Can you please explain the difference between TA, GI bill and Post 9/11?
Montgomery GI Bill is Education Assistance. This is primarily indented to help you with living expenses during school but can be utilized to pay for tuition in the absence of additional sources. in order to receive this you must have have served during the time frame this was offered to service members and also have paid the $1200 fee (taken out at $100 a month for the first 12 months of active service) and have served honorably for 24 months. you cannot utilize this benefit while serving on active duty. additionally, you have 10 years from the date of your most recent release from active duty to use this entitlement. 36 Months of benefits at the full time rate is the limit to this benefit.
Post 911 GI Bill is a combination of Tuition AND educational assistance in one package. It pays for all tuition and fees plus up to $1000 for books and materials. additionally it pays a stipend equal to approximately the BAH rate for an E-5. you must have served 3 years of active service to earn this benefit, no monetary payment is required. You also cannot use this while serving on active duty. you have 15 years from your most recent release from active service (after qualifying for the benefit) to use this benefit. 36 months at the full time rate is also the limit to this benefit.
NOTE: If you are one of the rare cases that have earned both the Montgomery GI BILL AND the post 911 GI BILL both then you have the opportunity to receive up to 48 months of benefits if you utilize your ENTIRE (all 36 months) under the Montgomery GI BILL and after exhausting the entire Montgomery GI BILL have it converted to the Post 911 GI BILL you will be given 12 months of eligibility under the Post 911 GI BILL. be advised that if the entire Montgomery GI BILL is not exhausted prior to converting it to Post 911 GI BILL then your combined benefit will only be 36 months.
EXAMPLE: if you use 34 months on the MGIBILL and convert it to post911GIBILL than you Total benefit would be 34 Months of the MGIBILL and 2 Months of the Post911GIBILL.
If you use 36 FULL MONTHS of the MGIBILL and fterwards convert it to the Post911GIBILL than your total benefit would be 36 Months of the MGIBILL and 12 Months of the Post911GIBILL.
I encourage you to visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website to get a full overview of the more intimate details of these benefits. Hope this helps.
GI Bill- (Old GI Bill)- generally used after separation or by troop who can not get approved by their command to use TA, or when TA funds are not available (either you used all of yours for this year, or the Dept. of the Army freezes them) GI bill will pay so much per credit hour depending on a few variables (less than 3 years in service, any "top-up" funds you have, etc.) Note that if you are still on active duty they will only pay for the cost of the course, so if your GI Bill rate is 1400 a month and you have 36 months of benefits remaining; if you take a course load that costs 800 a month for 4 months, you still loose 4 months of benefits even though they only paid for 800 a month.
Post 9-11(New GI Bill)- This one I do not know so much about. I know that if you use it after separation it will not only pay for courses it will also pay a certain level of BAH. And under certain conditions you can transfer it to your kids or spouse (with additional service requirements)
While on active service, I would try to utilize T.A. and save my GI Bill for after the service or to transfer to my kids. But to each their own. Below is a series of websites that may help.
https://www.goarmyed.com/public/public_tuition_assistance_policies.aspx
http://www.military.com/education/gi-bill/active-duty-gi-bill-users-guide.html?comp= [login to see] 70&rank=9
http://newgibill.org/post_911_gi_bill
The Tuition Assistance (TA) program provides financial assistance for voluntary
off-duty education programs in support of a Soldier's professional ...
A MGIB (GI Bill Chapter 30) Benefit Over...
Post 9/11: If you have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service
after Sept. 10, 2001, and are still on active duty, or if you are an honorably
discharged Veteran or were discharged with a service-connected disability after
30 days, you may be eligible for this VA-administered program. The time of
service is prorated, meaning the more active duty time you have the higher
percentage of benefits are rewarded. In addition you can receive a housing
stipend (BAH) paid directly to the individual and the tuition payment is sent directly
to the school. Beware of your residency status, because the 9/11 will pay the
highest in state rate and if you are not considered as a resident or going to a
private school you may be paying big bucks $$ out of pocket.
*** Side Note - when determining your residency status, typically it is
based upon your home of record recorded on your DD-214, be careful and check
with the school you plan to attend. (If you ever want to check your home of
record, you must leave the military and have at least a one day break and then
join the military in the state you want your new home of record)
I invite you to check out the http://www.gibill.va.gov website