NEWSMAKER: Keith Wilson
Big Boost To Military Ed BenefitBy Tom Philpott
Winter 2008-09
As director of education service for the Veterans Benefits Administration, Keith Wilson is responsible for implementing the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which Congress enacted earlier this year. Known also as the Webb GI Bill, for the plan’s chief advocate, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), the new education benefit will be provided to current servicemembers, many recently separated veterans and oft-deployed Reserve and Guard members. He discussed it with Military Money contributing writer Tom Philpott.
Who is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
If you serve 90 days or more of active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, you’re going to qualify. If you don’t, you’re out. Whenever you stand up a program like this, Congress draws the line somewhere. They drew it at 9/11 on this one. This enhanced benefit is effective Aug. 1, 2009. Any service back to 9/11 counts for eligibility, but we will pay the new benefit only from fall of ‘09 forward.
Why does the law delay the effective date?
This will be such a fundamental shift in the manner in which we pay benefits that we have to set up new information technology systems and payment structures. It is not something that can be done overnight.
Under the current Montgomery GI Bill, a person gets a flat rate per month depending on whether they are full-time or part-time students. They take that money and decide what they want to do with it. If they are going to go to a community college that doesn’t cost that much, they can pocket the difference. If they want to go to an Ivy League school that costs more, they have to come up with the difference.
Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, there will be three different benefit payment types. The first, to cover tuition and fees, will be paid directly to the school up to the highest in-state public tuition charges that a person receives. The second will be a living allowance. This will be paid directly to the individual and based on the military’s Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents. It will vary depending on where a person lives. The third type will be a stipend for books and supplies, set at $1,000 a year. That amount will be split equally by semester and paid when classes begin.
If the veteran lives on campus, is that payment made to the school?
No, living allowances always will go to the individual. If they live in the dorm, then they are responsible for paying their dorm fees.
How are benefits set for individuals who haven’t served a full three years since 9/11?
An individual with 36 months or more of active service qualifies for 100 percent of tuition and fees up to the maximum in-state public tuition charges, 100 percent of the housing allowances, and 100 percent of the book and supplies stipend.
An individual with 90 days or more of active duty but less than six months since 9/11 will get 40 percent of maximum charges. An individual with six months or more but less than 12 months will get 50 percent. Twelve to 18 months will get 60 percent, 24 months to 30 months will get 80 percent, and 30 months or more but less than 36 months gets 90 percent.
Those benefit tiers are for individuals going to school half-time or more. If they are going less than half-time, they don’t qualify for the living [housing] allowance. If they are on active duty, they don’t qualify for the living allowance.
What don’t veterans understand about the new GI Bill benefit?
There seems to be a feeling among some folks that when we talk about receiving tuition and fees up to the maximum in-state public tuition, it means they will receive an amount equal to their maximum in-state tuition and if they go to a cheaper school they pocket the difference. That’s not the case.
Would you explain the new GI Bill’s “yellow ribbon” provision?
A school that charges higher than the maximum in-state public tuition can enter into an agreement with VA to waive up to half of the difference between their tuition and the maximum in-state public tuition. VA then will match that amount, paying up to half of the difference itself.
Another new feature is the relocation stipend, a single, one-time payment of $500 for individuals who live in a highly rural area [having fewer than seven people per square mile] and must move more than 500 miles to attend a program of training.
Finally, there is a transferability feature...
We get the most questions on that. First, transferability does not take effect until Aug. 1, 2009, and you have to be on active duty as of that date to qualify. So anybody who separates earlier than that, or is already out of service, does not get the transfer entitlement.
Second, it’s important to understand that the transferability program is designed as a retention tool for the Department of Defense to continue to support an all-volunteer military. An individual who has been in the service for six years and agrees to serve at least four more will have the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill benefits to a spouse. [Editor's note: To give the benefit to a dependent child, the member must have served at least 10 years.]
What should servicemembers do if they currently are using MGIB benefits?
If you already are enrolled in the Montgomery GI Bill and also meet the
criteria for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you have the option to transfer your remaining MGIB benefits to the new program when it becomes effective next August. For many veterans, this will be a good option. However, due to the tuition limits set by this new GI Bill, many veterans who are pursuing a post-graduate degree may find the MGIB better suits their needs. This is also true for those students pursuing an online degree, because this new benefit will not pay the housing stipend to students enrolled in distance learning programs.
When do Post-9/11 benefits expire?
Unlike the Montgomery GI Bill, which expires after 10 years, the new GI Bill will allow you to use benefits for up to 15 years after your last discharge or separation from active duty. [Editor’s note: For more information, visit www.gibill.va.gov or call 1-888- GIBILL1.]
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Tom Philpott writes “Military Update,” a syndicated weekly news column appearing in more than 40 daily newspapers. It can be read online each week at www.military.com and www.fra.org.