GI Bill for Reserves?

C Eaves — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 22:04:25 -0400

Is the Selected Reserve GI Bill the only GI Bill available to reservists?

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Aug 6 at 2020 10:07 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 22:07:59 -0400

The U S Army provides a better G I Bill, with a contract!

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Aug 6 at 2020 10:13 PM

LTC Eugene Chu — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 22:13:05 -0400

Reservists who mobilize (not active duty for training) can earn credit towards Post 9/11 GI Bill. 36 months are required for 100% and less is prorated. Check VA web site for details...
https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/

About GI Bill benefits | Veterans Affairs

Learn how GI Bill benefits work and explore your options to pay for school or training. You may qualify for VA GI Bill benefits if you're a Veteran, service member, or the family member of a Veteran or service member.

Response by SPC(P) Timeo Williams made Aug 7 at 2020 11:55 AM

SPC(P) Timeo Williams — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 11:55:31 -0400

If you were ever deployed and served at least 90 days of AD, then you would also received the Post 9/11 GI Bill

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 7 at 2020 1:49 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 13:49:35 -0400

If you are young and education is your motivation then just go active duty and knock out your GI Bill time. You can spend 20 years in the Reserves and not have earned any credit toward the GI Bill and come out with no education benefits.

A big frustration I have with young reserve soldiers trying to get their education is the conflicts the reserves causes with said education efforts. Yes, there is the annual tuition assistance program that offers up to $4K a year, but it's like many civilian employer programs in terms of amount and it's only good while you are a part of the USAR. Starbucks for example has a stronger tuition assistance program than the USAR. However, Starbucks is never going to require you to work 28 days straight in the months of Feb-March (effectively ruining an entire semester of time).

If you go active, you come out with 3 years worth of tuition (plus E5 housing allowance) covered for any state school. If you spent those 3 years pecking away at on-line college courses knocking out your GE you could potentially come out of the army only needing 3 years left of your education then by time your GI Bill ran out you'd be DONE.

The elements are there for the system to get you a very credible 4 year degree free and clear of any debt if you are responsible with your finances.

In the reserves, you'd be fighting to try and get on deployments or extended orders to build up your vesting time, and then constantly be in conflict with annual training and weekend drills against school time.

I was fortunate as a company commander of a reserve unit that I had 40+ more soldiers than my mission required. So I could frequently excuse soldiers from various training requirements without my higher putting the screws to me. However, there were more than a few times where I couldn't excuse a soldier with my authority, and well, I just had to let them decide what was more important in life. Getting the degree, or taking an Unsatisfactory attendance mark and living with it.

***
Slightly off topic, when I was an Intel Analyst (35F) the local community college teamed up with the Army Intel School, and for a $50 administration fee to the school we were granted 20 SEMESTER UNITS in Intelligence Operations from the community college. BOOM, that's almost a year's worth of college time at NO ADDITIONAL EFFORT which would allow anyone with a GI Bill to focus those benefits toward NON ELECTIVE courses, because well, I just got 20 units toward an Intel Degree or to be used as electives toward anything else.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 30 at 2020 3:08 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 03:08:50 -0400

Post 9/11 GI bill changes. All orders can be aggregate now meaning PLDC, a few orders here and there under Title 10 as long as it equals to 90 days you are eligible now

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 30 at 2020 10:30 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 10:30:04 -0400

also this

https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/fgib/stem.asp

VA.gov | Veterans Affairs

Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 30 at 2020 4:19 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 16:19:57 -0400

Just be happy you aren't joining when Post 9/11 first existed. It used to be Continuous Orders of 180days which no reservist ever got unless deployed in war time. Then they changed it to Continuous 90 day orders which helped but some units still cut orders at 85 days or so and never got it.

With aggregate days to 90, AND 50% rating, its much better now. Took only 10 years lol.