The Post 9/11 GI Bill: The Newest GI Bill Education Benefit

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the newest member in the Department of Veterans Affairs' GI Bill family. Launched in August of 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill offers new benefits to active duty soldiers. To get the minimum benefit, you must serve at least 90 days on active duty after September 10, 2001, and full benefits require three years of service. Although narrower in scope than the Montgomery GI Bill, the new Post-9/11 VA GI Bill only covers degree-producing programs at VA-approved colleges and universities.

As a veteran, if you are eligible for both the new and old GI Bills, you should weigh the benefits of each GI Bill carefully against your education goals. One GI Bill may cover your program where the other may not, or one may qualify you more total funds than the other.

What Are the New GI Bill Benefits?

Benefits of the New GI Bill are tiered, based on the months you serve while on active duty. If you serve at least 36 months, you are eligible for 36 months of benefits paid at the 100 percent level. Ninety-days of service will earn you 36 months of benefits paid at the 40 percent level. Other lengths of service are paid between these two percentages.

The amount you get paid depends on:

• your benefit level
• your school location
• if you are taking online-only classes
• if you are still serving

New with this GI Bill is a by-state listing of maximum public school, undergraduate program tuition and fee amounts--this amount equals the amount a servicemember's maximum benefits will be in that state. If you are at the 100 percent tier and pursuing a public school undergraduate program in your home state, for example, the VA will most likely cover 100 percent of your tuition and fees. If you are at lesser benefit level, the VA only pays your tier-level percentage of your tuition and fees. Any amount not covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill is the servicemember's responsibility to pay.

As a student receiving GI Bill benefits, you are paid:

• a monthly housing allowance, calculated at the E-5-with-dependents rate for the zip code of your school
• a book stipend worth up to $1,000 per year

Your eligibility for a housing allowance depends on, if:

• your rate of pursuit is greater than half-time
• you are not taking only online classes
• you are not serving on active duty

If you are still serving, you do not receive a book stipend.

What Is the Yellow Ribbon Program?

Under this program, participating Yellow Ribbon schools agree to pay up to 50 percent of tuition and fees not paid by the VA, and the VA agrees to pay an equal amount. As a VA GI Bill Yellow Ribbon student, the bottom line for you is very little, if any, education costs left to pay.

You may benefit from the Yellow Ribbon Program, if you are:

• enrolled in a graduate degree program
• attending a private school
• paying out-of-state tuition

Yellow Ribbon schools offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, along with online degree options for many of their programs. With the new options under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you have the vehicle you need to get you down the road and to your educational goals.

Ron Kness retired from the military in 2006 with 36 years of service. His last assignment was a Division Command Sergeant Major/ E-9