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FINANCIAL AID
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- GI Bill (overview)
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NEW GI BILL DETAILS
- ALCOASTs
- Eligibility
- Payments
- What Can I Use My Benefits For?
- Licensing & Certification Exam Reimbursement
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- Deductions from Initial 36-month entitlement
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- Deciding Whether to Switch Benefits
POST-9/11 VETERANS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2008
NOTE: The following benefits are all subject to the time-on-active-duty percentage.
DEFINITIONS:
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An "IHL" or "institution of higher learning" (in general) is a state-approved institution offering postsecondary level academic instruction that leads to an associate or higher degree.
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"Rate of pursuit" is the number of credits you’re taking divided by the number of credits considered full-time by your school (rounded to the nearest tenth).
Students Not on Active Duty Pursuing a Degree More than Half-Time at an IHL
Tuition & Fees
Publicly-funded IHL: The DVA will pay to the IHL the actual net cost for in-state tuition & fees for undergraduate or graduate courses after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the IHL to reduce tuition & fees
Privately-funded or foreign IHL: The DVA will pay to the IHL the actual net cost for in-state tuition & fees for undergraduate or graduate courses after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the IHL to reduce tuition & fees up to $18,077.50 per academic year.
However, Congress modified this provision (Public Law 112-26) so that from 01 August 2011 through 31 July 2014 (inclusive) the DVA will pay the maximums authorized for each state (from the table in effect before 01 August 2011) or $18,077.50, whichever is greater. This applies only to students who've been enrolled in a privately-funded or foreign IHL since 03 January 2011 in a state in which the maximum per-credit tuition (from the table referred to above) was more than $700 and in which the full-time total for tuition and fees during the same period was more than $18,077.50.
Stipend for Housing
U.S. IHL: At the beginning of each month, the DVA will pay to the student the BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents in the IHL's ZIP Code multiplied by the rate of pursuit (rounded to the nearest tenth)
Foreign IHL: At the beginning of each month, the DVA will pay to the student the average INCONUS BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents multiplied by the rate of pursuit (rounded to the nearest tenth)
Students pursuing degree solely by distance learning: At the beginning of each month, the DVA will pay to the student 50% of the amount payable to students attending a foreign IHL.
Active duty students: None
The maximum amount you may receive for this allowance is the E-5 BAH for the ZIP Code in which your IHL is located.
Stipend for Books & Supplies
The DVA will pay to the student a stipend for books, supplies, etc. The maximum amount is $1,000 per school year. This stipend is disbursed at the beginning of each term, with the per-term amount being the annual amount divided by the number of terms in the academic year.
Students on Active Duty Pursuing a Degree More than Half-Time at an IHL
Tuition & Fees
Publicly-funded IHL: The DVA will pay to the IHL the actual net cost for in-state tuition & fees for undergraduate or graduate courses after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the IHL to reduce tuition & fees
Privately-funded or foreign IHL: The DVA will pay to the IHL the actual net cost for in-state tuition & fees for undergraduate or graduate courses after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the IHL to reduce tuition & fees up to $18,077.50 per academic year.
However, Congress modified this provision (Public Law 112-26) so that from 01 August 2011 through 31 July 2014 (inclusive) the DVA will pay the maximums authorized for each state (from the table in effect before 01 August 2011) or $18,077.50, whichever is greater. This applies only to students who've been enrolled in a privately-funded or foreign IHL since 03 January 2011 in a state in which the maximum per-credit tuition (from the table referred to above) was more than $700 and in which the full-time total for tuition and fees during the same period was more than $18,077.50.
Stipend for Housing: None
Stipend for Books & Supplies
Since 01 October 2011 the DVA has paid to the student a stipend for books, supplies, etc. of $1,000 per school year divided by the number of terms in the school year. This stipend is paid in lump sum during the first month of each term in which you’re taking courses.
If you’re going to school more than half-time (the DVA defines full-time as 24 credits per school year) your stipend payment will equal $41.67 times the number of credits you’re taking.
So, if you’re taking 9 credits per term (more than half-time), you’ll receive an annual book stipend equal to $41.67 x 9 ($375.03) per term.
But if you’re taking 6 or fewer credits (in the above scenario), you won't received this stipend.
Students Pursuing a Degree Half-Time or Less at an IHL
Tuition & Fees
The DVA will pay to the IHL the actual net cost for in-state tuition & fees for undergraduate or graduate courses after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the IHL to reduce tuition & fees.
Stipend for Housing
None
Stipend for Books & Supplies
The DVA will pay to the student a stipend for books, supplies, etc. The maximum amount is $1,000 per school year. This stipend is disbursed at the beginning of each term, with the per-term amount being the annual amount divided by the number of terms in the academic year.
Students Not Pursuing a Degree Half-time or Less at an IHL
Tuition & Fees
The DVA will pay to the IHL the actual net cost for in-state tuition & fees for undergraduate or graduate courses after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the IHL to reduce tuition & fees.
Stipend for Housing
None
Stipend for Books & Supplies
The DVA will pay to the student a stipend for books, supplies, etc. The maximum amount is $1,000 per school year. This stipend is disbursed at the beginning of each term, with the per-term amount being the annual amount divided by the number of terms in the academic year.
Students Not Pursuing a Degree Half-time or Less at an Institution Other Than an IHL
Tuition & Fees
The DVA will pay to the institution the actual net cost for in-state tuition & fees for undergraduate or graduate courses after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the institution to reduce tuition & fees.
Stipend for Housing
None
Stipend for Books & Supplies
The DVA will pay to the student a stipend for books, supplies, etc. The maximum amount is $1,000 per school year. This stipend is disbursed at the beginning of each term, with the per-term amount being the annual amount divided by the number of terms in the academic year.
Students Pursuing a Certificate or Other Non-college Degree More than Half-time at Institution Other Than an IHL
Tuition & Fees
The DVA will pay to the institution the actual net cost for in-state tuition & fees after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the institution to reduce tuition & fees up to $18,077.50 per academic year.
Stipend for Housing
Resident program: The DVA will pay to the student, at the beginning of each month, the BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents in the institution's ZIP Code multiplied by the rate of pursuit (rounded to the nearest tenth).
Distance-learning program: The DVA will pay to the student, at the beginning of each month, 50% of the BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents in the institution's ZIP Code multiplied by the rate of pursuit (rounded to the nearest tenth).
Stipend for Books & Supplies
The DVA will pay to the student a stipend for books, supplies, etc. of $83/month multiplied by the rate of pursuit.
Students Pursuing an Apprenticeship or On-the-Job Training Full-Time
Tuition & Fees
None
Stipend for Housing:
First 6 months in program: At the beginning of each month, the DVA will pay to the student the BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents in the employer's ZIP Code.
Second 6 months in program: At the beginning of each month, the DVA will pay to the student 80% of the BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents in the employer's ZIP Code.
Third 6 months in program: At the beginning of each month, the DVA will pay to the student the 60% of the BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents in the employer's ZIP Code.
Fourth 6 months in program: At the beginning of each month, the DVA will pay to the student 40% of the BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents in the employer's ZIP Code.
After the first 24 months in program: At the beginning of each month, the DVA will pay to the student 20% of the BAH rate for E-5s with-dependents in the employer's ZIP Code.
Stipend for Books, Supplies, etc.
The DVA will pay to the student a stipend for books, supplies, etc. of $83 per month times the rate of pursuit.
Students Pursuing Flight Training More than Half-Time
Tuition & Fees
The DVA will pay to the institution providing the training the actual net cost for the program after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the institution to reduce tuition & fees up to $10,000 per academic year.
Stipend for Housing
None
Stipend for Books, Supplies, etc.
None.
Students in a Correspondence Program More than Half-Time
Tuition & Fees
The DVA will pay to the institution providing the training the actual net cost for the program after deducting for waivers, scholarships, tuition assistance, etc. (but not loans) provided directly to the institution to reduce tuition & fees up to $8,500 per academic year.
Stipend for Housing
None
Stipend for Books, Supplies, etc.
None.
Students Seeking Reimbursement for Licensing & Certification Test
After you complete a vocational course or other non-academic program, you may want to become certified by one of the many organizations in the country. Your GI Bill benefit will pay up to $2,000 per exam for as many exams as you want or need to take to achieve your certification or licensing goals as long as you haven't exhausted your 36-month GI Bill entitlement. The time deducted from your entitlement for these tests will be one month for every $1,460 (subject to annual increases) reimbursed.
EXAMPLE: Say you've completed a 100-ton license exam preparation course and are ready to take the licensing exam. You can receive up to $2,000 for each test you take – no matter how many times it takes you to pass. A certain number of days will then be deducted from your 36-month entitlement depending on the amount reimbursed.
This is true for other licensing and certification programs, as well. You could use your benefit to pay for
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law school and get reimbursed for the bar exam.
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an MBA degree and get reimbursed for the CPA licensing exam.
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cosmetology school and get reimbursed for the licensing exam.
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culinary school and get reimbursed for the certification exams.
Students Seeking Reimbursement for National Tests
If you need to take what the law calls a "national test", the new GI Bill will reimburse you for it. These tests include admissions tests (e.g., ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, GMAT, etc.) and tests offered by credit-by-exam programs (e.g., DSSTs, CLEP tests, ECEs, TECEPs, etc.).
Eligible personnel may be reimbursed the actual cost of the test as long as you haven't exhausted your 36-month entitlement. The time deducted from your entitlement for these tests will be one month for every $1,460 (subject to annual increases) reimbursed.