Any GI Bill Wizards out there?

D

DrakeDargon

5-Year Member
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Dec 5, 2013
Messages
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So I enlisted with a BA (yeah yeah, I know), did my tour in the desert, and now I'm on a non-scholarship green to gold route to being an officer. I'm also doing SMP with the local national guard unit, and now I have a question:

Assumptions:

The 3 years I do after commissioning as a non-scholarship ROTC cadet qualifies me for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

I know that anybody with 6 years of active duty service can (while they're still AD) do another 4 years to transfer their Post 9/11 to one or more dependents.

I know the local NG is offering the MGIB-SR as a recruitment incentive. Apparently SMP cadets can also get a GI Bill kicker, too with prior service.

I know that I've read in a bunch of places that you can't use more than 48 months of GI Bill benefits from any 2 or more VA programs.

Question:

Does the above mean that I can sign up for the MGIB-SR while doing my 2 years of grad school, get 12 months of MGIB-SR payments with kicker, tell them to stop paying my benefits at month 12, graduate and commission, do my 3 years active duty for the Post 9/11 GI Bill qualification, add an additional 4 more to my ADSO, and then finally transfer my 36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill to my kids?

Any help would be appreciated!
 
If you elect to use the MGIB then you will not qualify for the Post 9/11. How do I know, I'm green to gold and commission in the spring. I paid in 100 dollars a month for the first 12 months after enlisting. When I started school In July 12 I had to declare if I was using the Post 9/11 or MGIB I was told if I use the MGIB then I can't use the full Post 9/11. There is a stipulation with the MGIB when you use it all up you can get 12 months of Post 9/11 I'm not sure how that works. I choose the Post 9/11 and was informed I would receive a refund of the 1200 I paid in for the MGIB taxed of course. I'm assuming since you enlisted with a BA you choose for student loan repayment? Also be careful with taking tuition incentives for the Guard we had a Cadet this year that had to go Guard because he used TA and didn't know that the state required cadets that used TA to go guard, there's always fine print be sure you READ EVERYTHING before accepting it.
 
You should be eligible now. Page 2 of the pamphlet below will tell you your eligibility. If you have more than 2 but less than 3 years of active federal service, you'd get either 80% or 90%. Contact your local VA processing center wherever you're going to go to school. They'll want a copy of your DD214 when you get it and then they'll give you a rating. Also, your school should have a VA liaison. Find out who they are and get in touch with them. They send the number of credits you're taking to the VA so you get paid. I think there are weird rules for completing anything higher than a Masters, so it might be in your interest to use the benefit now at 80/90% than to sit on it. I could be wrong about that, though.

http://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/wifi/wifi9-11pamphlet.pdf
 
mbitr said:
I think there are weird rules for completing anything higher than a Masters, so it might be in your interest to use the benefit now at 80/90% than to sit on it. I could be wrong about that, though.
Click to expand...

I'm AD and I used the Post 9/11 for my doctorate. There wasn't a difference in compensation between undergrad and grad coverage. The VA just cared about the final cost per credit hour and the fiscal year cap.
 
DrakeDargon said:
So I enlisted with a BA (yeah yeah, I know), did my tour in the desert, and now I'm on a non-scholarship green to gold route to being an officer. I'm also doing SMP with the local national guard unit, and now I have a question:

Assumptions:

The 3 years I do after commissioning as a non-scholarship ROTC cadet qualifies me for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

I know that anybody with 6 years of active duty service can (while they're still AD) do another 4 years to transfer their Post 9/11 to one or more dependents.

I know the local NG is offering the MGIB-SR as a recruitment incentive. Apparently SMP cadets can also get a GI Bill kicker, too with prior service.

I know that I've read in a bunch of places that you can't use more than 48 months of GI Bill benefits from any 2 or more VA programs.

Question:

Does the above mean that I can sign up for the MGIB-SR while doing my 2 years of grad school, get 12 months of MGIB-SR payments with kicker, tell them to stop paying my benefits at month 12, graduate and commission, do my 3 years active duty for the Post 9/11 GI Bill qualification, add an additional 4 more to my ADSO, and then finally transfer my 36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill to my kids?

Any help would be appreciated!
Click to expand...

I transferred my chapter 30 MGIB to chapter 33 P9/11. I went to school on that for 3 years.

All I can say is I'd go to your school's VA education rep and lay it out very clearly for them so they can help you. I've heard too that you can receive a max of 48 months of GI bill from any sources, although I haven't confirmed that from the VA personally.

Do be aware that the Post 9/11 is vastly superior to the other options. If you have to give up even a little bit of it for another option, I'd say go with the post 9/11, even if you get less overall time in months. The benefits from the 9/11 are way, way better than any other option.

Finally - don't be too sure about the gifting option for your family. Last I was in, the military was starting to add all kinds of stipulations to being able to transfer your benefits. Make sure you're well aware of the time requirements to be able to do so. In this time of financial restriction, they may continue to make it increasingly difficult to manipulate your benefits.
 
khergan said:
I've heard too that you can receive a max of 48 months of GI bill from any sources, although I haven't confirmed that from the VA personally.
Click to expand...

Yes AND no....

The post 9/11 GI Bill is a total of 36 months, which equals 4 "academic" years (4 x 9 month school year = 36 months)
 
I believe you incur an ADSO of a few years now if you transfer to dependants.
 
If you didn't transfer some/all of your GI Bill by AUG 2013, you owe 4 years. I'm not clear if its additional or concurrent.
 
mbitr said:
I'm probably thinking of TA, then.
Click to expand...

Yeah that sounds like TA. TA will cover an undergrad AND a masters. However TA will not pay for a degree of less or similar academic level. The rules just changed for TA where you can only earn up to 16 credits per fiscal year.
 
Drake,
I get what you are saying, but there is NOTHING wrong with enlisting in the Army even though you alreay had a BA. I was a Company Commander of a BCT company and we had a med-school grad go though basic training as an E-4 (Specialist). Yes, you read that right... a medical doctor (by education) as an enlisted soldier! Serving as an NCO was just something the guy always wanted to do. He achieved his dream. He eventually took a direct commission and is now an Army MD.

So... I guess what I'm saying is don't be ashamed of that decision. Serving as an enlisted soldier helped develop you into who you are today. Take pride in your service!
 
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