GI Bill Benefit Update:

[Radio Relay]

GI Bill Benefit Update:
The new "Post 9/11 GI Bill" will soon be heading for the President’s desk. This new benefit will give servicemembers and veterans who have served on active-duty since Sept. 11, 2001, a new education benefits package worth up to roughly $3,000 a month. The same legislation includes a change to the current Montgomery GI Bill that will increase the monthly payment to $1,321 a month -- a total benefit of more than $47,000. The new law also enables servicemembers to transfer their GI Bill benefit to their dependents.
===============================

Look for a veto from the President, but if he doesn't, this is a sweet deal for people currently serving.

[Krackels]

Why do you think he'll veto it?

[Krackels]

Here's Military.com's run down of the bill.
A Good Look at the New GI Bill

A Good Look at the New GI Bill
Terry Howell | June 19, 2008
After much debate and years of pushing, it looks like the proposed Post 9/11 GI Bill may soon make it out of Congress and head to the president’s desk.
This is great news for those of us who have been championing GI Bill reform and on the surface it appears to fix what ails the current Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB). It increases payment rates, extends the expiration date, and provides more benefits. But, on closer inspection, it appears it may miss the mark in some significant areas.
As with most new veteran benefit laws, the Post 9/11 GI Bill has some good, some bad, and some down right ugly aspects. The following is a brief look at each of these areas:
The Good

• Increased payment rates for undergraduates – payment rates will be based on your current state of residence and will vary greatly. The national average is reported to be near $1,700 a month.
• Tuition is paid in lump sum for each term – this may relieve veteran students from having to make payments.
• Provides a monthly stipend for books – this is a huge benefit, books can run in excess of $100 a copy for some courses.
• Traditional on-campus students will be given a monthly check for living expenses – this payment will be set at the current E-5 with dependents Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate.
• The bill will extend the deadline for using the benefit to 15 years – the current MGIB expires 10 years after leaving active-duty service.
• Servicemembers who joined prior to June 1985 under the Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP) are eligible for benefits - the MGIB excludes most of these servicemembers.
• No more pay-to-play enrollment fee – the MGIB requires members to pay $1,200 to enroll.
• Anyone who has served on active-duty since Sept. 11, 2001 including activated members of the Guard and reserve are eligible – the current GI Bill has separate benefits for active-duty, Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR), and activated guard and reserve (REAP).
• GI Bill transferability to family members is included - the details are still being worked out, but this has long been an issue for members of the military who would like to use their benefits to pay for their dependents education.
• Provides benefits to those previously left out - the MGIB excluded most officers and those who opted out due to the $1,200 enrollment fee.

The Bad

• Payment rates are set for undergraduate tuition rates – this could mean that veterans who wish to attend grad school will need to pay the difference out-of-pocket.
• The basic allowance for housing is not available for students taking non-traditional classes – online and other distant learning students won’t receive payment for cost of living.

The Ugly

• The new payment rates are based on length of post 9/11 service – The plan creates eight different payment levels, which will differ from state to state and the number of classes taken. Seen as a way of leveling the disparity between reserve and active –duty, this appears to create a new disparity based on the length of service, determined by an arbitrary, although historically significant, date.
  
  For Example:
  • An active-duty veteran who served 10 years in the military, only 28 months of which occurring after 9/11, will only get 80 percent of the new payment rate.
  • A 20-year member of the Guard or Reserve who served a total of 2 years on active-duty, but with less than 6 months on active-duty since 9/11 will only get 40 percent of the new payment rate.
• The Webb GI Bill is an entirely new VA Education benefit. Adding a new chapter to the GI Bill (Chapter 33) creates HUGE administrative issues:
  • May increase the current back-log of eligibility applications and increase the burden on the VA system.
  • Could result in an extended delay in paying these new benefits - slated to go into effect in August of 2009.

Does the Post 9/11 GI Bill fix the GI Bill? No, but on balance, the Post 9/11 GI Bill is a great improvement and for most eligible veterans, it is much better than the current VA Education programs.

One last note: As it is currently written, the Post 9/11 may not be an improvement for some veterans. Those of us who qualify for both the MGIB and the Post 9/11 GI Bill can elect to keep our current benefits and good news is the MGIB payment rate for 2008-09 is forecast to increase to $1,321 a month.

IMO, these are some reasons why President Bush may vote it. However, I don't forsee him vetoing it.

[Coaster]

opening the MGIB to dependents would be great, hopefully that would work out.

[Radio Relay]

Bush has threatened to veto, because he claims it will hurt re-enlistment rates.

I think those currently serving deserve something. Hope it becomes law.

[MarineFlyboy]

McCain also thinks this new GI Bill is to "generous" and will encourage military members to get out and seek an education over staying in. I'm very interested in this subject because it would allow me to use my GI Bill on my wife getting her masters.

Personally I think it is the least this country can do for our military families. When somebody does 3+ tours in Iraq, I think they should be able to get a better deal on their education and persue other dreams. Even though reenlistment might suffer, I think more people might be willing to sign on the dotted line in fact due to the better education benefits they will recieve after their 4 years are up. Maybe it will create a high turnover rate but even then, you'll still have the salty dogs that will stay in and make a career out of the military.

[ArmyGuy45]

Originally Posted by MarineFlyboy

McCain also thinks this new GI Bill is to "generous" and will encourage military members to get out and seek an education over staying in. I'm very interested in this subject because it would allow me to use my GI Bill on my wife getting her masters.

Personally I think it is the least this country can do for our military families. When somebody does 3+ tours in Iraq, I think they should be able to get a better deal on their education and persue other dreams. Even though reenlistment might suffer, I think more people might be willing to sign on the dotted line in fact due to the better education benefits they will recieve after their 4 years are up. Maybe it will create a high turnover rate but even then, you'll still have the salty dogs that will stay in and make a career out of the military.

+1

[Ranger]

I hope this thing goes. My son found out last summer he is Type1 diabetic. Kinda of a blow seeing that I have 18 years in the Army and both of his Grandfathers are retired CG, along with an uncle that was CG and Great-GF that served in WWII. This would certainly help out with his college. I see no way that this would hurt retention. We in the Army already have the Army College Fund up to 73K. All services already have the 39K MGIB. If anything I think it is more beneficial for those trying to get in. I am not getting out because this bill gives me 8K more. I would enlist however to get my kids education paid.

[Coaster]

Originally Posted by Ranger

I hope this thing goes. My son found out last summer he is Type1 diabetic. Kinda of a blow seeing that I have 18 years in the Army and both of his Grandfathers are retired CG, along with an uncle that was CG and Great-GF that served in WWII. This would certainly help out with his college. I see no way that this would hurt retention. We in the Army already have the Army College Fund up to 73K. All services already have the 39K MGIB. If anything I think it is more beneficial for those trying to get in. I am not getting out because this bill gives me 8K more. I would enlist however to get my kids education paid.

Your a Coast Guard family and you joined the Army? What happened
there?

I would enlist however to get my kids education paid

Thats a good point, Id do the same.

[Ranger]

My father is retired CG, Step-father is retired CG, and Uncle was CG for 13 years. Not my cup of tea. Too long out on the boat. There were a lot of father less holidays too.