New Gi Bill

[Canon]

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section...p;article=55873

what do you guys think? i get out in 2 years and i have no idea what i want to take in college.

to sum it up, i get 4 years of free college after i get out along with 1,000 per month for living expenses and 1,000 for books and tuition fees

The new GI Bill approved by Congress last week and expected to be signed into law by President Bush soon assures young veterans a chance at a free four-year degree, starting August 2009.

Spouses and children will see benefits, too. Reservists will see more money for college. Even vets who got out years ago could get a free college education.

The plan, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., was designed to match the free-college tuition pledge under the GI Bill of Rights approved after World War II. At that time, returning troops received enough to pay for a four-year degree plus reasonable housing and living expenses while they were in school.

But critics of the current system said officials are still using decades-old education prices that haven’t kept pace with the price of those degrees, making it unlikely that veterans can get a degree without loans or other financial aid.

The new benefit is tied to the price of the most expensive public college in a servicemember’s home state, plus an additional housing and living expenses based on regional averages.

Now as those costs rise, so will the amount veterans can be compensated.

The new benefit won’t go into effect until August 2009; the legislation gives veterans affairs officials a year to set repayment formulas and procedures. But veterans already in college will see a 20 percent boost in their current benefit this semester, in anticipation of the larger payouts next year.

For everyone else, here’s what to expect:
For active-duty troops

The bill gets rid of the current enrollment requirements, replacing them with language mandating at least three months’ service in the military since Sept. 11, 2001, for partial GI Bill benefits.

Anyone who has served at least three years on active duty since then is eligible for four years of tuition costs at their home state’s universities, plus about another $1,000 monthly for housing and living expenses.

Each year, the veterans will also be eligible for $1,200 in tutoring services and $1,000 more to cover books. Altogether, the benefit could top more than $25,000 a year in the most expensive states.

If troops or veterans attend state schools that are less expensive, they won’t get to pocket the difference. If they decide to go to a private school or out-of-state college, they’ll have to cover the difference between their higher tuition bill and the state-assigned reimbursement figure.

The benefit lasts for 15 years now, instead of 10, giving troops extra time after leaving the military to either use their benefit or pass it along.
For spouses and dependents

Under a provision backed by the Pentagon, troops who served at least 10 years on active duty will be able to transfer their benefit to a spouse or dependent child. Spouses can receive the money even sooner, if their servicemember has served at least six years and agrees to another four-year contract.

The transferred benefit only covers the cost of tuition, not the living stipend and extra cash for books. But beyond that the same rules apply: The measure promises a full four years of college bills at the most expensive in-state school, or any less expensive university.

Families can divide the benefit up however it benefits them most, as long as they don’t exceed those 36 months of college classes. For example, a retired soldier can use two years of benefits to pay for a two-year degree program, then transfer the last two years to a spouse or child.

And for long-serving servicemembers, the changes mean that their college-age children could get a free college education starting fall 2009, provided they attend a state-backed school.

[Bulldog_916]

Sounds like you should be thanking Jim Webb and the Congress for pushing this through. You served your time, now you're enjoying the reward. Make the most of it. It's my tax money you're spending bub.

Oh, and you should take whatever you're interested in. I like computer science personally. But with all your knowledge of the military, maybe West Point might be a good fit. Edited November 16, 2008 by Bulldog_916

[Dom]

go to college while you are in. go to the TA office and they'll work it so you don't have to use any of your GI bill while you are in the service. that way, when you get out, you can use your GI bill for graduate school, your masters, or underwater basket weaving.... whatever floats your boat.

what branch are you in?

[Kathrynx]

go to college while you are in. go to the TA office and they'll work it so you don't have to use any of your GI bill while you are in the service. that way, when you get out, you can use your GI bill for graduate school, your masters, or underwater basket weaving.... whatever floats your boat.

what branch are you in?

He's in the Air Force.