Photo By Erin Sherwood | The Post 9/11 GI Bill is a Great retention benefit Soldiers and their families and...... read more read more
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FORT KNOX, Ky. – Army dependents may be eligible to receive valuable educational benefits under their sponsor’s Post 9/11 GI Bill. These benefits will help reduce the financial burden of college tuition, thereby, opening doors to new career opportunities that support your family's long-term goals. However, the family must be aware that the program has participation rules and requirements they must follow to use it correctly.
This article is designed to remind Army families of the Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits available to them, while answering some of the most common questions about how to access and maximize these educational resources. Whether you are looking to pursue your own degree, or help your children plan for their future, this guide can help you take full advantage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill for your family.
Before diving into specifics, it is important to understand that Soldiers (the sponsor) earn the Post 9/11 GI Bill because of their active-duty service. However, the ability to transfer this valuable benefit to eligible dependents is neither a reward for service nor a transition benefit. It is a retention incentive, requiring the commitment to, and then fulfillment of the by-law required 4-year Additional Service Obligation (ADSO) to the Army.
Eligibility
The first thing to determine is your family's eligibility for the Post 9/11 GI Bill based on the Soldier’s active duty service. There are differences in how to meet eligibility requirements, depending on the sponsor's status, whether they are on active duty or in the reserves.
In most cases, active duty Soldiers become eligible 90 calendar days after completing their initial entry training (basic training and advanced individual training). To transfer this education benefit, Soldiers must first have a minimum of 6 years of credible service before they can transfer the Post 9/11GI Bill to their eligible dependents.
In most cases, reserve Soldiers (Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve) will also become eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefit after reaching 90 calendar days of active duty service. To transfer their benefit to eligible dependents, reserve Soldiers must have accumulated 50 service points per year of selective reserve service time or regular active duty service time for a minimum of 6 years of credible service. "If they did not receive a minimum of 50 points for that year, that year will not count, so you want to be aware of those numbers when you are planning to transfer your Post 9/11 GI Bill to family members," said Erik Lohof, Post 9/11 GI Bill team lead at the HRC Education Incentives Branch.
Additionally, regardless of service component, Soldiers wanting to participate in the Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) retention incentive must have no current negative action flags and be able to commit to the retention incentive’s four-year ASO. “If you do not complete the four-years of service, you can be responsible for paying back the benefit to the Department of Veterans Affairs. You want to make sure you are understanding that requirement, because we have seen families in that predicament before and it is not a good situation." Said Lohof.
Assigning Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Dependents
The next step in applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill transfer of education benefits involves Soldiers navigating to the milConnect website, which is the only way to request access to this retention incentive. Once logged into milConnect, Soldiers must ensure that all dependents they want to transfer Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to are enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Typically, all family members are already enrolled in this system, as it is required to receive other Army benefits, such as healthcare. However, a new dependent, such as a recently born baby, must be added to the Soldier’s DEERS account before they can receive Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits from the sponsor. Only dependents listed in the DEERS account while the Soldier is serving are eligible to receive the sponsor’s transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits.
Lohof suggests that sponsors designate at least one month of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to each dependent. "The one month is important because if the dependent has not received at least one month of education benefits prior to the sponsor separating or retiring from the Army, the sponsor can no longer transfer benefits to that dependent," he said. However, as long as the sponsor has assigned at least one month of benefits to a dependent, the amount assigned can be adjusted after the sponsor separates from the Army (i.e., retirement). While the sponsor is in active duty or reserve status, they can continue to add new dependents and assign them Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. "You can split the Post 9/11 GI Bill as many ways as you want by month for your dependents. There is no limit on the number of dependents," said Ray Naraine, chief of the HRC Education Incentives Branch.
It's worth noting that there is a difference with when Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits can be used by dependents. Spouses can use the transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefit once the sponsor has become enrolled in the retention incentive. Child dependents, however, must wait until the sponsor has completed 10 years of service to be eligible to using the transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits.
In total, the Soldier (sponsor) is eligible to receive a total of 36 months of GI Bill education benefits. The milConnect website will default to this total number. However, if the Soldier had previously used any other GI Bill education benefits, this time will be deducted from the total 36 months available. Naraine recommends Soldiers contact the Department of Veterans Affairs help line (1-888-442-4551) and ask for an exact count of available months eligible to transfer to dependents for awareness.
For dual military families, the benefits are even better. "If you and your spouse are both military, you each have 36 months of coverage by the Post 9/11 GI Bill, in total you have 72 months you can use for your own education, your spouse's, or your children's education," Naraine said. "You can cover a child's education from undergraduate through doctorate level, if you like."
If approved to participate in the retention incentive, the milConnect system will assign the Soldier (sponsor) an Obligation End Date (OED), which is automatically calculated from the initial request and signifies the four-year ASO end date. Soldiers must honorably complete the ASO by staying in the service until after their OED, or they will lose the Post 9/11 GI Bill TEB eligibility. The Post 9/11 GI Bill TEB retention incentive is an integral part of the Army’s talent management initiative and is used for the express purpose of recruitment and retention. Consequently, Public Law (PL) 110-252 (as codified by 38 USC Chapter 33) and subsequent Army Regulation 621-202 makes very limited provisions for waiving the four-year obligation and none if the Soldier voluntarily leaved the service before completing the assigned ASO.
Post 9/11 GI Bill Uses
The Post 9/11 GI Bill can be used to attend various educational programs at most public and private colleges and universities. For public schools, dependents need only verify through the VA under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. However, coverage for private schools may differ, with the Post 9/11 GI Bill generally covering up to $29,000 per academic year. Dependents can also use the VA Yellow Ribbon Program to cover the remaining private school tuition costs.
"A great example of this is with Harvard," said Naraine, "What Harvard will do for those wanting to use their Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend is lower their tuition to $29,000 per academic year for students. This is just one example of the great options those who receive the Post 9/11 GI Bill have."
Some families or Army dependents may also choose to complete an education program outside of the United States. This is also possible. "I had an inquiry not too long ago from a family in Germany, and their child wanted to attend the University of Munich," said Lohof.
Another benefit of the Post 9/11 GI Bill that Soldiers and Families may not know is that it is not limited to use for just higher education. "You can also use the Post 9/11 GI Bill for things like trade schools, certifications, etc.," said Lohof. "However, I always tell Soldiers and Families to confirm benefit eligibility for the particular program with the VA first."
Naraine and his family are a great example of the range of education benefits the Post 9/11 GI Bill offers. "I actually transferred my Post 9/11 GI Bill to my wife, who used it to attend law school and has been very successful," he said.
Retired Army Veteran Loween Lobaton, now a plans and operations officer for HRC, transferred his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to his two sons. One son is now a 2nd Lt. in the Army with a degree in civil engineering. The other is attending the University of California, Irvine, majoring in urban planning.
"My two sons were able to select a degree and fully focus on their studies instead of worrying about how to pay for their classes," Lobaton said. "Paying for college is one of many challenges parents and families wrestle with, especially with the rising cost of tuition. However, the ability to transfer the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to my children helped ease the burden of rising tuition and prevented us from exhausting our personal savings."
Mr. Lobaton’s son, Lowen Lobaton, echoed his father sentiment about tuition and how thankful he was to not have that worry “it made going to school less stressful since tuition payments and having financial aid have not been a major concern, unlike how it is for others I know.” He said.
While an individual is completing their educational program, they are provided a housing stipend equivalent to the Army’s E-5 (Sergeant) with dependents housing allowance, which varies depending on the location of the institution. Additionally, there is no limit on how many credits that can be taken per term, so those trying to maximize the benefit can double up on coursework to complete the program faster without incurring additional costs.
Using Transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits
Dependents seeking to begin using their transferred education benefits must first apply through the VA website and submit a DVA Form 22-1990E. The process is completed entirely online. The family may also use the school’s Veterans Affairs support office to file to use the sponsor’s Post 9/11 GI Bill.
"Normally, it takes the VA about 4-8 weeks to process the form," said Lohof "Unfortunately, we have no visibility on that process, and we can't provide an update, so the best thing to do is to reach out to the VA to determine the status."
Lobaton emphasizes the importance of understanding the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits process. "No military family is alike, but rising tuition costs do not discriminate," he said. "I highly recommend that Soldiers and their Family members ensure they fully understand what the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefit offers, along with its restrictions, constraints and limitations. My children are very appreciative of the benefit and have benefited greatly from their education experience and professional growth," he said.
Lowen is thankful that his father was able to give him the Post 9/11 GI Bill. “The experience has given me the chance to reflect on the past and appreciate the opportunities I’ve been given. [Having the benefit] paved a deeper and more sensible feeling of gratitude toward my dad specifically; I don’t think I tell him enough about how much I appreciate and care about him and his service”.
Families with questions about navigating their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits can visit their installation education office for more information or reach out to the HRC EIB Branch at usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-post911gibill@army.mil.
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2024 15:38 |
| Story ID: | 486443 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
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