RE: http://forums.military.com/money-for-school/veteran/gi-...istance-program-veap

VEAP is in NO an means to pay for gas to and from school-let alone grad scholl or even an associates in this day and age.
Why did counselors at Education Centers DISCOURAGE VEAP reciprients like me from enrolling in the Montgomery GI BIll when the Mongomery GI Bill reaps a whole lot more while VEAP contributions were so much more?

Even with the 4 for 1 'kicker', I enlisted for, I STILL can only recieve approximately $561 per month in educational benefits.

Does anyone know if there is a way to transfer what I have contributed to the New Montgomery GI Bill?

I agree, when the DOD first announced that members enrolled in VEAP can transfer over to the NEW GI Bill it was not widely publicized. As a retired VET I believe that the DOD owes us another chance to enroll in the New GI Bill!

I AGREE. I am a retired vet with no post military educational benifit. I did not check the right box when admin. sent around the form for that Montgomery GI Bill. We did not even really know what it was.

Is there any way for us retired vets who came in under VEAP to get back on the bus with something? Or are we all just left holding the empty bag?

With this new GI Bill servicemembers can even pass on their benifit to a family member who does not deserve it. But the rest of us vets are left without anything. I guess our service didn't count as much as the smilitary members of today.

rscottmcleod@yahoo.com

I didn't check the right box 25 years ago either and suppose that the poor decision will follow me forever. That's a crock!
Why would it matter whether I enrolled and then disenrolled or not in order to maintain elgibility?
My wife enrolled initially and then dienrolled 3 months later and will always be elgible.

Yeah, I'm with the rest of you. I joined the AF in 1985, right before VEAP ended and Montgomery started. Since I was a poor young airman, I never paid into VEAP and got screwed out of my GI Bill benefits when I retired.

I also was NEVER informed in time about the 1-time buy-in back in the late '90s and only learned about it after the period had closed. So again GOT SCREWED!

So what I want to know now is: Since I'm retired, have accumulated the required time to qualify for the full benefits, BUT have attained my BS, can I use this new 911 GI Bill for my MS/graduate degree? That part has not been made clear.

Someone with good info please help!

I joined the Navy in 1992, got out in 2001, but am currently in the Coast Guard reserves. While active, I qualified for the Navy College Fund. Will the new GI Bill rules were I can apply to give it to my Children apply to the Navy College Fund?

dwight.h.tolentino@uscg.mil

I, joined the Natural Guard in 1979 the VEAP program was not mention to me at all. Then I transfer to the Marine Corp in 1984 the VEAP or GI Bill was not mention or emphasized. Twenty years go by performing my duties and not able enrolls in the GI Bill. Now retired, and not getting all my benefits that should have been provided to me. How about some assistance!

You should be able to use the new MGIB Post/911 ed benefits IF you were on active duty after Sept 11, 2001.

quote:

Originally posted by JeffLj:
Yeah, I'm with the rest of you. I joined the AF in 1985, right before VEAP ended and Montgomery started. Since I was a poor young airman, I never paid into VEAP and got screwed out of my GI Bill benefits when I retired.

I also was NEVER informed in time about the 1-time buy-in back in the late '90s and only learned about it after the period had closed. So again GOT SCREWED!

So what I want to know now is: Since I'm retired, have accumulated the required time to qualify for the full benefits, BUT have attained my BS, can I use this new 911 GI Bill for my MS/graduate degree? That part has not been made clear.

Someone with good info please help!

I am in the same boat. I enrolled in 1985, and was told the GIBill was no longer availabe. I waited in anticipation for a College Funding benefit and was later told of the VEAP. This was not a benefit but a CYA by our Congress to ensure that SOME KIND of benefit was available to us in the time frame between 1985 and 1991 (ish).

I am so angry about this. I joined the militay to help pay for my Education in College. I got a 100 dollar a month benefit paid only once a month. This did not pay ANYTHING for my Education.

I am now 44 years old, Single Dad raising 3 boys by my self. I cant afford a college degree and have no benefit at all to get my degree. Yes We ALL GOT SCREWED on this one. If they can provide 47,000 dollars per person now, why cant they Make VEAP memebers Elegable so we can finnally get a decent eduacation.

I am a computer Technician, was a DS2 in the Navy, was never allowed shore duty and did not get to serve after the Dreaded 9/11.

Does that mean that I am not able to get a good education for serving my country. The Ads abounded about funding your education by joining the Military.

I guess we got Lied to by our own government.

Lets see a PRO Vet Politician Fix this Screw up that is effecting all of our Vetrans from this Era.

I suppose politicians are all Spineless. They will spend 700 BILLION dollars of our Tax money on Bailing out the Banking industry and Screw our service personel.

I have one word for our congress in this country... HIPOCRITES.

Randall Farman. DS2
Apr 1985 - APR 1991

I agree. I served from 86-90 and contributed 100 a month for the GI Bill. I got to use one semester and got swamped taking care of 3 kids. I have been fortunate to do ok in my field, but always wanted to finish college. Now my kids are almost raised and I have some time I find out I only had 10 years to use it.

I am really ****ed that we have money to spend on every damb special interest group in the world but can not take care of the vets the provide the freedom for those special interest groups.

I have paid hundreds of thousands in taxes over the last 20 years and have never recieved a damb thing from the goverment who so readily takes my money.

I have been screwed too....I contributed my $1200 during my first year in the US Marines...served in the Gulf War...discharged honorably, got a good job for about 12 years, was laid off because they outsourced my position to another country because the Government doesn't care...I had to go to school for a degree to better position myself to get a good job...and couldn't take advantage of my VEAP because I was over the 10 year span...well guess what...I want my $1200 back then...since they don't want to take care of me, why should they get to keep my money? And...why 10 years? It was the Government that had screwed it up for me. Well, I have my B.S. and proud of it...I just have tuition bills for the rest of my life.

VEAP - Uncle Sam's "big green one" to those of us who served after Vietnam. I can't remember signing up for or not signing up for this program, between DI's screaming at you to fill this form out and sign this form, etc, who the hell can remember what you've signed. But I feel that veterans, regardless of when we served, should be given the same types of benefits. We've all picked up a weapon, manned our post and protected our Democracy against our countries enemies. I hope that I'm still alive long enough for congress to quit making distinctions among us. Semper Fi!

VEAP (Chapter 32) is available if you first entered active duty between January 1, 1977, and June 30, 1985, and you elected to make contributions from your military pay to participate in this education benefit program. You must have made original contributions prior to April 1, 1987, and you could make a maximum contribution of $2700 to your account.

Your contributions are matched on a $2 for $1 basis by the Government. This benefit may be used for degree and certificate programs, flight training, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances.

MGIB(Chapter 30)
Who is Eligible?

You may be an eligible veteran if you have an Honorable Discharge, AND you have a High School Diploma or GED or in some cases 12 hours of college credit, AND you meet the requirements of one of the categories below:

CATEGORY I

Entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985
Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for first 12 months
Continuously served for 3 years, OR 2 years if that is what you first enlisted for, OR 2 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty and served 4 years ("2 by 4" Program)
CATEGORY II

Entered active duty before January 1, 1977
Served at least 1 day between 10/19/84 and 6/30/85, and stayed on active duty through 6/30/88, (or 6/30/87 if you entered the Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years)
On 12/31/89, you had entitlement left from Vietnam-Era GI Bill
CATEGORY III

Not eligible for MGIB under Category I or II
On active duty on 9/30/90 AND separated involuntarily after 2/2/91,
OR involuntarily separated on or after 11/30/93,
OR voluntarily separated under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) or Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program
Before separation, you had military pay reduced by $1200
CATEGORY IV

On active duty on 10/9/96 AND you had money remaining in a VEAP account on that date AND you elected MGIB by 10/9/97
OR entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between 7/1/85, and 11/28/89 AND you elected MGIB during the period 10/9/96, through 7/8/97
Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1200 lump-sum contribution



Most veterans have ten years from their date of release from active duty to use any educational benefits they may have. The Department of Veterans Affairs will extend the delimiting date for only three reasons:



1. You returned to active duty (for any reason other than training) for 90 days or more

or

2. You had an illness or disability that prevented you from attending school

or

3. You were detained by a foreign government or power after your last discharge or release from active duty

Will someone help me understand! The new, GI bill offers benefits to servicemembers who spend a pre-specified amount of time in the Armed Services and are seperated with a general discharge or greater? There is no monetary contribution required and they are eligible to recieve benefits up to 15 years after separation. All they have to do to qualify is to serve in the military after September 11, 2001 for the specified period of time. Is this correct? If so, can I go back on Active Duty? I feel cheated.

On the one hand this is great for the troops serving in the military. They put their lives on the line everyday to preserve out freedoms and keep our country safe. If you ask me, they deserve more. Because of their service to the country, the benefit is well deserved.

I am a 20 year veteran who served on active duty from June 1979 until July 1999. Although I benefited some from the Tuition Assistance Program while serving on Active Duty, I currently do not have any GI BILL Benefits because I did not contribute to VEAP.

At the time I was asked to contribute I could barerly pay for food and take care of my personal business let alone contribute to a program asking if I wanted to contribute dollars (which I had little of at the time) to go to school in the future. I was only making a little over $400,00 dollars a month (basic pay) as an E-1(don't quote me on this, my memory is a little unreliable) , the math just didn't add up. I was not a strategic thinker at 19! Because of that I have no benefits. Who would have thought..........

Some say I had an opportunity to contribute to the VEAP program while serving later in the 90's before I retired. I don't recall being approached by anyone telling me this was my last chance at benefits for future education. It was probably mentioned at a commanders call while I was on leave and that was as far as it went. Yes I had access to the daily bulletins but this should have been a topic important enough to point out when I returned from leave, one that required my signature signifying I understood I was throwing away a long-term opportunity, and a chance at benefits to pay for college in the future. By the way I had already received an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland University College so why would I need benefits.

Now, when I think about it, I was being asked to contribute to something that was, a generation before me, a free benefit of serving. and now, a generation after, a free benefit of serving.

I'm not going to pretend I understand the logistics of implementing a program that would fairly administer benefits to all who served and were honorably separated and met the conditions stipulated for receiving benefits. Nor am I going to try to talk to the budgetary issues encountered in a program that would dole out benefits to non-contributors of the various scapegoat programs offered during the years and repay contributions to those who contributed in the hopes of receiving benefits. (Who would, rightfully so, request the return of such contributions if the non-contributors serving at the same time were granted benefits) Nor am I going to pretend to understand how to meet the enormous cost involved to make fair a benefit that was administered unfairly in the first place. (When you consider WWII and Vietnam era GI benefits and their administration prior to the VEAP and MGIB era)

For all those who would pose arguments for why veterans who served honorably and entered service after October 1977 and before June 1985 , and didn't contribute to the poorly administered Veterans Education and Assistance Program (VEAP) don't deserve education benefits, I have a simple phrase I want you to remember

WE ARE VETERANS TOO!

So what's good for some should be good for all who served honorably.

Consider this, past Congresses took away the Vietnam era GI bill to preserve money. Because of this, members who served during that low-dollar period afterwards, are stripped of benefits which was suppose to be part of the package for volunteering in the first place. Equally, how fair is it to those serving during the VEAP period, to see, a generation later, the benefit being offered once again, to those who serve honorably, free of contributions. To top it off, the benefits are transferrable to dependants and family members, if unused by the member.

Consider the veteran who in their 40's after serving 20 years, who would like to go back to school and have a chance at building something during the second half of their life. They will not get the chance because of oversight, and the deployment of a bad program administered on the backs of solders, sailors, airman, and marines, who deserve better , after spending their life in service. I would say administering an opportunity to receive a degree and a second chance at life through education is something well deserved. An opportunity given with the gratitude and thanks of a greatful nation, not an excuse to refrain form extoling benefits because of some screwed up program.

I spent quite a bit of my time away from my family during those 20 years. I served in Desert Shield and Storm during the first Gulf war, and prior to that spent 7 out of 20 years based oversees (not counting TDY time).

So I don't understand the reluctance to include all servicemen who are eligible and entered service before 9/11/2001. It should be anyone who still have eligibilty (released from service honorably and have not reached their 10th year after separation.) And for those who contributed, return their original contributions, this way there would be no question the program is fair.

I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. KEEP THE SYSTEM SIMPLE AND FAIR TO ALL! I AM A GREY AREA RETIREE. AFTER LOOKING INTO MY MILITARY BENEFITS, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH AT ALL!

Well, as in the old days, we're all in this together. We should all find out who we can all contact about this. Shwartzenegger? Who knows. Love you guys,
Ed Robbins AT3 Navy '81-'86

I agree I served in the Navy for 20 years retiring in 1999. I went to work when I retired to support my family and have been laid off for the last 8 months. I went and signed up for classes was told how much I would get from GI Bill and three weeks later told I did not quailfy because I didn't understand the little info (if any) I received when they changed everything what 20 - 25 years ago!!!!! I served my country faithfully and this is what I get????? is there any help out there?

quote:

Originally posted by 8623079:
I agree I served in the Navy for 20 years retiring in 1999. I went to work when I retired to support my family and have been laid off for the last 8 months. I went and signed up for classes was told how much I would get from GI Bill and three weeks later told I did not quailfy because I didn't understand the little info (if any) I received when they changed everything what 20 - 25 years ago!!!!! I served my country faithfully and this is what I get????? is there any help out there?

Unfortunately no. The rules have always been available for anyone who made the time to find out what they were. One of the most important is that you have to use all of the benefits within 10 years of seperation.