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Did you miss the 2022 GI Bill Summit? VA Education Service leadership answered your GI Bill benefits questions at the first-ever event.
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Hear VBA Education Service leadership answer education benefits questions submitted by Veterans, Service members, and their families on RallyPoint: https://w...
On April 14, 2022, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Education Service (EDU) leadership hosted its first ever GI Bill® Summit, connecting virtually with GI Bill students and the Veteran community to provide updates on Digital GI Bill modernization efforts and answer GI Bill questions submitted on RallyPoint.
The GI Bill Summit was hosted on VA’s Post-9/11 GI Bill Facebook page and featured:
» Opening remarks from EDU Acting Executive Director Mary Glenn
» Question and Answer session with EDU leadership
» Facebook Live chat interaction, answering education benefits questions on the spot
» Showcases of various VA education programs including VRRAP and VET TEC
» Spotlights of Veterans Claims Examiners and a School Certifying Official
In case you missed it, you can watch the recording of the 2022 GI Bill Summit here:
In addition, VA’s Digital GI Bill team hosted a usability testing session with over 600 School Certifying Officials to test out new functionalities being developed to support the Digital GI Bill modernization effort. These new features are focused on making a better experience for Veterans, Service members, their families, and the school administrators and VA staff who support them.
Over the past few weeks, VA answered more than 250 education benefits questions submitted to the 2022 GI Bill Summit: RallyPoint Q&A. Topics included monthly enrollment verification requirements, Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), transfer of entitlement, expiring COVID-19 protections of benefits, and more.
On behalf of the VA EDU leadership, we thank you for your engagement and participation in the GI Bill Summit. Your questions and feedback are invaluable as we work to improve your education benefits experience, and we look forward to continuing these types of conversations with you in the future.
If you have any additional questions, please utilize the GI Bill hotline at 888-GIBILL- [login to see] ) between 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday-Friday. For students outside the U.S., call 00 [login to see] . You can also ask us a question via Ask VA (https://ask.va.gov) or reach out to us through our Post- 9/11 GI Bill Facebook page (https://rly.pt/346jg4T).
The GI Bill Summit was hosted on VA’s Post-9/11 GI Bill Facebook page and featured:
» Opening remarks from EDU Acting Executive Director Mary Glenn
» Question and Answer session with EDU leadership
» Facebook Live chat interaction, answering education benefits questions on the spot
» Showcases of various VA education programs including VRRAP and VET TEC
» Spotlights of Veterans Claims Examiners and a School Certifying Official
In case you missed it, you can watch the recording of the 2022 GI Bill Summit here:
In addition, VA’s Digital GI Bill team hosted a usability testing session with over 600 School Certifying Officials to test out new functionalities being developed to support the Digital GI Bill modernization effort. These new features are focused on making a better experience for Veterans, Service members, their families, and the school administrators and VA staff who support them.
Over the past few weeks, VA answered more than 250 education benefits questions submitted to the 2022 GI Bill Summit: RallyPoint Q&A. Topics included monthly enrollment verification requirements, Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), transfer of entitlement, expiring COVID-19 protections of benefits, and more.
On behalf of the VA EDU leadership, we thank you for your engagement and participation in the GI Bill Summit. Your questions and feedback are invaluable as we work to improve your education benefits experience, and we look forward to continuing these types of conversations with you in the future.
If you have any additional questions, please utilize the GI Bill hotline at 888-GIBILL- [login to see] ) between 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday-Friday. For students outside the U.S., call 00 [login to see] . You can also ask us a question via Ask VA (https://ask.va.gov) or reach out to us through our Post- 9/11 GI Bill Facebook page (https://rly.pt/346jg4T).
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
GI Bill
Education
College
Benefits
Responses: 174
I am the veteran using my post-911 benefits. I have 3 months remaining. Every graduate class I take is about two months long. So, for the last two month class I take before benefits run out, would the MAH, tuition, and books be pro-rated based on the number of days I have left? Thanks
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Thank you for your question. If you start a new course with at least one day of GI Bill benefits, and then exhaust your benefits mid-semester, as long as your benefits are not expired, VA will continue your education benefits and housing allowance payments through the end of that semester.
I started an education program in January of 2022. I started late in life due to compteting career and family reasons. My GI Bill benefits expire in March of 2022. I still have 26 months of benefits left, is there anyway to extend them so I can use them to finish my degree?
SSgt Logan Figueroa
I believe that if you start utilizing your benefits, they'll let you continue until they run out. I could be wrong, but that's what I remember reading somewhere recently.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Once your benefits expire VA is only able to extend benefits under certain circumstances. To find out if you are eligible for a GI Bill extension, please visit our website: https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-a-gi-bill-extension/. Additionally, the Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship may be able to help you extend your Post-9/11 GI Bill. To find out more about GI Bill Extensions and the STEM Scholarships, visit https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-a-gi-bill-extension/. As well, some states offer education benefits to Veterans and their families. To find out if your state does, contact your state’s Veteran affairs office.
Having bought into the MGIB and not having a chance to use it within the 10 years, I would like to be able to access that now.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Thank you for your question. Montgomery GI Bill benefits expire after 10 years. If you don’t use your benefits in this time frame, you may be able to get a refund for part or all your payments into this program. Visit VA’s website, or call the GI Bill hotline at [login to see] to learn more: https://www.va.gov/resources/montgomery-gi-bill-refunds/. There are various circumstances under which you may be eligible for an extension of GI Bill benefits. Learn more here: https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-a-gi-bill-extension/
did the 10 year limitation of using our education benefits change to a longer period to use our GI BILL after retiring or leaving the service?
MSG Alan Purdie
The Montgomery GI Bill still has the 10 year time limit in which to use up your 36 months of MGIB. The Post 9/11 GI Bill has a 15 year time limit in which to use up your 36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill - unless you separate from active duty on/after 1 January 2013 - those veterans and service members now have "forever" to use this GI Bill.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Thank you for your question. The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act eliminated the 15-year time limit for using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for Veterans who left Active Duty on or after January 1, 2013, as well as qualifying dependents. If you were discharged before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits expire 15 years after you separated from the military. Montgomery GI Bill benefits expire 10 years after you separate from the military. There are various circumstances under which you may be eligible for an extension of GI Bill benefits. Learn more here: https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-a-gi-bill-extension/ Additionally, check out VBA EDU leadership disucssing this topic at the 2022 GI Bill Summit here: https://youtu.be/0E5tw0zd4DY?t=615
Can you extend your Post 9/11 GI Bill to cover BAH and tuition if it expires during the semester you are currently in? Thank you.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Thank you for the question. As long as you have at least one day of GI Bill entitlement when the semester begins, if your benefits run out mid-term, VA will continue to pay your benefits through the end of the term.
When I signed away my Post 9/11 GI Bill in favor of VR&E, I was told my GI Bill was gone. Come to find out, they gave it back. I tried using it, but got denied because I was past my delimiting date. However, if I go on http://www.va.gov right now, it will show that I still have 24 months. Why can't I appeal this? My current Masters Degree isn't doing me a whole hell of a lot of good, I could certainly use a degree that would ensure me a better chance at landing a FULL TIME JOB.
VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs
Apply for and manage the VA benefits and services you’ve earned as a Veteran, Servicemember, or family member—like health care, disability, education, and more.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Thank you for your question. As a claimant, if you are dissatisfied with a VA decision, it is your right to file an appeal. You can learn more about the VA decision reviews and appeals process here: https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/. We encourage you to contact [login to see] to speak with one of our representatives who can review your file information, provide you with more feedback, and assist you with filing a claim for an increased evaluation to reassess your claim.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Thank you for your question. The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act eliminated the 15-year time limit for using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for Veterans who left Active Duty on or after January 1, 2013, as well as qualifying dependents. If you were discharged before January 1, 2013, your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits expire 15 years after you separated from the military. You may qualify for an extension of these benefits if you served a later period of Active Duty of 90 consecutive days or more (meaning that after you applied for GI Bill benefits, you served 90 days or more without a break in service), or you have an illness or disability that prevented you from attending school, or you were held by a foreign government or power after your last discharge or release from Active Duty. Please visit our website to learn more: https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-a-gi-bill-extension Additionally, check out VBA EDU discussing this topic at the 2022 GI Bill Summit: https://youtu.be/0E5tw0zd4DY?t=640
At my school, there are many courses offered in quarters rather than full semesters. These quarter classes have accelerated paces and require more time per week in class and study than typical semester-long classes. My university is small and has limited course offerings each semester. So it is nearly impossible to avoid mixing quarter and full-length courses. My school considers me a full-time student eligible to stay in the dorms throughout the semester. If I am enrolled in enough hours to qualify for BAH, why can't I receive payments from the beginning of the semester to its end?
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Your enrollment certification, as submitted by your school, determines whether you are considered as a full or part time student, during the time that you are taking classes. VA pays Monthly Housing Allowance for the days you attended class during your scheduled term. VA is not authorized to pay benefits while a student is not attending school or training. We appreciate the feedback and will continue to make Veterans’ experiences better. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/resources/benefits_resources/rates/ch33/ch33rates080121.as. Check out VBA EDU leadership discussing this topic at the 2022 GI Bill Summit: https://youtu.be/0E5tw0zd4DY?t=1149
Why is there a delimiting date for GI Bill holders? They’ve earned this benefit and should able to use it whenever it fits into their personal timeline. It should follow the member for life.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Thank you for your question. VA is committed to listening to your feedback and improving the Veteran experience. The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act was drafted and passed by Congress to eliminate the 15-year time limit for using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for Veterans who left active duty on or after January 1, 2013, as well as qualifying dependents. To learn more about if you qualify for an extension, please visit our webpage at: https://www.va.gov/resources/getting-a-gi-bill-extension Additionally, Check out VBA EDU leadership discussing this topic at the 2022 GI Bill Summit: https://youtu.be/0E5tw0zd4DY?t=640
Will the VA and State Approving Agency please reverse the reduction, and frankly RAISE our monthly housing rate due to skyrocketing rent in the Fort Worth, Texas region?
All GI Bill eligible/active attending students in Fort Worth, Texas received the below notification of a REDUCTION in our monthly housing allowance in the Fall on 2021. Why are rates being reduced when everything (rent, fuel, food, etc) in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is only increasing in cost and projected furthermore to only rise due to the population influx and inflation. Students are forced to hold jobs while attending full time course loads caused by the insufficient BAH rate to actual cost of rent in Dallas/Fort Worth.
"Monthly housing allowance rate correction per the VA:
-Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) and the Fry Scholarship students that have used their VA education benefits before 8/1/2021 will continue to receive the old rate of $1821/month for the monthly housing allowance.
-Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) and the Fry Scholarship students that are using their VA education benefits for the first time on or after 8/1/2021 will receive the new rate $1653/month for the monthly housing allowance.”
PLEASE INFORM HOW TO PROPOSE A REVERSE AND RAISE OF BAH IN FORT WORTH, TX
All GI Bill eligible/active attending students in Fort Worth, Texas received the below notification of a REDUCTION in our monthly housing allowance in the Fall on 2021. Why are rates being reduced when everything (rent, fuel, food, etc) in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is only increasing in cost and projected furthermore to only rise due to the population influx and inflation. Students are forced to hold jobs while attending full time course loads caused by the insufficient BAH rate to actual cost of rent in Dallas/Fort Worth.
"Monthly housing allowance rate correction per the VA:
-Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) and the Fry Scholarship students that have used their VA education benefits before 8/1/2021 will continue to receive the old rate of $1821/month for the monthly housing allowance.
-Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) and the Fry Scholarship students that are using their VA education benefits for the first time on or after 8/1/2021 will receive the new rate $1653/month for the monthly housing allowance.”
PLEASE INFORM HOW TO PROPOSE A REVERSE AND RAISE OF BAH IN FORT WORTH, TX
MSG Alan Purdie
Department of Defense not VA or SAA's determine the BAH rates for a zip code. VA pays per the law what is authorized.
SSgt (Join to see)
How do GI Bill recipients submit an appeal to the appropriate authorizing officials to raise the rates, and make the justified rate correction law?
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
We understand that cost of living can rise with inflation. Monthly Housing Allowance rates run equivalent to the Basic Housing Allowance rate for an Active Duty E-5 with dependents, which is determined annually by the Department of Defense (DoD), to account for exactly that. Annually, on January 1, the DoD updates its Basic Housing Allowance rates. VA then adjusts the Monthly Housing Allowance annually on August 1 to match. Our rates are dependent on the DoD’s housing rates, and we don’t have control over how those change year to year. You can use the GI Bill Comparison Tool to get an estimate of your benefits, which can be accessed here: https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/. Check out VBA EDU leadership discussing this topic at the 2022 GI Bill Summit: https://youtu.be/0E5tw0zd4DY?t=1149. Thank you for your feedback, VA is listening and are continuously looking for ways to improve the Veteran experience.
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