From the Air Force to College by Ventrone Jillian;Hollis Andrew;

Author:Ventrone, Jillian;Hollis, Andrew;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

MONTGOMERY GI BILL (MGIB)

Not all service members have MGIB. When you entered the service, if you elected to opt into MGIB and paid $100 per month for your first year of service to total $1,200, you might rate MGIB. You must be separated with an honorable discharge as well; that goes for most benefits. Double-check your eligibility on the GI Bill website (http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/).

As of October 1, 2015, MGIB will pay $1,789 per month for up to thirty-six months for school. MGIB does not have a separate housing and book stipend like the Post-9/11. It is a flat payment amount. MGIB can be used for academic degrees, certificate programs, on-the-job training (OJT), correspondence classes, apprenticeship programs, and flight training. Benefits are good for ten years after separation from the military.

Some service members participated in the $600 Buy-Up Program under MGIB. For those who did, an extra $150 per month will be added to their MGIB payments. That amount per month pays you back the $600 investment within the first four months. Every month after that point is money you are profiting from the program. If you cannot remember if you paid the optional Buy-Up Program, check with DFAS. You must pay the $600 at DFAS and it is important you keep your receipts and provide them to the VA because you must prove that you took part in the program. For those who did not pay the money, check with the veterans’ representatives at the school you are interested in attending before running off to pay it now. If you select Post-9/11, you forfeit the $600 that it takes to fully fund the Buy-Up. Smaller Buy-Up packages can be bought for prorated amounts. If you rate it and decide to stay under MGIB, you will most likely want to pay the Buy-Up for increased monthly payments.

Currently, if you have paid into MGIB, remain under MGIB, and have exhausted all thirty-six months of the benefit, you may be able to extend out an extra twelve months on Post-9/11. Contact the VA for final eligibility determination on this pathway. Typically, this requires that you have one period of qualifying service between August 1, 2009 and July 31, 2011, or completed two periods of qualifying service active duty after August 1, 2011. Multiple periods of active duty before August 1, 2009, will also make you eligible. See the following website for more information: https://gibill.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1475/kw/12%20month%20extension%20after%20MGIB/session/L3RpbWUvMTQ0MDc5MzA5OC9zaWQva1RFMzM0dm0%3D. This may enable you to save some benefit for a master’s degree or a certificate program after completing a bachelor’s degree. The problem is that in most cases, MGIB will not cover all of your bills.

You must decide whether you want less money consistently over forty-eight months or more money over thirty-six months using the Post-9/11. Graduate programs tend to be considerably more expensive than undergraduate programs and if you use all thirty-six months of the Post-9/11 getting your bachelors you may need to use loans to get a graduate degree. Think wisely and be as creative as possible with the combination of benefits that are at your disposal.

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