Posted on Jun 9, 2017
What is everyone's experience with the post 9/11 GI Bill?
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Education
Benefits
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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As long as the paperwork and process are taken care of asap I found I had no issues with it. Between a degree, a new instrument, and helping to fund a summer session in Switzerland I like to think I used it well.
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Absolutely excellent. Has been paying for an $85k MBA program and BAH on top of it. The GI Bill is one of the few government programs that is run smartly, in that they only pay while you are in school. So any breaks your checks are prorated. So that part sucks, but it saves them money.
The GI Bill portion of the VA runs great, and you shouldn't have any issues from them, but maybe a little based on the school. Since you only have so many months of eligibility just be strategic on how you use it. An example is don't waste the gi bill on a cheaper program if you plan to also get an expensive graduate degree. Or since you only have so many months of eligibility just cram as much as possible in. Tuition is no joke at some schools.
The GI Bill portion of the VA runs great, and you shouldn't have any issues from them, but maybe a little based on the school. Since you only have so many months of eligibility just be strategic on how you use it. An example is don't waste the gi bill on a cheaper program if you plan to also get an expensive graduate degree. Or since you only have so many months of eligibility just cram as much as possible in. Tuition is no joke at some schools.
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SSG (Join to see)
Thank you so much. She is nervous that it's not all what it's talked up to be but all the research I have done seems like a solid benefit.
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SSgt Ryan Sylvester
SSG (Join to see) - No, it is absolutely everything it's been talked up to be. I was able to go to school full time with the Chap33 BAH stipend and my monthly VBA check. Just had to plan a little more carefully when I took a semester off and the stipend stopped for those few months.
The only thing to watch for is sometimes those payments from VBA come to the college late. You may get fees attached to your account (late fees, automatic deferment enrollment, etc). Any and all fees are supposed to be negated upon receipt of the tuition payment (and it is a payment, not a reimbursement). It should be taken care of by the Vet Service Center, but as always, direct intervention may be required. No one's better at handling one's own business, than one's self.
The only thing to watch for is sometimes those payments from VBA come to the college late. You may get fees attached to your account (late fees, automatic deferment enrollment, etc). Any and all fees are supposed to be negated upon receipt of the tuition payment (and it is a payment, not a reimbursement). It should be taken care of by the Vet Service Center, but as always, direct intervention may be required. No one's better at handling one's own business, than one's self.
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It has been excellent for me. It's paying for my phd and the BAH! Something I learned, it pays BAH for the zip code your school is in. I have a residency/online program, but because I have to physically attend the school 2 days a semester it is considered brick and mortar rather than on line. It's a great program and I recommend waiting until after you're out before using it or lose the sweet sweet BAH. Or as someone else did, give it to the kids
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It was excellent for both myself and my daughter. I was able to transfer all of it and avoided over $75,000 worth of college costs.
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Mostly positive. I wrote a short blog about it shortly before graduating with tips.
https://jtspratley.com/blog/five-extremes-with-the-post-911-gi-bill
https://jtspratley.com/blog/five-extremes-with-the-post-911-gi-bill
Five Extremes with the Post 9/11 GI Bill - Jt Spratley
Jt Spratley's blog posts on Black culture, music, cybersecurity, and free open-source software (FOSS).
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Overall my experience was pretty good. I had a couple of hiccups, but that mostly fell on the certifying official at my school who happened to be a piece of crap (ended up getting fired not long after I left). When I came back on active duty I signed the rest of mine over to my wife. The only issue we've had with that so far was the GI Bill folks at the VA didn't realize I was back on AD (even though I notified folks at the VA many times of the change) and therefore we shouldn't collect the housing allowance. We ended up having to pay pack a small debt, but it wasn't too big of a deal.
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It took an inordinate amount of time for VA to verify I qualified, but after that it's been great. It's such a good deal, I'm surprised Congress hasn't killed it yet. ;-)
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