Veterans GI Bill Benefits
What Veterans should know about GI Bill benefits
Generally, eligible veterans have 36 months of benefits.
For active duty veterans, these benefits expire 10 years after separation from the service.
For members of the reserve components, they expire 14 years after service member becomes eligible (normally upon completing IDAT (initial date active training)).
Benefits may be used while attending school to earn a degree, diploma, or certificate. These educational benefits stop once the educational goal is reached. See the school's certifying official (CO) to apply for benefits. The CO is usually on the school's administrative staff, frequently in the office of the registrar or director of financial aid.
A recently added educational benefit is accelerated payments. It is an attempt to compensate veterans for the cost of certain high-tech programs offered at high cost. In summary, if the cost of the program exceeds twice the normal GI Bill benefits received over the length of the program, the veteran can get 60 per cent of the cost of the program. It is described here:
http://www.gibill.va.gov/education/News/Acceleratedpayinfo.htm
Most vets can get some college credit for their military training and experience. Following are the facilities which provide military transcripts to your school. Although the school is required to review the transcript for prior credit, it does not have to grant any. Most do. Any credit granted shortens your time to your degree, allowing you to retain more of the 36 months of benefits. These could then be awarded to OJT, or another educational goal.
Navy and Marines and Coast Guard
https://www.navycollege.navy.mil
NETPDTC N2A5
6490 Saufley Field Rd.
Pensacola, FL 32509-5204
850-452-1283 (877-253-7122) (Ace Dubose, Confirmed 17 March 2003)
Army
ARTS (Army Transcripts)
DA Form 5454R – available at Army Ed Centers
https://aarts.leavenworth.army.mil
1-866-297-4427
AARTS Operations Center
415 McPherson Ave.
Ft. Leavenworth, KS 66027-1373
(Confirmed by Cindy, 17 March 2003)
Air Force
CCAF/DFRS
130 West Maxwell Blvd.
Maxwell AFB
AL 36112-6613
334-953-2794 (Confirmed by MSG Littlejohn, 17 March 2003)
The Air Force does not accept email or telephonic requests for transcripts, only written requests. Request must include veteran's full name, SSAN, current address and zip code, and the address and zip of where he wants the transcript sent. Transcripts are free. Transcript sent to the vet will be stamped "Transcript sent to student".
Supposed to be on line by August 2003.
Benefits may also be used by newly hired veterans while training on the job. Many veterans are unaware of this program. They become ineligible for On-the-Job Training after several years on the job. Veterans cannot receive OJT benefits and educational benefits concurrently. Veterans attending school while receiving GI Bill benefits most likely are eligible for OJT benefits after they are hired following graduation. See the certifying official designated by the employer. If no OJT program exists in your company, contact the State Approving Agency in your state. The SAA may be found at this web site:
http://www.gibill.va.gov/education/SAA.htm.
Another often little known GI Bill benefit available to eligible veterans is reimbursement for cost of licensing or certification tests. Examples include the Microsoft certification tests, state licensing tests for realtors, and FAA certification tests for air frame mechanics. To determine if a test has been approved for reimbursement, go to: http://www.gibill.va.gov/education/LCVets.htm. Application procedures for test reimbursement are found at the same web site. If a particular licensing or certificate you are interested in is not approved, contact the SAA (see above paragraph) to request approval.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION IN GEORGIA
Contact the Georgia SAA:
404-656-2322/2306, fax: 404-657-6276, email: ssahds@mindspring.com
Web Site: http://www.state.ga.us/dvs/state_approving_agency.shtml