The Post-9/11 GI Bill has helped more than 285,000 service members, veterans and their families go to college since the bill went into effect Aug. 1, 2009.

The first wave of student veterans who took advantage of the bill in the fall of 2009 encountered difficulties getting payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which administers the education benefits, to the schools they were attending. By the spring 2010 semester, the VA had rallied and the processing went much more smoothly. With the implementation of a computerized system to process the benefits expected to be completed by December 2010, the process is expected to improve even more.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most comprehensive education benefits package ever offered to veterans. In fact, with the added housing allowance and the innovative Yellow Ribbon Program, many veterans don’t have to spend a dime of their own money on an education.

Matthew Sullivan is one of them. A Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sullivan is taking full advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill to get his free degree from the College of St. Joseph in Vermont, where he just completed his first year.

“It covers housing, books, tutors, and other miscellaneous expenses,” Sullivan told G.I. Jobs. “Most importantly, it covers all of my education costs. The College of St. Joseph is also part of the Yellow Ribbon Program. Therefore, whatever expenses are not covered by my GI Bill, the school will handle. This is all a real gift to me, and I plan on taking full advantage of it.”

The basic benefit package pays for tuition and fees up to a state’s highest in-state undergraduate tuition at a public university. It also provides a monthly housing stipend equal to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents in the school’s ZIP code, and grants up to a $1,000 allowance for books and supplies. The benefit is payable for up to 36 months.

Post-9/11 GI Bill Not the Only Option
The Post-9/11 GI Bill may not be the best option for everyone. Others may not qualify for it. It’s important to note that the Post-9/11 GI Bill didn’t replace the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), which was enacted in October 1984. Keith Wilson, director of education service for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), said the Post-9/11 GI Bill just extended the options available to service members.

“This new program is simply another program that we administer,” Wilson said. “People are still eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill. This has no impact on the Montgomery GI Bill. It is still alive and well. So, the short answer is those folks will continue to be able to use the program for the exact type of training that they are using it for now.”

If you signed up for the Montgomery GI Bill and haven’t yet decided whether to switch to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, here are some things to consider about both options. Depending on your goals for your post-military career, you will need to decide which benefit is right for you.

The Montgomery GI Bill vs. the Post-9/11 GI Bill
If you are considering a traditional college education in a university setting, the Post-9/11 GI Bill beats the MGIB hands down. It provides direct payment to schools and pays tuition benefits up to the highest in-state tuition for undergraduate programs at public institutions. The new bill also provides a housing allowance and book stipends. Plus, the Yellow Ribbon Program provides enhanced tuition assistance for military students who want to attend private schools and out-of-state schools. For many students, the new Post-9/11 GI Bill will translate into a free education.

But if you want to learn a skilled trade or enroll in a vocational training program not offered at colleges and universities, you need to stick with the MGIB. The Post-9/11 GI Bill only provides benefits to veterans who attend Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL): traditional degree-granting colleges and universities. There is an exception for service members who already contributed to the MGIB and want to switch to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Lawmakers already have proposed amendments to the Post-9/11 GI Bill that would allow student veterans to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill for a variety of non-college degree programs, including apprenticeships, vocational and on-the-job training programs. But it could be some time before those proposals become law, if at all. 

Who is Eligible?
The first step in choosing the right benefit is to determine if you’re eligible for both. Not everyone who is eligible for

GI Bill benefits qualifies for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Only veterans who served after Sept. 10, 2001, qualify. Veterans who do not qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill but still qualify for GI Bill education benefits will fall under the previous programs. To compensate those veterans, benefits under the current Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (MGIB-AD) program increased from $1,100 per month to $1,368 per month. In addition, the $600 Buy-up Program allows some service members to contribute up to an additional $600 to the MGIB increase their monthly benefits. That $600 contribution may turn into as much as $5,400 in additional benefits. The additional contribution must be made while on active duty.

Pick Your Program
New service members must decide whether to “buy in” to the MGIB or opt for the Post-9/11 benefits. Those who choose the MGIB will contribute $1,200 ($100 per month for the first year of enlistment) from their pay. Service members who opt for the Post-9/11 bill are not required to pay into it.

Service members who select the MGIB can later switch to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and get their $1,200 back. But service members who pick the Post-9/11 benefits cannot later switch to the MGIB. This is an important point for service members who someday may want to attend trade or vocational programs not offered by IHLs.

Eligibility for the MGIB lasts 10 years after the completion of active-duty service, while Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility lasts 15 years.

Housing Allowances
Another big difference between the MGIB and Post-9/11 bills is the housing allowance. Only the Post-9/11 bill provides an allowance for housing, and then only for students who attend “brick and mortar” schools at least half of the time. Although this provision, too, has been targeted for change in several proposed amendments to the bill, at press time only students who take classes on campus are eligible for the BAH.

While the amount of the allowance is equivalent to the BAH of an E-5 with dependents, it fluctuates depending on the location of the school. To find the allowance for the school you plan to attend, visit www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/bah. Plug in the ZIP code and rank of E-5.

Service members enrolled exclusively in an online program are not eligible for the housing allowance, even if the program is offered by an IHL. Students must be enrolled at least half-time on campus to receive the allowance.

How Do I Apply?
To collect any of the VA’s education benefits, a school’s program must be approved by the VA. Approval of programs may be verified by the school’s financial aid office, veteran’s assistance office or by the VA. Individuals may also determine if a school’s programs are approved on the VA’s website at www.gibill.va.gov.

To be eligible for benefits under any of the VA programs, students must complete VA Form 22-1990 (Application for Education Benefits) and send it to the VA regional processing office listed on the application form or file online at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/apply. Service members may only receive one benefit at a time and may only receive a maximum total of 48 months of education benefits.

Reserve Service Members Under the MGIB-SR
Reservists who do not qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill may still use their benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR). The MGIB-SR provides a maximum of $333 per month (as of October 2009) not to exceed 36 months to cover education expenses. To be eligible, Reservists must have a commitment to serve for six years in the Selected Reserve or National Guard after June 30, 1985. Reservists must also complete initial active duty for training (IADT), received a high school diploma (or equivalency) and remain in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit.

Apprenticeship Programs and Vocational Education
There are still other opportunities to use the GI Bill benefits beyond a traditional college or university education. Eligible separated or retired military members receiving on-the-job or apprenticeship training may receive monthly benefits from the VA.

Under MGIB-AD, apprenticeship and on-the-job payments for prior-active duty personnel can be as high as $1,026 per month for the first six months of training. Under MGIB-SR, Reserve and Guard members may receive payments as high as $249.75 for the first six months of similar training. A full list of rates may be found on the VA GI Bill Web site www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/rates.

Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, individuals are not currently entitled to benefits for on-the-job or apprenticeship training. However, there is an exception for those individuals who elect the Post-9/11

GI Bill and transfer from MGIB, MGIB-SR or the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP). These individuals will be paid benefits as if they are still under the program they transferred from.

Where did the GI Bill come from?
The history of the GI Bill is rooted in the history of World War I and the Great Depression. More than 3 million World War I veterans were offered an “Adjusted Service Certificate” in 1924 for compensation of the salary they might have earned while fighting for their country. This had been the common practice for the American military since the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately, these certificates, designed to be treated like bonds, were not redeemable for 20 years.

During the Great Depression, unemployed veterans protested their unredeemable certificates. While those issues were ultimately resolved, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress knew they had to establish a GI Bill of Rights to protect the new generation of veterans returning from World War II.

The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (the “GI Bill of Rights,” or GI Bill), became one of the most important pieces of legislation in the 20th century. Before World War II, unemployment hovered at 15 percent, more than 11 million homes didn’t have running water or electricity, and, according to the Census Bureau, fewer than 50,000 taxpayers earned more than $2,500 a year.

“[America] needed to ensure that the entire nation’s economy wasn’t hurt by the large influx of kids coming back from overseas,” said Navy Vice Admiral Daniel Cooper (Ret.), former undersecretary of veteran affairs for benefits, in a defense department interview. “We had to ensure that veterans were also not held back because of their military service and recognized for what they had given to the country.”

The 1944 GI Bill brought more than 16 million veterans into the middle class and contributed more than any other program to the post-war economic growth of the United States.

“The benefits then had to do with education and home and business loans, as well as unemployment payments for the first year they came back,” Cooper said. “Today, we cover a wider range of benefits for the same purposes.”

While the “GI Bill of Rights” encompassed various programs, the cornerstone of the GI Bill’s success was in education benefits.

In 1940, only 23 percent of the military had a high school diploma and only 3 percent had college degrees. Throughout the entire United States, only 160,000 Americans had a college education. By contrast, the GI Bill made education possible for 2.2 million World War II veterans. In 1950, nearly 500,000 citizens graduated college – nearly half of them veterans. Another 1.5 million veterans opted for on-the-job training.

The GI Bill is still critically important to the success of America today. The shift to a global economy, increased competition for high-wage jobs and the integration of technology in all job positions is forcing employers to look at a college degree more as a minimum requirement rather than a stand-out feature on a résumé.

“As far as the effect on our economy, the 1944 GI Bill was of major importance,” Cooper said. “The importance of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is beyond question.”

Post-9/11 GI Bill 

Who Is Eligible?

• Active duty service members who have served more than 90 days after Sept. 10, 2001
• Retired and separated service members who have served on active duty more than 90 days after Sept. 10, 2001
• Service members and Reserve and National Guard members who have been activated for more than 90 days after Sept. 10, 2001
• Service members (active duty or Reserve) who were discharged after completing a minimum of 30 consecutive days of qualifying service after Sept. 10, 2001, and who the VA determined were discharged for a service-connected disability. 

Not all who qualify will receive 100% of the benefit.The amount of time served after Sept. 10, 2001, determines the amount of eligibility.

Find out more at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/eligible 

How Do I Apply?

• Students must complete VA Form 22-1990 (Application for  Education Benefits) and send it to the VA regional processing office listed on the application form.
• Or file online at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/apply. 

Programs Must be approved by the VAIndividuals may determine if a school’s programs are approved on the VA’s website at www.gibill.va.gov.