# GI Bill, Green to Gold, and Other Education Opportunities



## Fizzle (Nov 26, 2011)

Would you veterans and active duty guys happen to know about the Army College Fund?

I had a choice between the $8000 cash bonus or $4000 cash and $950ACF
Is the $950 a month a kicker on top of the BAH and tuition benefits? I know it's a long way down the road until I get out and do college so it's more of a "just wondering" questions.


----------



## Ranger Psych (Nov 27, 2011)

Fizzle said:


> Would you veterans and active duty guys happen to know about the Army College Fund?
> 
> I had a choice between the $8000 cash bonus or $4000 cash and $950ACF
> Is the $950 a month a kicker on top of the BAH and tuition benefits? I know it's a long way down the road until I get out and do college so it's more of a "just wondering" questions.


 
The GI Bill is real nice, don't go without that... I didn't have ACF and although it would have been nice, I did ok without it for the little bit of college I did recently.


----------



## Boon (Nov 27, 2011)

I agree with RP, the GI bill is a must have.  Plus if you aren't deploying all the time, you could actually attend classes for next to nothing on the Army's dime. And definitely take those CLEP tests while you're in.  They will save you a ton of $$.


----------



## Ranger Psych (Nov 27, 2011)

Yes. You get... 5 grand? a semester for courses, and there's tons of courses on post or that you can do online through the various outlets to further your education while you're enlisted.   CLEP is huge as well, why not take the opportunity to skip the shit you don't need to.   Even if you're deploying, there are options to either accellerate classes or put them on hiatus while you're out of the loop.

That, and if you get deployed and bolo a course due to them not letting you finish it, your CO can and will sign off to have the army eat the course on your behalf with no downside. Happened to me with iraq, I was studying for my MCSE and we invaded Iraq. I would have been g2g with afghanistan deployments, but Iraq threw things off enough that I couldn't recover.  best part? I still have the computer that I received as my training box to work with for the course.


----------



## goon175 (Nov 27, 2011)

Since the new Post 9/11 GI Bill has come into effect, I would advise you to decline the Montgomery GI Bill in your contract. The Post 9/11 gives you WAY more benefits and is an all around better deal. So if you take the montgomery GI Bill in your contract, all you are doing is throwing away the 1200 dollars you have to pay that first year, just to decline the montgomery later on so that you can take advantage of Post 9/11. Take the higher cash bonus and forget about Montgomery GI Bill with the ACF kicker. It's garbage now.


----------



## SkrewzLoose (Nov 27, 2011)

goon175 said:


> Since the new Post 9/11 GI Bill has come into effect, I would advise you to decline the Montgomery GI Bill in your contract. The Post 9/11 gives you WAY more benefits and is an all around better deal. So if you take the montgomery GI Bill in your contract, all you are doing is throwing away the 1200 dollars you have to pay that first year, just to decline the montgomery later on so that you can take advantage of Post 9/11. Take the higher cash bonus and forget about Montgomery GI Bill with the ACF kicker. It's garbage now.


 
I disagree.  
The MGI Bill is a check (around $1700 right now) sent directly to YOU every month.  Couple this with TA and  your base pay and you could be clearing a decent amount of $$ every month.
The Post 9/11 GI bill sends the check directly to the school.

I almost put my foot in my mouth regarding some facts on the 2 bills.  We were told in boot camp that the Post 9/11 doesn't cover tech schools or certification courses, but on their website it says that they do.  
It comes down to whether you want a little extra cash in your pocket + school (MGIB) or if you just want your school paid for (Post 9/11).  The total amount for the Post 9/11 bill comes out to more money, but again, you never actually see it.  
Just my $.02.
YMMV


----------



## medicchick (Nov 27, 2011)

SkrewzLoose said:


> I almost put my foot in my mouth regarding some facts on the 2 bills. We were told in boot camp that the Post 9/11 doesn't cover tech schools or certification courses, but on their website it says that they do.


 
It changed in August or September IIRC, I know it was in the last few months. There were a lot of changes to the post 9/11 bill, so if anyone is using it, make sure you research what you get now. They also changed payout BAH for taking classes from home online. I had to really look when RP was going back to school before we moved.


----------



## Ranger Psych (Nov 27, 2011)

That and the fact that you get your housing stipend sent to you, while the school gets the education money.

A: you're a fresh fucking private in training so 100 a month going away for the MGIB investment aint shit
B: It gives you options later on in life once you decide specifically what you need/want

I mean, hell, going green to gold or some shit? Pop the MGIB and get that check while the army pays your shit... on top of your stiipend. Tons of options and things you could do.


----------



## pardus (Nov 27, 2011)

medicchick said:


> It changed in August or September IIRC, I know it was in the last few months. There were a lot of changes to the post 9/11 bill, so if anyone is using it, make sure you research what you get now. *They also changed payout BAH for taking classes from home online.* I had to really look when RP was going back to school before we moved.


 
They do pay BAH for online courses?


----------



## Ranger Psych (Nov 27, 2011)

Yeah, IIRC it's half the BAH rate for the AO for an E-5... since you can do the studies at your own leisure (generally speaking) and as such, could be employed or w/e.


----------



## SkrewzLoose (Nov 27, 2011)

RP is correct.  From the Post 9/11 GIB site...

A *monthly housing allowance (MHA)* based on the _Basic Allowance for Housing_ for an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school. For those enrolled solely in distance learning the housing allowance payable is equal to ½ the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents ($673.50 for the 2011 academic year). For those attending foreign schools (schools without a main campus in the U.S.) the BAH rate is fixed at $1,347.00 for the 2011 academic year. _(Active duty students & their spouses cannot receive the MHA). _

_http://www.gibill.va.gov/benefits/post_911_gibill/index.html_


----------



## SkrewzLoose (Nov 27, 2011)

Mods/Admin, is there any way to cut this thread off where the GIB stuff starts and make that part of it a sticky??  There's some very useful info. here but it's in a thread that began as "I got an Army EOD slot" and might not be easily found.


----------



## goon175 (Nov 27, 2011)

> It comes down to whether you want a little extra cash in your pocket + school (MGIB) or if you just want your school paid for (Post 9/11).


 
That is totally untrue, as some have already mentioned. The MGIB does send you a check, but it more than likely won't cover your total tuition. The Post 9/11 not only pays ALL of your tuition (payed to the school), but you also get a check for BAH plus 1,000 per year for Books and Supplies, payed directly to you. Post 9/11 is FAR superior to MGIB.


----------



## TLDR20 (Nov 28, 2011)

goon175 said:


> That is totally untrue, as some have already mentioned. The MGIB does send you a check, but it more than likely won't cover your total tuition. The Post 9/11 not only pays ALL of your tuition (payed to the school), but you also get a check for BAH plus 1,000 per year for Books and Supplies, payed directly to you. Post 9/11 is FAR superior to MGIB.



This will depend on where you go to school and whether or not you got any kicker! I for example on the MGIB would receive 2,000 a month. Post 9/11 I would receive 800 a month. School costs 4 thousand a year, do the math and you will see the MGIB is far superior. Now if you are living in CA, or NY that changes drastically. In state tuition in NC is very good.


----------



## Marauder06 (Nov 28, 2011)

SkrewzLoose said:


> Mods/Admin, is there any way to cut this thread off where the GIB stuff starts and make that part of it a sticky?? There's some very useful info. here but it's in a thread that began as "I got an Army EOD slot" and might not be easily found.


 
I'll see what I can do.


----------



## SkrewzLoose (Nov 28, 2011)

goon175 said:


> That is totally untrue, as some have already mentioned. The MGIB does send you a check, but it more than likely won't cover your total tuition. The Post 9/11 not only pays ALL of your tuition (payed to the school), but you also get a check for BAH plus 1,000 per year for Books and Supplies, payed directly to you. Post 9/11 is FAR superior to MGIB.


 
Agree to disagree??


----------



## Marauder06 (Nov 28, 2011)

This is a thread for your questions about the Montgomery GI Bill, the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the Green to Gold program, scholarships, and other education opportunities available through the military.


----------



## TLDR20 (Nov 28, 2011)

Fizzle said:


> Would you veterans and active duty guys happen to know about the Army College Fund?
> 
> I had a choice between the $8000 cash bonus or $4000 cash and $950ACF
> Is the $950 a month a kicker on top of the BAH and tuition benefits? I know it's a long way down the road until I get out and do college so it's more of a "just wondering" questions.



I did this when I enlisted, I didn't take the 20k and instead took 8 plus a ACF kicker. It was a good choice!


----------



## Florida173 (Nov 29, 2011)

goon175 said:


> That is totally untrue, as some have already mentioned. The MGIB does send you a check, but it more than likely won't cover your total tuition. The Post 9/11 not only pays ALL of your tuition (payed to the school), but you also get a check for BAH plus 1,000 per year for Books and Supplies, payed directly to you. Post 9/11 is FAR superior to MGIB.


 

I'd have to also disagree with you.  The post 9/11 GI bill will be there anyway after anyone deploys.  Take the Chapter 30 benefits with the kicker and when you separate from active duty go ahead and jump in the Reserves or National Guard.  Then you can get the GI Bill every month and use Federal Tuition Assistance to actually pay for classes.

I have 15 months left of the Chapter 30 benefits and don't see myself using it any time soon because of my work obligations I can't be in school full time.  So I take classes either by distance learning or one class at a time and just have FTA pay for it until I have time available to actually take a full load.

Once my 15 months are over, I can jump over to an additional 12 months of Post 9/11 benefits, or transfer what I want to a dependent, which I don't have at the moment.  As long as I stay in the Guard, my only requirement is to have 4 years remaining to transfer what I want.


----------



## Worldweaver (Mar 16, 2012)

Gentlemen, I contacted the VA and was told that because I declined the MGIB when I enlisted, in favor of the SLRP, that I'm ineligible for Post 9/11 GI Benefits.  I'm nearing the end of my initial 8 year enlistment, does anyone know if I would be eligible for the Post 9/11 if I entered the reserves and re-enlisted?  I've tried to contact the VA about this, however, my inquiries were never answered.  If anybody has any info, or has dealt with this issue themselves, lend a slightly illiterate and confused mamo jama a hand.


----------



## Marauder06 (Mar 16, 2012)

Hmmm... I was ineligible for the MGIB because I went to college on an ROTC scholarship, but I'm fully eligible for the 9/11 benefits. Try Googling "SLRP and Post 9/11 GI Bill" and see if that helps.


----------



## Worldweaver (Mar 16, 2012)

It absolutely did, I've been getting mixed information for the past 2 years about this but here it is:
Service members who enlisted under the student loan repayment plan (SLRP) qualify for Chapter 33 (the new, post-9/11 GI Bill). However, the initial three years of service do not count toward Chapter 33 eligibility. For example, a service member who took SLRP and served 5 years of active duty service would have 2 years of qualifying service toward Chapter 33 benefits (80% rate). Reenlistment student loan repayment programs do not affect GI Bill benefits.

The first 3 years of my service are spent on the SLRP, however,  the rest of the active duty enlistment (for me its 1 year 19 weeks) would count for the Post 9/11 GI bill at somewhere around the rate of 65% Tuition, Fees, Books and BAH.

Thanks Marauder06, that was extremely helpful.


----------



## SkrewzLoose (Mar 17, 2012)

Marauder06 said:


> Hmmm... I was ineligible for the MGIB because I went to college on an ROTC scholarship, but I'm fully eligible for the 9/11 benefits. Try Googling "SLRP and Post 9/11 GI Bill" and see if that helps.


 
Lesson learned, point made, huh Mr. BTDT??


----------



## Marauder06 (Mar 17, 2012)

SkrewzLoose said:


> Lesson learned, point made, huh Mr. BTDT??


 
lol, no not at all.  No lesson here, just trying to help get a guy pointed in the right direction.  I know how frustrating it can be to try to find stuff out when it comes to the military.


----------



## Marauder06 (May 17, 2012)

This was sent to me by a friend of mine here at school who happens to also be a former Ranger.  If you young hooahs are getting out of the service and are looking at going to college fulltime, you really need to think about Yale.  Between the Yellow Ribbon Program, GI Bill, and Yale's Eli Whitney program, if you have the grades, the motivation, and the life experiences, going to Yale is a no-brainer.

/////

All,

Today, Yale signed a new contract with the US Government that significantly
increases Yale's contribution to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Yellow Ribbon Program is a way that private universities can make their
schools more affordable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill by making a contribution to
an individual veteran that is matched by the government 1:1 (Public schools
are,
basically, tuition free for veterans who are on 100% the GI Bill).

Every veteran who is 100% on the Post-9/11 GI Bill is eligible for the Yellow
Ribbon Program. Some veterans are on a less than 100% GI Bill stipend, or no GI
Bill at all, primarily because full funding on the Post-9/11 GI Bill requires 36
months of service after one "pays back" the five years of service incurred after
attending a service academy (West Point, Annapolis, etc.) or the four years of
service one incurs for taking a ROTC scholarship. So, if a veteran serves less
than 36 months they receive a percentage of GI Bill benefits (90%, 80%, etc.)
with no Yellow Ribbon.

Before today, Yale offered 50 Yellow Ribbon slots at $5,000 a piece. So,
veterans who were 100% on the Post-9/11 GI Bill received a base payment of
$17,500, plus $5,000 from Yale, plus $5,000 in matching funds from the US
Government for a total of $27,500 against the cost of Yale's tuition. Veterans
on who are %100 on the GI Bill receive 36 months (4 academic years) of funding.
In many schools at Yale, this did not cover the total cost of tuition, and the
number of veterans eligible for the Yellow Ribbon was capped, Yale wide, at 50.
Meaning, the 51st veteran would not recieve Yellow Ribbon funding.

The Yellow Ribbon numbers are an important signaling device to veterans who
intend to apply to a school, because a veteran who is 100% on the GI Bill looks
at the Yellow Ribbon numbers on the Department of Veterans Affairs website to
see what schools will cause them to incur the lowest amount of debt. The better
the
Yellow Ribbon numbers, the more visible a school's commitment to veterans.

So,

Yale had 50 Yellow Ribbon slots in a university-wide pot at $5,000 a piece.

School                  Amount                   Number of Slots
Yale University        $5,000                   50

Now, the Yellow Ribbon slots have been broken up over the specific Yale schools
and some Yellow Ribbon contributions have been increased to meet the full cost
of tution:

School                 Amount                   Number of Slots
Yale College          $5,000                   Unlimited Number
Architecture          $5,000                   5
Art                   $5,000                   5
Divinity              $99,999 (=Full Tuition)  3
Drama                 $5,000                   5
Engineering/App. Sci  Same as College/GSAS     -
GSAS                  $9,000 (=Full Tuition)   Unlimited Number
Forestry              $7,500                   3
Law                   $5,000                   Unlimited Number
Management            $10,000                  Unlimited Number
Medicine              $5,000                   Unlimited Number
Music                 $5,000                   5
Nursing               $5,000                   5
Public Health         $5,000                   2

As I said, the numbers are a signaling device and, with hope, they will signal
that a veteran should strongly consider applying to Yale. That being said,
Yale, circa 2012, is a special place for veterans. The community that exists
here, across the schools, is a tight, well-supported network. Within that
community, veterans are known by their names, their interests and, most
importantly, their contributions to Yale. At Yale, no one is a number, and
veterans are swept into a vital conversation. The conversation, in substance,
is about the future of this republic (artistic, political, economic,
academic...). I think that this conversation is interdisciplinary and
inter-professional and, while it might be occurring at other institutions, I
think it is most robust, here and now, at Yale.

Thank you for your support. John Perez (President of the Yale Veterans
Association), Josh Ray (VP, Yale Veterans Association), Andrew Crawford
(Co-President Yale Law Veterans) and I (Representative, Graduate Student
Assembly 2011-2012) are happy to share the good news, and single out the
contributions and consideration of Rich Jacob, Kara Haas, Deputy Provost J.
Lloyd Suttle and Caesar Storlazzi.


----------



## Texas_Medic (Sep 29, 2012)

cback0220 said:


> I did this when I enlisted, I didn't take the 20k and instead took 8 plus a ACF kicker. It was a good choice!


Did the same thing but I just transferred to the post 9/11 deal because I get more $$ overall.



Worldweaver said:


> Gentlemen, I contacted the VA and was told that because I declined the MGIB when I enlisted, in favor of the SLRP, that I'm ineligible for Post 9/11 GI Benefits. I'm nearing the end of my initial 8 year enlistment, does anyone know if I would be eligible for the Post 9/11 if I entered the reserves and re-enlisted? I've tried to contact the VA about this, however, my inquiries were never answered. If anybody has any info, or has dealt with this issue themselves, lend a slightly illiterate and confused mamo jama a hand.


 
Ouch, you might have to contact, I hate to say this, a NG recruiter (call one of the SF units in your state) and they might be able to see if you can get the chapter 1606 and THEN transfer that into the post 9/11. What state are you in?


----------



## Worldweaver (Sep 29, 2012)

Already remedied amigo, actually finishing up my degree this year.


----------



## BloodStripe (Jan 20, 2016)

Found another scholarship opportunity for those pursuing a STEM degree and want to work for the DoD upon graduation.

SMART - Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation - Part of the National Defense Education Program

Here is a bigger list of other available DoD scholarships.

DOD CAREERS: SCHOLARSHIPS


----------



## AWP (Jan 20, 2016)

The Service Academies block off space every year for a number of eligible Guard and Reservists. That may be an option for some of you.


----------



## BloodStripe (Feb 1, 2016)

Pat Tillman Foundation | Investing in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships

Just a heads up, the Pat Tillman Foundation Scholarship begins accepting applications tomorrow.


----------



## Lefty375 (Feb 2, 2016)

NavyBuyer said:


> Pat Tillman Foundation | Investing in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships
> 
> Just a heads up, the Pat Tillman Foundation Scholarship begins accepting applications tomorrow.



Do you have experience with it?


----------



## BloodStripe (Feb 2, 2016)

lucky l3fty said:


> Do you have experience with it?



No. I started working on a package a few years ago but never submitted it. I am looking into it now though as I work for a masters degree.


----------



## chaarsadobeest (Feb 5, 2016)

I started working on the Pat Tillman Scholarship this evening. Ironically enough, this evening was one of those irregular occurrences when I pop my head in on here. Hey, it can never hurt to try.


----------



## Lefty375 (Feb 6, 2016)

chaarsadobeest said:


> I started working on the Pat Tillman Scholarship this evening. Ironically enough, this evening was one of those irregular occurrences when I pop my head in on here. Hey, it can never hurt to try.



That's what I feel like. I was viewing the current scholars earlier, and there is some really stiff competition. Doesn't hurt to try, but man are there some outstanding folk out there.


----------



## BloodStripe (Feb 8, 2016)

lucky l3fty said:


> That's what I feel like. I was viewing the current scholars earlier, and there is some really stiff competition. Doesn't hurt to try, but man are there some outstanding folk out there.



Never sell yourself short.


----------



## Marauder06 (Feb 8, 2016)

chaarsadobeest said:


> I started working on the Pat Tillman Scholarship this evening. Ironically enough, this evening was one of those irregular occurrences when I pop my head in on here. Hey, it can never hurt to try.


http://havokjournal.com/culture/pat-tillman-scholarship-living-legacy/


----------



## Marauder06 (Feb 8, 2016)

Never think you're not good enough.  Throughout my application process for grad school I was like, "Oh man, I'm never going to get into any of these schools,"  it was kind of like a "They're all gonna laugh at you!" moment.






As it turns out, I was mostly right, most of the schools I applied to rejected me.   But one big one said "Sure, come on in."

Once classes started, I was intimidated as hell.  Keep in mind I had been in the Army something like 15 years at this point, had deployed seven times, and served in three different major SOF units.  Yet, I felt inadequate.  Why?  "Imposter syndrome."  I went to class every day thinking, "One day this school is going to realize they made a terrible mistake letting me in here."  As it turns out, this is a pretty common feeling for veterans.

Swing for the fences.  Find out the top programs that you meet the standards for, and go for it.  Being a veteran gives you a leg up both in the application process and in the classroom.  Yes it's hard.  Yes it's time-consuming and expensive.  Did you WANT it to be easy?  Did you want the military to be easy?

Yes some of your classmates may be smarter than you, but they should NEVER outhustle you.  Get out there and get in the classroom.  It's good for you, the Veteran Community, and the nation.


----------



## BloodStripe (Sep 5, 2019)

Court ruling could give veterans an extra year of GI Bill benefits

I'll be closely following this. I got through my first semester of my MBA before running out of post 9/11 GI Bill benefits and waived my old GI Bill because the VA said I had to.


----------



## Marine0311 (Sep 5, 2019)

BloodStripe said:


> Court ruling could give veterans an extra year of GI Bill benefits
> 
> I'll be closely following this. I got through my first semester of my MBA before running out of post 9/11 GI Bill benefits and waived my old GI Bill because the VA said I had to.



Ohhhhh me too!


----------



## BloodStripe (Jan 13, 2020)

For those who had to give up their Montgomery GI Bill to use their Post 9/11, the Government has 2 months to appeal a recent ruling that would give those of us who did an extra year of eligibility.

Court rules again to give veterans access to both Post-9/11 and Montgomery GI Bill education benefits
ETA: I'm curious though since I already received my contribution back if that matters.  I'd gladly pay it back though for an additional year of eligibility.


----------



## CryptoLingUSMC (Jan 16, 2020)

.


----------

