POST 9/11 GI BILL
OVERVIEW
On 30 June 2008, the President signed the
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, which becomes
effective 1 August 2009. It is referred to by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) as the Post 9/11
GI Bill. The Post 9/11 GI Bill is a new education benefit program for
individuals who served on active duty on or after 11 September 2001.
Eligible individuals are entitled to 36 months of benefits based on a
sliding scale that is linked to the length of qualifying active duty
service on or after 11 September 2001. All Soldiers are eligible for
benefits contingent upon qualifying active duty service.
The following active duty service is not
qualifying active duty service:
·
The 5-year Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) for
commissioning from a
service
academy.
·
The 4-year ADSO for an ROTC Scholarship.
·
The ADSO associated with acceptance of the Student Loan
Repayment Program
(SLRP)
incentive.
·
Full-time National Guard Duty performed under Title 32
orders.
·
Full-time duty as a commissioned officer of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
·
Full-time duty as a commissioned officer of the Regular or
Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service.
·
Full-time assignment by the Armed Forces to a civilian
institution to pursue a program of education that was substantially the
same as programs of education offered to civilians.
·
Service as a cadet or midshipmen in one of the service
academies.
·
Service under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. § 12103(d)
pursuant to an enlistment in the Army National Guard, Air National
Guard, Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps
Reserve, or Coast Guard Reserve.
·
Service that was terminated because an individual was
considered a minor by the Armed Forces, was erroneously enlisted, or
received a defective enlistment agreement.
·
A period of Selected Reserve (SELRES) service used to
establish eligibility for a Defense Intelligence Senior Executive
Service position under 10 U.S.C. § 1606 or an Intelligence Senior Level
position under 10 U.S.C. § 1607.
·
A period of SELRES service used to establish eligibility
for entitlements under Chapter 30 of Title 38.
Key Benefits:
·
Tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive
in-state undergraduate tuition
at a
public institution of higher education.
·
Monthly living allowance equal to the basic allowance for
housing payable at
the rate
for an E-5 with dependents in the same ZIP code as the school.
·
Up to a $1,000 yearly stipend for books and supplies.
·
The benefit may be used up to 15 years after the last
separation date from active
duty
which was 90 or more continuous days of active duty.
·
Generally speaking, benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill
can be used for any approved program offered by a
school in
the United States that is authorized to grant an associate (or higher)
degree.
·
Individuals who have earned entitlement under another GI
Bill program (Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), Veterans Educational Assistance
Program (VEAP) , Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), Vietnam
Era GI Bill, etc.) may be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill if they
have qualifying active duty service.
·
Soldiers not currently eligible for a VA education benefit
program will be eligible
for the
Post 9/11 GI Bill based on qualifying active duty service.
Soldiers eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill
who have served at least six years in the Armed Forces (Active Duty,
SELRES) may be authorized to transfer unused benefits to their spouse
and/or children. Generally, to transfer benefits, Soldiers will be
required to agree to serve an additional four years in the Armed Forces
(Active Duty and/or SELRES). The Department of the Army (DA) is
reviewing transferability policy options for Soldiers who have 20 or
more years of service on 1 August 2009 and for those with ten or more
years of service who are unable to commit to four additional years of
service due to any policy which may prevent them from completing four
additional years of service.
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