Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Considerations

  Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Transferability Policy Quick Reference

Eligibility

Individuals who have served in the Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001, All benefits in the law are contingent on service in the Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001, and an honorable discharge or a discharge due to a medical condition that did not result from an individual’s own willful misconduct. The law creates eight separate categories of veterans for purposes of awarding these benefits, defined according to the length of time served on active duty (generally aggregated and including training):

1. Individuals who have served for at least 36 months.
2. Individuals who have served for at least 30 days (continuous) on active duty and were then discharged for a service-related disability.
3. Individuals who have served for at least 30 months and but less than 36 months. These students may receive 90 percent of the maximum benefits outlined in the law.
4. Individuals who have served at least 24 months and less than 30 months on or after 9/11. These students may receive 80 percent of the maximum benefits outlined in the law.
5. Individuals who have served at least 18 months and less than 24 months on or after 9/11. These students may receive 70 percent of the maximum benefits outlined in the law.
6. Individuals who have served at least 12 months and less than 18 months on or after 9/11. These students may receive 60 percent of the maximum benefits outlined in the law.
7. Individuals who have served at least six months and less than 12 months on or after 9/11. These students may receive 50 percent of the maximum benefits outlined in the law.
8. Individuals who have served at least 90 days and less than six months on or after 9/11. These students may receive 40 percent of the maximum benefits outlined in the law.

Certain periods do not count, such as active duty as an officer pursuant to certain agreements or as a result of defective enlistment and induction.

Educational Benefits

There are three kinds of educational benefits: tuition benefits, housing stipends, and an allowance for books. Benefit amounts are based on the amount of time a veteran has served in the military.

Qualified individuals enrolled in approved programs are entitled to receive education benefits equal to 36 months (i.e., the equivalent of four-years of college) to pay for living expenses, tuition, fees, and other costs incurred while pursuing the education. The book allowance is paid to the student at the beginning of each term; housing stipends are paid to the student monthly. Tuition payments are made directly to the student’s institution.

Recipients may not receive an amount for tuition and fees that exceeds the maximum in-state amount of established charges at the most expensive public school in that state. That amount is further reduced for part-time study (i.e., half-time or less) if the actual charges are less than the educational benefit would otherwise be. The maximum allowance for books, supplies, equipment, and other educational costs is $1,000 per academic year, paid proportionately by term.

The maximum monthly housing stipend equals the amount of basic housing for military personnel in military housing adjusted by ZIP code. Individuals with a skill or specialty that is in critically short supply as designated by the Secretary of Defense may have their monthly stipend increased.

The law also provides $100 per month for up to 12 months for students who require tutoring, as long as the instructor leading the course certifies that the tutoring is essential to correct a deficiency in a specific course and the course is required to complete an approved program.

Individuals living in county with less than seven persons per square mile and who relocate at least 500 miles to attend school or who must travel by air to attend an institution because it is too far to drive will receive an additional $500 relocation/travel assistance grant.

Up to $2,000 will also be provided to cover the cost of one licensing or certification exam.

A student cannot receive assistance concurrently under both the post-9/11 benefits and another VA educational benefit program, although the student can elect which program will pay.

Students Still on Active Duty

Students who are on active military duty may still receive education benefits up to the amount that doesn't exceed the maximum in-state amount of established charges at the most expensive public school in that state. However, housing allowances are not payable, and so the individual who is still serving on active duty might elect not to exhaust part of his or her monthly entitlement under the post-9/11 benefits if a different benefit program is more advantageous.

Matching Grants - Yellow Ribbon Program

The law creates a "Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program" that allows colleges and universities to voluntarily cover a portion of tuition and fees not otherwise covered by the law. Only service members who have served for a least 36 months or who served for at least 30 days on active duty and were then discharged for a service-related disability qualify for this benefit.

In instances where the educational benefits do not cover the full cost of tuition and fees at the school, the government will provide up to 50 percent of any remaining costs if the school puts up the other 50 percent.

The University of North Dakota is a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program and will provide up to $10,000 of remaining costs per academic year per student.  This applies to an unlimited number of students in all programs at UND.

To Apply

To apply for Chapter 33 benefits, the Veteran needs to fill out an Application for VA Educational Benefits, 22-1990. This form can be picked up at the Veteran Services Office, a link is provided on the left of this page under 'forms',  or can be downloaded from http://www.gibill.va.gov/. Also needed is a copy of the Veteran’s DD-214 discharge papers, Kicker paperwork (if applicable), and a copy of the student’s schedule.

You should complete and submit the application form available online and will receive a letter explaining VA’s decision regarding your eligibility for the program.

The application form requires that individuals currently eligible for benefits under the Montgomery GI BILL-Active Duty (MGIB-AD), Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) or the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) make an irrevocable election from their existing program to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Payments for Post-9/11 GI Bill will not be processed until August 1, 2009.

Click here for more information including current rates and Yellow Ribbon participants.

Direct Deposit

Direct Deposit is available for Chapter 33 recipients. To receive your check through direct deposit, please bring a voided check into the Veteran Services Office or you can call St. Louis directly (1-888-442-4551) with your routing number and account number for the account you want your check deposited into.

Flight Training

The Chapter 33 Tuition and Fees benefit includes the cost of flight training at UND.   Flight courses must be degree requirements.  If you are interested in using your Chapter 33 benefits for flight training, please contact Carol Anson, Veteran Certifying Official, at 777-3363. 

Transfer of Benefits

Eligible individuals may transfer a portion of their education benefits to their spouse, children (until the age of 26), or a combination of both. Transferring benefits is only available to active members of the Armed Forces who have completed at least six years of service in the armed forces and agree to serve at least four more years. The Secretary may limit the months of entitlement that may be transferred under this section to no less than 18 months.

President Signs War Bill Extending VA Benefits to Children of Fallen

President Barack Obama signed into law the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations bill (H.R. 2346 - Public Law No: 111-32), which funds U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and includes a provision to expand GI Bill benefits to children of fallen U.S. soldiers.

The new benefit will be known as the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship in honor of a fallen soldier with three young children.

Normally, service members have to serve 6 years with an additional 4 year commitment in order to earn the right to transfer their benefits among their dependents. Transfer rights are a key part of the new veterans' benefit that is scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2009.

The new law amends the Post-9/11 GI Bill so that children of those who have died on active duty since 9/11 qualify for the education benefit; eliminates the requirement that the deceased parent must have completed a minimum of military service in order for their benefits to be transferred to their children; and eliminates the cap on transferred benefits, which is currently 36 months of benefits in total for all surviving children.

The new Fry scholarship is slightly different than the normal family transfer option under the Post-9/11 GI Bill in that the scholarship will qualify dependents for their own full 36 months of benefits. The Post-9/11 GI Bill allows more than one person to receive transferred benefits, but no more than 36 total months can be transferred.

All children of fallen soldiers would qualify for the maximum benefit:

• Tuition and fees of up to the maximum in-state tuition and fees at a public institution;
• A monthly housing allowance at the location of the school, based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents; and
• An annual books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000.

Because this is a last-minute edition to the veterans' education benefits program, the bill includes language giving the Veterans Administration until Aug. 1, 2010, to create a process for applying for Fry scholarships and promised retroactive payments to dependants who use the benefits between Aug. 1, 2009 and Aug. 1, 2010.