What is your Post 9/11 GI Bill worth?

SPC Paul Jennings, J.D. — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:05:58 -0500

The post 9/11 GI Bill is a different beast than the Montgomery GI Bill. Whereas before you received a preset amount each month, the new GI Bill payments fluctuate based on location of school, online status, and tuition paid. So how valuable has this new GI Bill been to you and what do you think it is worth?

Response by SGT Roberto Mendoza-Diaz made Feb 2 at 2016 9:12 AM

SGT Roberto Mendoza-Diaz — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:12:47 -0500

Let's see thanks to Post 9/11 I have an associate in science degree and working on a bachelors right now.

Response by PO1 Matthew Murdock made Feb 2 at 2016 9:14 AM

PO1 Matthew Murdock — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:14:28 -0500

Been pretty valuable to be. I go to a private school with high tuition cost, and I get a nice BAH that cover rent and the bills.

Response by SFC Justin Scott made Feb 2 at 2016 9:22 AM

SFC Justin Scott — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:22:52 -0500

That is a loaded question. The word worth can mean so many things and even if you mean it in terms of monetary value, this number can changed based on school, location, degree, etc. For me, it's been exceptionally valuable. It has paid for my wife's nursing degree (total paid out was in excess of $65,000) which has since enabled her to get a job at a local hospital making approximately $58,000 / year with zero experience.

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made Feb 2 at 2016 11:41 AM

MSgt Michael Smith — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 11:41:33 -0500

The post 9/11 GI bill is paying for my Master's Degree, with is sitting right around 12 grand per semester. And...it gives me about 2000 per month to live on, which is extra because I work full time and go to school at night! So...yeah! I know a lot of non-military types that would give their right arm for a GI bill.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Feb 2 at 2016 12:52 PM

LTC Yinon Weiss — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 12:52:43 -0500

It really varies, but right now between benefits paid to the school and benefits paid to you, you can easily get around $43,000/year. Keep in mind this is tax free, so if you use all 4 years of the post 9/11 GI Bill, it's equivalent to a previous salary boost of around $250,000 pre-tax.

Some schools will also match the Yellow Ribbon program, which varies, but I've seen $12,000 per year in multiple places. So that's an extra $24,000 a year. Since this is again tax free, in this case the Post 9/11 GI Bill is equivalent to have received a salary boost of around $382,000.

In summary, depending on what your school costs and your circumstances, the GI Bill is worth the equivalent of $250,000 - $400,000 in pre-tax equivalent if you use it for all 4 years. It's a no-brainer benefit to use if you have it.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Feb 2 at 2016 1:39 PM

SGM Steve Wettstein — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 13:39:16 -0500

SPC Paul Jennings, J.D. I signed mine over to my daughter. It was over $90,000 with everything added up for the 36 months she received it.