GI Bill Basic TrainingJennifer Matteson – Saint Louis University

What Every Financial Aid Professional Ought to Know

Introduction

Overview of the Different GI Bill programs

More In depth discussion of Post 9/11 GI Bill

Discussion of Possible Institutional Procedures

Questions

Overview

Only Ch 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill) and Ch. 31 (Vocational Rehabilitaton) pays directly to the school. All others pay a stipend directly to the student.

Can only use one benefit at a time. Maximum of 48 months of benefits

under all programs combined.Only VA can make determination of

benefit eligibility!!!

Ch. 30 – Montgomery GI Bill Eligibility

Served at least 2 years on Active Duty

Paid $1,200 Contribution

Honorably Discharged

Entitlement 36 Months

Delimiting Date 10 years from last

date of discharge from Active Duty

Ch. 30 – Montgomery GI Bill

Payment Rates (effective 10/01/2010): Less than 3 years service:▪ Full time - $1,158.00 ▪ ¾ time - $868.50 ▪ ½ time - $579.0o

3 years or more service:▪ Full time - $1,426.00▪ ¾ time - $1,069.50▪ ½ time - $713.00

Ch. 1606 – Montgomery GI Bill – Selective Reserve

Eligibility Enlist in Selected

Reserve for at least 6 years.

Completed Initial Active Duty Training

Currently actively drilling with Reserve Unit and in good standing.

Entitlement 36 months

Delimiting Date Generally only

eligible while actively drilling.

Ch. 1606 – Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve

Payment Rates (Effective 10/01/2010) Full time - $337.00 ¾ time - $252.00 ½ time - $167.00 Less than ½ time - $84.25

Ch. 1607 – Reserve Education Assistance Program

Eligibility Member of Reserves

called to active duty after 9/11/2001 under Title 10 and served at least 90 consecutive days.

Must return from active duty and complete their contract in the Selected Reserves.

Entitlement 36 Months

Delimiting Date Not fixed – must

return to reserve component from which they were called to active duty

Ch. 1607 – Reserve Education Assistance Program

Payment Rates (Effective 10/01/2010)Training Time Consecutive

service of 90 days but less than one year

Consecutive service of 1

year but less than 2 years

Consecutive service of 2

years or more.

Full time $570.40 $855.60 $1,140.80

¾ Time $427.80 $641.70 $855.60

½ Time $285.20 $427.80 $570.40

Ch. 35 – Dependents Educational Assistance

Eligibility Parent or Spouse

must have a permanent & total service-connected disability, have died as the result of a service-connected disability, or died in the line of duty.

Entitlement 45 Months

Delimiting Date Children-generally

10 years from the effective date of rating or date of notification.

Spouses – 20 years from effective date of rating.

Ch. 35 – Dependents Educational Assistance

Payment Rates (effective 10/01/2010) Full time - $936.00 ¾ time - $702.00 ½ time - $466.00

Ch. 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment

Eligibility Must have a service-

connected disability rated at least 10% which causes a demonstrable employment handicap

Must have the approval of their Rehab Counselor to pursue study at an IHL.

Any Discharge other than Dishonorable

Entitlement 48 months

Delimiting Date Up to 12 years from

last separation or date service connection of the disability is determined.

Ch. 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment

School must receive notification of eligibility directly from the Voc. Rehab. Counselor. Indicates approved course of study and

effective dates VA pays full tuition & fees directly to the

school. VA pays for books & supplies required for

training. Student also receives subsistence

allowance while enrolled.

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Some significant differences between Post 9/11 GI Bill and all other GI Bill Programs. For the first time since the 1st GI Bill the VA

pays tuition & fees directly to the schools Allows for active members of the military to

transfer their benefits to dependents. Payments to/for veterans vary depending on

the location of the college they are attending. Allows for a tiered benefit based on length of

service.

CH. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Eligibility Must have served at least 90 days of

active duty after 9/10/2001; or Must have served at least 30

consecutive days of active duty after 9/10/2001 and discharged due to a service-connected disability.

Must have been honorably discharged.

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Entitlement 36 months If veteran transfers from Ch. 30 they

only have the number of months remaining of their Ch. 30 benefits.

Delimiting Date 15 years from the date of last discharge

or release from active duty of at least 90 days.

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Benefit Tiers:Post 9/11 Service Percentage of

Max Amount Payable

At least 36 months 100%

At least 30 continuous days on active duty and discharged due to service-connected disability.

100%

At least 30 months, but less than 36 months 90%

At least 24 months, but less than 30 months 80%

At least 18 months, but less than 24 months 70%

At least 12 months, but less than 18 months 60%

At least 06 months, but less than 12 months 50%

At least 90 days, but less than 06 months 40%

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Tuition & Fees Individuals not on active duty are eligible for the applicable

percentage for the lesser of:▪ Tuition & fees charged; or▪ Highest amount of tuition & fees charged for in-State undergraduate training

at a public institution in the state the student is enrolled. Individuals on active duty are eligible for the lesser of:▪ Tuition & Fees charged; or▪ The amount of charges that exceed the amount paid by the military’s federal

tuition assistance. Fees are defined as mandatory charges (other than tuition, room &

board) that are applied by the institution for pursuit of an approved degree program.

Amounts for Missouri this year are $373 per credit hour tuition and $11,898.00 per term fees.

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Monthly Housing Stipend Equal to the Basic Allowance for Housing for an

E-5 w/dependents for the zip code of the school.

Cannot be active duty, enrolled half-time or less, or enrolled entirely in distance learning courses.

Book & Supplies Stipend Students Can receive up to $1000 per year $41.67 per credit hour for up to 24 credit hours Those on active duty are not eligible.

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Yellow Ribbon Program School may contract with the VA to pay

all or part of unmet charges. VA will match school’s contributions

toward the unmet charges up to 50% Issued on a first-come, first-served basis

to those eligible Schools determine the number of slots

available and may limit contribution amounts by education level

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Yellow Ribbon Program Eligibility Must be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at the 100%

benefit level Must have unmet charges (Active Duty not eligible

for Yellow Ribbon.) Must maintain satisfactory progress Sgt. Fry Scholarship Recipients are not eligible

The Yellow Ribbon Program is always tied to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. After a student is no longer eligible for Post 9/11 they are no longer eligible for the YRP.

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Transfer of Entitlement Ch. 33 allows active members of the

armed forces to transfer benefits to a spouse or child. Spouses may use benefits after member

has served 6 years and receive benefits according to the status of the service member

Children may use benefits after member has completed 10 years and receive benefits at the veteran rate.

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Transfer of Entitlement Service member must apply to their

branch of service to transfer benefits to dependents.

After transfer is approved the dependent then must apply for benefits through the VA.

Dependent receives the benefit at the same level the service member would receive.

Ch. 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill

Gunnery Sargeant John David Fry Scholarship For Children of an active duty member of the

Armed Forces who has died in the line of duty on or after 09/11/2001.

Entitled to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level

Have 15 years from their 18th birthday to use the benefit

Cannot use benefits before their 18th birthday or until they have completed high school.

Are NOT eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program

Institutional Procedures

STUDENTS MUST INFORM US THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GI BILL BENEFITS – The VA does not inform us of those who have applied for benefits.

Requirements are often more strictly enforced for Post 9/11 GI Bill than for any other Chapter

Communicate with your Veterans Certifying Official about your institutional procedures!

I am going to discuss what we do at SLU along with some other options that other schools may use.

SLU Procedures-General

Student must provide documentation of GI Bill Eligibility DD-214/NOBE Application for Benefits Certificate of Eligibility or prior Award

Letter

Students cannot be certified until they have actually registered for classes.

SLU Procedure - General

School Certifying Official (SCO) Verifies Student’s Enrollment

SCO Runs Degree Audit to verify all courses apply to Degree Program

SCO Certifies Enrollment to the VA SCO must notify VA of any changes

in enrollment within 30 days of the change

SLU Procedures – Voc. Rehab

After SCO certifies enrollment to the VA, Student Accounts & the bookstore are notified of the student’s eligibility for Voc. Rehab.

Student Accounts Invoices the VA for the Tuition & Fees charged and applies Third Party Payment to the student’s account.

No Refunds are issued until payment is received from the VA.

SLU Procedures – Post 9/11

In addition to verifying Enrollment, SCO must also verify tuition & fees charged to student.

Tuition & mandatory fees are reported to the VA as part of Enrollment Certification.

SCO calculates the payments expected from the VA and, if necessary, the Yellow Ribbon Program amount.

SCO sends notification to Student Accounts of the VA & Yellow Ribbon payment amounts.

SLU Procedures – Post 9/11

Student Accounts applies amounts as Third-Party Payments to the student’s account.

Refunds are not made to the student until the VA pays the funds – This may result in an apparent balance on the student’s account.

Only Tuition & Fees are paid to the school. The Monthly Housing Stipend and the Books & Supplies Stipend are paid directly to the student.

SLU Procedures – Yellow Ribbon

Yellow Ribbon is awarded on the first-come, first-served basis. Those eligible are required to complete

an online application that is available for a set period of time before each semester begins.

Student must be accepted before they will be considered

Student must show proof of eligibility before Yellow Ribbon will be awarded.

SLU Procedures – Yellow Ribbon

The Yellow Ribbon Program cannot be combined with other Saint Louis University institutional awards to result in a surplus for the student. Any other awards will be reduced so that

the total award does not exceed the cost for tuition & fees.

Private sources of support can choose what to do with any surplus.

SLU Procedures – Yellow Ribbon

SLU has contracted to fund a maximum of 50 students during any given year.

Currently this total number is available to any student, at any level, from any school except the Medical School.

SLU currently pays 50% of remaining charges for these 50 students.

Contract is renewed each year so this could change in the future.

Wrap-Up

Remember payments made to students are paid in arrears (with the exception of the Books & Supplies Stipend)

Tuition Assistance & GI Bill are two very different things and are administered very differently

Only the VA can tell a student if they are eligible for the GI Bill

GI Bill Website: www.gibill.va.gov

GI Bill Basic Training

Questions?