RE: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,135101,00.html

This should be made retroactive. In the first place, Veterans Gi Bill benefits (especially) for Retirees should have never expired, and should have been there for as long as we live, subject to the maximum benefit amounts.

I immediately went to work for the government as a contractor and life does get in the way of additional education. Ten years went by in a flash before I even thought about continuing my education.

LCDR D Berry, USN (RET)

I think this is great, I may finally get to use this program. I hope they will let me use it for a Masters degree. My old unit said I wasn't eligible and would not fill out the paperwork. Finally the Democrats are doing something worthwhile.

I am a retired reservist and in 1983 and thereafter was not able to use the GI Bill because I had a bachelors degree. Later they removed the restriction on advanced degrees and I wasn't able to take advantage of the new bill. When I retired in 2005, my benefits expired.

I was using the GI bill to pay for Grad School and got cut off, but that was last year. (2006) As I look over the text of the bill as it is stated on this site, it does not look like the bill actually repeals the 10 year limit, but rather simply extends it to the end of that quarter, semester, or 12 weeks for non quarter/semester institutions. So, like many of you, I am sitting here at year 11 with unused benefits that this bill will not actually help me get. Is this false advertising or am I simply not reading legalese well enough?

in a perfect world it really should be retroactive to include all those eligible and still alive. however, this is obviously not a perfect world. this is a good bill; i hope it passes.

one thing i never understood was why it has to be so complicated. wouldn't it just be easier to say each service member upon eligibility will be entitled to $40,000 for advanced education (whether it's B.A. or Masters or even Ph.D) at any accredited academic institution and just make it available for life? so this way the only thing that gets debated in the future are increases?

btw, are Pell Grants open for active duty and not active duty service members? can it be used in tandem with the GI education benefit?

This will fix at least one problem ... but it is basicly patchwork and unhelpful for troops serving now. I like the Jim Webb proposal, S.22, much better, since it is not contributory, nor does it set any fixed caps on assistance ... if you get into Havard, it pays for Harvard, full freight plus a stipend ... pretty much the same way that the GI Bill used to work.
S.22

This is a great plan. I know many of us had to go to work when we got out and it is extremely difficult to go back to school. Ten years passes very quickly. Thank you for looking out for us.

Pell grants are open to anybody that does not have tuition money at arms reach, non-veterans, veterans, active duty alike.

quote:

Originally posted by GroovyLady:
in a perfect world it really should be retroactive to include all those eligible and still alive. however, this is obviously not a perfect world. this is a good bill; i hope it passes.

one thing i never understood was why it has to be so complicated. wouldn't it just be easier to say each service member upon eligibility will be entitled to $40,000 for advanced education (whether it's B.A. or Masters or even Ph.D) at any accredited academic institution and just make it available for life? so this way the only thing that gets debated in the future are increases?

btw, are Pell Grants open for active duty and not active duty service members? can it be used in tandem with the GI education benefit?

The way I read the bill, it doesn't help those of us who, at the ten-year mark, still had eligibility remaining but not the opportunity to use it. THAT's what I'd like to see.

Some of us, at retirement, had a lot on our plate - e.g., kids and family, new career - an felt we had to put continuing education at a lower priority. We suffered the loss of the remaining benefits. It'd sure be nice to get `em back.

So when do we get an answer on this? I saw they tried this exact thing in 2005.

The approval of this Bill would be awesome! I used the GI Bill for two years and received an Associate degree. I went right to work in my field of study. I'm currently enrolled in a Bachelors program and my company will only fund half the cost. This would help out tremendously!

I encourage every person in the military, retired or seperated that has this education program available to PLEASE contact their elected represenatative and let them know that you STRONGLY SUPPORT this bill and you will support all who vote for it!! For those on active duty you probably dont realize how hard it is to find the time/money after seperation to make use of this benifit while you are trying to suppot a family and make a decent living, but the time will come when you will want/need to use it. I know I did but it was too late. DONT let this happen to you!!!!!!

I agree with what you have read. It does not read like we are going to get our GI Bill for life. It reads like you have to be in school and it will extend just long enough to let you finish your current class. It should read we get it until we die or use it, PERIOD! Sounds like some one is wanting to get a pat on the back for something that is not actually happening.

quote:

Originally posted by 8094860:
I was using the GI bill to pay for Grad School and got cut off, but that was last year. (2006) As I look over the text of the bill as it is stated on this site, it does not look like the bill actually repeals the 10 year limit, but rather simply extends it to the end of that quarter, semester, or 12 weeks for non quarter/semester institutions. So, like many of you, I am sitting here at year 11 with unused benefits that this bill will not actually help me get. Is this false advertising or am I simply not reading legalese well enough?

I think you are correct. This is not a GI Bill for life. I would like to be able to use the bill, but this is not going to let me. It should state if you have eligibility remaining you can use it until it is gone, used up.

quote:

Originally posted by 8235647:
The way I read the bill, it doesn't help those of us who, at the ten-year mark, still had eligibility remaining but not the opportunity to use it. THAT's what I'd like to see.

Some of us, at retirement, had a lot on our plate - e.g., kids and family, new career - an felt we had to put continuing education at a lower priority. We suffered the loss of the remaining benefits. It'd sure be nice to get `em back.

Everyone needs to read how this proposal is written. It sounds good "GI Bill for Life". However, it is not written as such. It reads for an extension for individuals currently enrolled in a course of study. It says nothing about letting individuals with eligibility remaining being able to go back and finish school or start school now. Unless there was some part missing in the copy posted on this web site we are being fed false information and getting hopes up for something that may not happen.

If this bill is to succeed it needs to let those, who have attended college but could not draw upon the funds because their eligibility elapsed, to get paid retroactively. I could get 3 years of benefits if the government would do that.

I missed the deadline by one month and could not get an extension of the delimiting date even though I was badly hurt from a car accident and the doctor refused to certify that I was disabled. Jerk.

If you dont use it you should get the cash. Make this retroactive for all veterans who were unable to use it ever. Plus interest on whatever unused portion of the fund was available for use after you ETSED.

This is very interesting and very typical of the way our "Leaders" on the hill handle the lives of the troops in a circular motion tied to election year politics(a four year thought pattern). First the "Leaders" decide to down size the forces to reduce cost, remember the drawdown to a lighter faster force?, then our "Leaders" go and decide to pick a fight with all the bad guys they can find at once. Then our "Leaders" decide to debate the course of action with the fights they picked from the comfort of their place on high. More troops, fewer troops, fund the war, don't fund the war, send in the up armor kits, no send in the cougars, these are all great topics for discussion, prior to placing our young men and women in harms way, but not after. If the private sector managed their businesses this way they would be fired, bankrupt onr in court on fraud charges. Now we hear debate on the draft, health care for our wounded, futures and education for our vets and other benifits. Let me remind everyone of a few minor details. first our "leaders" just gave themselves a pay raise equal too or greater than any of the benifits we are concerned with, second these topics are only black and white to those of us on the ground, walking the walk, on high these are matters for debate and little action. And lastly 2008 is an election year and just around the corner, if you are a Vet, AD, ADD, or retired(like me, USDoD Ret. 2005) get prepaired to get some major smoke blown up your vent, in the long run little will change but you may just get a decent shot at an education and the brass ring we all look for.

Yours in Service to this Great Country of Ours, Protecting it from all enemys both forign and domestic.

I have read this bogus bill in it's entirity. Only in an election year could this happen. In no way is this "for life." It will pay for the semester if you are currently enrolled. It in no way helps anyone over the 10 year limit. It is apparent that many will cast votes based on the concept without reading the bill. READ IT!