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74 Responses to “When the GI Bill Entitlement Exhausts During a Term”
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Good day NCCM….i scored 66 on my asvab..i want to know whether the navy will pay for my college if i am currently on a student financial aid at a local community college…i ship in june as a (MM surface) ..thanks….
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I used under a semester of MGIB back in 2009 then switched to the Post 9/11 right after it became available. I have used it since and i only now have 19 days remaining by the end of this semester with a semester left. will i still be eligible for atleast one more semester with those 19days left? Please help.
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I have used my MGIB and have switched to Post 9/11. I have one more semester to go but I only have 7days left. Will they pay for the entire semester when I start in the fall? and will I continue to receive the BAH for that semester as well? Please help.
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If I never used my gi bill can I be repaid my 1200 dollars.
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Hi,
Maybe you can help me. My husband transferred 12 months of his post 9/11 gi bill to me. My question is…my 12th month exhausts 2 weeks after my last term begins, can I have them extend the GI until the end of the term or am I ineligible because they are transferred to me as a dependent? Thank you for your help! -
Please do! I was told (by the school’s financial advisor) when I started school that I would be eligible for the GI to pay my last term. But now that the schools have switched to clock hours instead of credit hours, I was told today (again by the school’s financial advisor) that NONE of my last term will be covered. Not even the last two weeks of the GI. I have made an appointment for VA to call me back but its not until Monday, our registration ends on friday. My financial advisor is trying to get me to pull out student loans but I was hoping I could be grandfathered in somewhere because of the credit hour-clock hour switch and I would not have to deal with the student loan hassles. Thanks again for your help…and quick response.
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Does this extension to 48 months apply to dependents who are using benefits transferred from a parent? My 36 months will end March, 2013. Will I receive my stipend until the end of the term? Do I have to apply for the extension? Thanks so much for your help.
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Hi NCCM,
I wanted to know if there was an official/semi-official instruction or reference you could refer me to that says if you have time remaining on your Post 9/11 GI Bill that is less than the time of the semester that it is used for, that the VA will still cover that whole semester (if less than 48 months, as stated above).
School starts Aug. 29, and my school has yet to notify the VA of my fall classes. I fear that the delay maybe blamed on my 3 months worth of GI Bill not covering my 5 month semester, as it was mentioned by my school before. I have spoken to several VA reps that have assured me that they would cover me, but I have nothing I can show my school.Thank you for your time.
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Thank you so much for the info, NCCM!!
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Hey there, I am using the post 9/11 gi bill which was transfered to me from my dad. My benefits will run out about two weeks into the fall semester next year (I will be done spring semester next year). Will my benefits just stop? Will my tuition be paid? I am also in the Air Force Reserves. Please answer, thank you.
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Hi,
I am in a really confusing situation and although I have called the VA twice, I still have not received a clear answer. I am hoping you can help.
After an unfortunate miscalculation by myself and my advisor…I have 1 (yes, one) day left of my Chapter 30 GI Bill. I am eligible for the Post 911 which I hope to start using. The problem is, I cannot apply for the Post 911 now, or they will just transfer the 1 day of my MGIB. I must exhaust that one day.
But if I go ahead and enroll in just one class this coming term to exhaust the one day, then that ENTIRE term counts against my Post 911 due to the “you will still get benefits so long as you have 1 day left.” So I will be left with 9 months of Post 911 because “no one shall exceed 48 months of entitlement”
What I don’t understand is that with Chapter 30 MGIB…the amount of benefits used is prorated depending on how many credit hours you are taking. My school is 10 week terms but I only take 9 credits (3/4 time). So if I just take one class…I wouldn’t be getting much in the way of benefits. I was just going to pay for it (since MGIB is a month in arrears) to exhaust the one day and then start my Post 911 next term. But the VA is telling me that would be a bad idea because of the “rules and restrictions” that come into play when you take less than 1/2 time. Which I don’t understand.
So…would it be better to take a full term (based on my 1 day of MGIB)? Will they pay me for that….even though I just have the one day? I don’t get paid in advance with MGIB so I don’t want to pay out of pocket for a full term and then only get 1 days worth of payment.
Can you help me? Surely, I cannot be the first person in this situation…yet both people I have talked to at the VA act like I am and basically don’t know what I should do :-(
Thanks!
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Hello NCCM,
I am wondering if I am missing something after reading your blog. I am currently using my Post 9/11 GI Bill for my undergraduate degree. I graduate this spring, and will have used up the 36 months (or just under a few days). I am going forward to pursue a two year graduate degree, but I am really worried about how I am going to financially manage it. This extra 4-12 months that you mention in your blog post is what has me here asking you this question. Would you think that there might be some chance that I may be able to obtain more benefits? Anything would help, and even another 4 months would be amazingly beneficial! Either way, thank you for you time.
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Good Morning. Yes, I make sense of that, thank you. I am using my own benefits, so I am most definitely going to look into this. I appreciate the timely response, and thank you again.
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I will have 1 day of mgib left at the end of June 2013 when my current academic year ends. I am in a graduate medical education program that runs a year at a time. Would I be able to get another 12 months of mgib if I enrolled based on having 1 day remaining? Or would I have to switch to 9/11?
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Hi NCCM,
I am going to take 16 credit hours this semester and the college consider 12 credit hours as full time. how many month will the VA take from my 9/11 GI Bill? Thank you. -
NCCN,
I am in a similar predicament as Ronney, (see above) I have been getting conflicting information about my next semester. I currently only have seven days remaining of Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits. (I used about a year of the MGIB before switching, but should still only be hitting my 36 month mark.) The Veterans Affairs Office at Boise State (who have given me bum scoop before) said the Chapter 33 GI Bill will only prorate those seven days toward tuition. I looked up the law information you cited and it is refering to chapter 30 not 33, so once I’m left a little confused as to what will happen. long story short;I was just curious if you knew Ronney had received the full semesters benefits or if he had to pay by other means..
Thanks for putting the site together, it’s a lot easier getting answers here than trying to get a hold of anyone at the VA. haha -
Thanks NCCM,
I’ll give them a call. Thanks for the swift response! -
NCCM,
You seem to be a very informed and considerate person, and I (as I’m sure all others here do) genuinely appreciate the time and effort you put into assisting us with your responses here. Thank you!
Hopefully you will be able to make sense of this, as it thoroughly confused me while I was working it out. I entered service in Jan. 2002 and was discharged in Aug. 2004 after serving 2 years 8 months and was separated for a condition, not a disability, under honorable conditions. I am eligible for benefits under Ch. 30 and have used 14 months of my entitlement, however, for a multitude of excuses and reasons, I didn’t decide to finish school until now and plan on starting again in Fall 2013. With 22 months of MGIB benefits remaining, my 10-year delimiting period will be up before I would be able to exhaust my remaining benefits.
Since I served between 30-36 months after Sep. 10, 2001, I am also eligible for 90% Ch. 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
I’ve spoken with a few people about my options going forward, and have been led to believe I will be able to continue using MGIB benefits for the 2013-14 school year (approx. 8-10 months), leaving approximately 12-14 months of unused MGIB benefits when my delimitation period expires (Aug 2014). Then, or so I’ve been told, I will be able to apply for a conversion to Ch. 33, granting me an additional 12 months of benefits (to which I can add the remaining 12-14 months of MGIB benefits), and extend the time in which to use them by 5 years.
So, as I understand it, I’ll use 8-10 of my remaining 22 months of MGIB benefits until Aug. 2014, convert to Ch. 33 in Aug. 2014, leaving 24-26 (remaining MGIB + 12 added) months to use by 2019.
Does it seem to you that I have been ill-advised as to how this will play out?
Any interpretation would be greatly appreciated.
Sincere thanks,
Josh
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Hi,
I had a question about the post 9/11 GI, primarily referring to the months/semesters. In other words logically to me 36 months would be going to school full time for 3 years which is 9 semesters. But I cannot find a direct answer on this, and even seen one blog stating a semester is 4.5 months. Misleading indeed as the VA only pays the actual days in enrollment. So if I have a break between summer A and summer B of 11 days the VA won’t pay that. I guess they expect me to be employed those 11 days, or my landlord just forgive the time….. Ridiculous. So I find it hard to believe an organization as stingy as the VA would pay 9 semesters. I’ve used 4 semesters ( 1/2011-8/2011 and 5/2012-12-2012). So I’ve used 16 months and the VA has cut 4 tuition checks. I hope to have 20 months and therefore 5 semesters remaining, but I’m in fear they will home how not honor this and somehow only pay 4 semesters for a total of 8. Forget the 36 months… The house always wins don’t they?
[last name redacted for privacy]
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Thank you very much for the fast response. Ok this document I have seen. If you wouldn’t mind expounding a bit more about the other side of my question, how does this affect semesters/tuition? In other words If I go for 8 semesters and they have cut 8 tuition checks, but I still have 77 days remaining, can I attend another semester or technical school and not worry the VA will say I’ve used too many credits or maxed out the payments for semesters? Thanks
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Hi I wanted to know how do you apply for this extension?
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Im using the post 9/11 now but for 2 semesters I used the mongomery gi bill and then switched to post 9/11. I recieved a letter notifying me that my benefits would end March 26 2013 so I’m not sure if they will continue to pay for it and extend my bah automatically or will i have to appeal for it. Im a bit lost sorry. Thank you
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Good Morning,
I recently registered for school and my semester started this month and goes through the month of May. I only Have 1 month and one day left on my Chapter 30 GI Bill and have only recieved 35 months worth of benefits. I do qualify for the Post 911 GI BILL and was under the impression that Chapter 30 would cover the remainder of the semester and then I could apply for Post 911. I called the VA and they said that I would only recieve one month and 1 day of GI BILL and that I would have to apply for post 911. Is this true? Please Advise. -
I have completely exhausted the Chapter 30 MGIB and was awarded 9 months of Post 9/11. At the end of this Spring semester I will have 1 month and 11 days remaining of my benefits.
Do you know how the VA calculates the prorated benefits that I will receive for my housing, book stipend, and tuition for the final month and 11 days that I will have remaining?
Regards
JTR -
That makes sense, my question is with regards to how they calculate the prorated benefits that I will receive when I exhaust my benefits mid way through the semester while I hit the max 48 months.
I now that I will unfortunately have this happen to me, but am a bit confused about what kind of payments I will receive and how much of my tuition will get covered.
Any help is much appreciated.
Regards
JTR -
NCCM, I know you have answered this prior but the VA gives me a different answer (but it seems like she wasn’t too sure either.) I never had the MGIB and started the Post 911 in 2009. I entered this semester with 1 month 13 days left until I hit my 36 months for 911 bennies. Again, not close to the 48 month mark since I did not have the MGIB. The VA rep told me that I would be getting my tuition 100% paid for BUT my BAH/housing would only be for the 1 month 13 days, prorated. Is this correct or was she incorrect? (She didn’t seem to be 100% positive)
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I also have a dilemma, urgh. So I need to take one online class in the summer and haven’t activated my gi bill yet, for the post 9/11, but heres the deal, I can’t take any more classes online with that school for the certain program I want to get into, as I plan on going full time in the fall on campus. If I activate my gi bill, will this one class take from my 36 months? Any advice?
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Quick question, I am 100% Post 9/11 GI Bill eligible, I have 13 months and 2 days left I have 4 more semesters that are roughly 4 months long before I graduate. I have never used the MGIB. With all that said should I still be able to finish my degree wile receiving Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits? It looks like my last month will be exhausted in my last semester. Also I know this may sound like a repeated question but I am asking this because I did not use the MGIB at all.
Thanks
Tommy
1-75 RGR -
I just transferred to the Post 9/11 Gi bill after exhausting all of my ch. 33 benefits, with a smooth transition. When I got my letter detailing my benefits, they said that my remaining benefits are 5 months and 8 days. I’m currently a junior in engineering school, and my wife is a full time nursing student; we both have about a year left of school, are making mortgage payments, etc; I really need those full 12 months to just get by, but instead they approved me for less than half. Should I appeal their decision with a written letter explaining my personal situation?
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Eric,
The maximum number of months that you can receive educational benefits from the VA is 48. For folks like us who exhaust the MGIB Chapter 30 benefits and are eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, well we are entitled to no more than 12 months. The reason why we can’t get more than 12 months is because it would mean we get more than the 48 month maximum of educational benefits.
I have a sneaky suspicion that your 5 months and 8 days of benefits remaining for the Post 9/11 bill means that once you hit that number you will be at the 48 month maximum.
I recommend that you either speak with the Veteran’s Center at your school or call up the GI Bill phone number and talk with an educational specialist. If they confirm that your 5 months and 8 days all you have until you hit the 48 month maximum you probably won’t be able to get anymore GI Bill assistance.
Here’s some questions I have for you:
Do you have any service connected disabilities?
If the answer is yes then you might be eligible for VocRehab. There is no clear cut outline regarding a Vet’s eligibility for VocRehab as that is a case by case basis. If you do have a service connected disability I would recommend that you contact someone with the VA and inquire about VocRehab. In some cases Veteran’s who are receiving VocRehab benefits will get educational assistance regardless if they hit their 48 month educational benefit max. Please keep in mind that VocRehab does not guarantee educational assistance to all eligible vets. Benefits and entitlement in VocRehab is at a case-by-case basis.
Hope this helps
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Thanks for answering all of the questions previously. Many of my questions were answered going through the comments. There is one thing that I cannot seem to get clarification on, and since you seem well versed in the topic I thought I would run it by you. Here is my situation: I am about to exhaust my chapter 30 benefits and am eligible for the 36 months of Post 9/11. Now I know that if I switch over after using all MGIB, I can only use 12 months of post 9/11 because of the 48 month law. If I were to transfer my post 9/11 benefit to my spouse, would she receive the full 36 months of the benefit since that is what I am eligible for? Or would she be limited to the 12 months I can use, even though it would no longer be my benefit?I have heard conflicting information on this, and wondered what you thought about it. Thanks in advance.
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Thanks!
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Thank you so much for putting minds at rest with the answering of all questions. My question is, if I attend school and financial aid pays for my tuition, will I be charged for utilizing the BAH and stipend I am entitled to with MGIB?
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does the 9/11 bill have a maximum annual cap to use per year? if so, how much? how many graduate courses can you take in one year? will the 9/11 bill allow you to take as many courses as you would like if you had 1 year of eligibility? or is is it capped at 18K like the MGIB? Thanks
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I know you have answered this, but I am not sure what you mean day-by-day prorated. I was transferred benefits and I received a letter before this semester saying I had 2 months and 3 days left. The person I spoke with at the VA said that would be what I have remaining AFTER this semester, but that didn’t make much sense to me. My tuition was already paid in full by the VA this semester, but I am unsure what would happen to my BAH. Could you explain what you mean by day to day, or if my tuition was already paid in full does this not affect me?
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Thanks! I was worried that I wouldn’t get my BAH tomorrow. This is my final semester and I have had all 8 semesters paid for and a summer semester paid for so I didn’t know how I still had two months remaining after this one. I have read multiple things saying they count days (36x30days) and others that partial months count as whole months meaning this would be the last one. Sorry to make you explain all of that. I thought that was what you meant, but I thought that this was my last month so I was confused why they would have paid my entire tuition.
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At the beginnig of my next school year, I will have approximately 7 months of my transferred benefits remaining. My private school submits to the VA, my tuition of $30000 for the full year. Will the GI bill pay 7/12 of $18000 (the max for private school), or 7/12 of $30000? I realize it will be based on the exact number of benefit days remaining. I’m just using 7/12 for simplicity.
Thanks! -
Hello,
I have 12 months remaining on my 911 GI Bill. I am thinking about enrolling for my Masters which requires 12 classes. However, I did not want to overwhelm myself of classes and was thinking about taking one class per quarter. I was told years ago from a Base VA rep that VA is entitled to provide me a certain amount a year and if I do not use it all that my length gets extended to accomadate the amount I did not use. For example, on paper it is saying that I have 12 months which is true if I took two classes per quarter. However since I am taking only 1 class per quarter my remaining benefits at this pace could potentially extend over 12 months. Does this make sense? Is this true and where can I find this information. I have called VA and she had no clue what I was talking about and I have search the internet.
I used just under 36 months of entitlement with the old GI Bill. This allowed me to continue to use the old GI Bill during my last semester in college, which I only attended half-time.
Since I can have up to 48 months of entitlement when I switch to Post 9/11 GI Bill, if I continue my education, will months be prorated?
i.e. I went to school at half time for 4 months so really that’s 2 months–do I get 10 months of Post 9/11 GI BILL?