time students, but don't live in the dorms do we still get the bah pay?

Also I think that benefits going to family members and dependents, should deffinately go to the children of service members. But that they should at least serve 4-6 years or else have been discharged for service related reasons.

quote:

Originally posted by 7388234:
FIRST, I AM HAPPY ABOUT GETTING THE BENEFITS OF A NEW GI BILL...I HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH THE (GLASS) CEILING SET ON THE BENEFITS BY THE VA COUNSELORS ON THE VARIOUS CHAPTERS, ESPECIALLY CHAPTER 31...IN OTHER WORDS, I CANT TAKE THE COURSES I WANT TO TAKE AND GET PAID FOR THEM ..I USUALLY END UP WITH SOME BULLSHIT ADMIN REQUIREMENT THAT HAS MORE TO DO WITH EMPLOYING (USELESS) COLLEGE PROFS FOR USELESS "CORE" COURSES AS OPPOSED TO WORTHWHILE ELECTIVES...
SECOND, IT IS A HUGE MISTAKE TO GIVE THESE BENEFITS TO DEPENDANTS, ESPECIALLY WIVES...WATCH THE CATFIGHT START IN DIVORCE COURT WHEN THEY DIVIDE THE BENEFIT, AND THE WOMAN WALKS AWAY WITH THE LIONS SHARE...i SAY NO WAY FOR DEPENDANTS...YOU GUYS LAY YOUR LIVES ON THE LINE AND WHAT DID THEY DO FOR YOU? WATCVH TV AND F*$K YOUR BEST FRIEND BACK AT HOME? DONT LET CONGRESS GIVE THE DEPENDENT WIVES ANY BENEFITS OR THEY WILL BE FEASTING ON THEM IN DIVORCE COURT! TAKE MY WORD I KNOW..CALIFORNIA SCREWED ME WITH A PROPER F*&KING OVER MY MILITARY SERVICE...DONT BE FOOLS! DONT LET CONGRESS GIVE YOUR RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS AWAY TO YOUR WIVES..THEY DONT DESERVE THEM. YOU WILL LEARN A PAINFUL LESSON IF YOU DONT STOP THEM!

Im sorry, but that comment is insulting and uncalled for. I have been married to my husband for 8 years, bouncing from base to base following my husbands career....all the while having to switch majors at every different University I had to transfer to follow his career. I have wasted thousands of dollars in wasted classes (not to mention the wasted time) enrolling in degree programs that I couldnt finish because I stick by my husband every 3 years when we move.
And... if you do the research..... spouses are not entitled to these benefits....it is an option given to the soldier that is going to require reenlistment. A spouse cannot take these benefits in a divorce.

quote:

Originally posted by reichenc:
One more question...

Where is a good place to figure out what I can actually spend my GI Bill? I have 2 Master's Degrees already. Would the GI Bill cover a PhD?

As far as I've read it'll only cover the equivalent costs of Undergrad tuition and books. It'll help, but it won't cover everything, and that goes for both systems.

quote:

Originally posted by reichenc:
I am an Officer. I have 10 years in. I have the MGIB (I didn't orginally come in on a scholarship, so yes I did qualify for it). I even paid the $600 kicker a few years back. My question is: What happens to the $1,800 now? I suppose the $600 was for not?

According to the wording of the bill, you will be refunded your money. I just read the long version of the bill. How, they plan to refund us or when is another question altogether.

Hate to sound harsh, but if you have two masters, I am sure you can figure out where to use your GI Bill benefits. If you have kids, I think transferring it to them would be the best way to save your GI Bill, especially if you don't need to get another degree to advance your career. I don't see why they wouldn't pay for a PhD.

quote:

Originally posted by Mercer03:
Can anyone tell me how it would work on the old gi bill i was getting a direct deposit each month this looks different. Will i not get the regular payment? if so it will be a signifigantly less amount.

Payment Rate for
Full-Time Student
OLD-- Annually set - nationwide - monthly payment rate. Set to increase to $1321 for 2008-2009. Paid to the student each month.
NEW-- A payment indexed to full in-state tuition for public schools. National average reported to be near $1,700 a month. Paid to the school for each term.

Those averages are misleading. The stipend in my area would only be $922, nowhere near that $1700 monthly average. So be careful and look up that information on your own. Don't use the published average to base your decision.

What you can do, is go to the website of the school you are planning to attend and search for the costs of enrollment. Look up by credit hour how much the tuition will cost and multiply that by the number of hours you'll take. Full time is 12 hours.

Use the tuition you recieved and figure about $500 a semester for books (sometimes it's less) and figure that into the whole equation. I'm not certain if the Webb Bill will pay for parking and other fees associated with school but those can add up too. Use those numbers and then figure out what the BAH for an E-5 in that schools' zipcode would be. Use that number to see if you will pocket more money with the Post 9/11 bill or the Chapter 30 bill.

Compare the cost of tuition and make a good decision on the information you have at hand. I am able to make the Chapter 30 work very well, others are going to like the idea of the full tuition payment, but also take into consideration there are other opportunities out there to pay for tuition outside the GI Bill. Some states have tuition waivers for the National Guard, many large corporate jobs also provide money for school. If you land one of those jobs, I would advise using chapter 30, especially if you have a college fund or used the top-up program in the past.

That monthly stipend for me would only be $922.00 a month (now that I know it's equivalent to the BAH rate of an E-5 with dependants). $1321 in my pocket sounds a lot better than $922 since I've taken care of tuition in other ways.

Just make sure you do the math and do the comparison. You could make out on the deal or you could lose. I still maintain that the GI Bill is a tool to be exploited not a fix all for college costs.

http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/bah.html

quote:

Originally posted by reichenc:
I am an Officer. I have 10 years in. I have the MGIB (I didn't orginally come in on a scholarship, so yes I did qualify for it). I even paid the $600 kicker a few years back. My question is: What happens to the $1,800 now? I suppose the $600 was for not?

Sir, as far as I've read, if you're currently using the Chapter 30 system you'll be able to choose which to use. I'm not sure if the Chapter 30 continues to be an option for those still serving on active duty.

I would like to see a side by side comparison of this new GI Bill with Voc Rehab. I'm not sure which might be better.

So, if I've served 4 years after 9/11 and only have about 8 months left on my gi bill, I don't have access to this? I am pissed! I don't care about the monthly payments I am missing out on, I just care about the 100% tuition. I am paying a lot of money to go to my university. Me and the people like me where the 1st ones there, and we dont get the benefit? This should be retroactive, or they should at least offer the same benefits for a graduate degree..