The official blog of American Veteran Magazine, the national quarterly publication of AMVETS.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

G.I. Bill Update: VA outlines key dates for implementation

This afternoon, AMVETS took part in on a conference call with the VA and the nation's leading veterans' organizations for an update on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

The VA outlined key dates for veterans interested in enrolling in the new program and also important information for beneficiaries and dependents.

The key dates outlined on a the call are:

May 1, 2009: VA will begin to accept submissions for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33). Students will then receive a certificate of eligibility outlining the specific benefits for which they qualify. Students must then present this to the school they plan to attend.

July 6, 2009: VA will begin to accept enrollment figures from schools.

Aug. 3, 2009: First payments will be made for tuition and fees to schools. Veterans will receive an award letter, outlining specific figures on tuition, fees, monthly living stipend, books, and supplies. Veterans will also receive payment for books and supplies.

Sept. 1, 2009: Veterans will receive their first living stipend payment. This will likely be a partial payment based on the number of days the veteran is enrolled in the month of August. Subsequent payments will be made on the first of each month for which the veteran is enrolled.

Veterans who wish to take advantage of Chapter 33, but have not finished using their original Chapter 30 benefits, will only be eligible for the specific number of months remaining on the original eligibility. However, if all of the veteran's prior benefit has been used, they will be eligible for another 12 months of Chapter 33.

If a veteran wishes to transfer their benefits to multiple dependents, each dependent will receive a portion of the tuition and fees allowance based on the VA's corollary for Chapter 33. However, each dependent will receive the full housing and subsistence allowance, keeping with the intent of the original legislation.

Check back with www.amvets.org in the coming days for more developments on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. American Veteran online will contine to monitor the VA's implementation process leading up to Chapter 33's launch in August. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to post on this blog, or contact AMVETS National Headquarters.

6 comments:

  1. I have a question for you... I see if chapter 30 is all used up an extra 12 months of chapter 33 is awarded. I myself have 18 months of remaining chapter 30 left. Will I be allowed an extra 12 months after that? It would be very useful since it would mean grad school in a field that really only hires post grads. Since I am service connected I may be eligible for Voc Rehab extension otherwise. It would be nice if I didn't have to convince Voc Rehab it was necessary. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the question, Dylan. We're going to check in with the legislative department on these specifics, and post a response shortly.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dylan, the best way to explain it is that you're entitled to an overall total of 48 months of benefits. If you completely use the remaining 18 months of Chapter 30, you will be eligible for 12 more months of either voc rehab or Chapter 33. However, you have the option right now to enroll in Chapter 33 for 18 months. However, the best option for you will really depend on what your academic goals are and how long you plan to spend in school. I hope this helps, if not, please let us know.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So as I understand it once I use my 8 months I have left that I will use under the chapter 33 I will then have an extra 12 months bringing my total to 20 months left of MGIB?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cheramie, thanks for posting. Actually, it's the other way around. Since you have eight months left under MGIB (Chapter 30), your best bet would be to use the rest of your old Chapter 30 benefit. Once it is fully exhausted, you will be eligible for an additional 12 months of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33), for a total of 20 months. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email or call us at AMVETS National.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Is the additional 12 months of CH33 after exhausting CH30 being eliminated by the new legislation that takes effect on Aug. 1st, 2011?

    ReplyDelete