Education Center Outprocessing Briefing

Education Center Outprocessing

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)

• Date you entered active duty for the first time must be after 30 June 1985
• You must receive a fully honorable discharge from the qualifying period of service – usually your initial enlistment
• If you receive less than an honorable discharge, you may be able to qualify for the MGIB if you receive an honorable discharge from another period of service

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill

• If you separate early and don’t complete your initial period of service, you may still be eligible for MGIB
• VA will review your time in service, your character of discharge, and reason for separation when making eligibility decision
• Dependent upon the above criteria, you may be eligible to receive full or partial MGIB benefits
• If you have MGIB but are separating early during initial enlistment, it is recommended that you visit with an Army Guidance Counselor for information on eligibility and access to MGIB benefits
• You must receive a fully honorable discharge
• In some cases, you may be ineligible to receive any benefits under the MGIB if you separate early
• Final eligibility and benefits determination will be made by VA

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill

• College
• Technical or Vocational Courses
• Correspondence Courses
• Apprenticeship/Job Training
• Flight Training
• High-tech Training
• Licensing & Certification Tests
• Entrepreneurship Training
• National Testing Program
• Tutorial Assistance

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill

• You must have received MGIB in your initial enlistment contract
• You must have paid $1,200 to receive MGIB
• Usually paid via 12 month allotment - $100/month
• If you declined MGIB in writing, you are ineligible for MGIB
• If you chose Student Loan Repayment Program instead of MGIB, you are ineligible for MGIB
• If you are a service academy graduate, you are ineligible for MGIB
• If you are a ROTC graduate and received more than $3,400 in each of your ROTC scholarship years, you are ineligible for MGIB

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill

• For approved programs in college and vocational or technical schools, payments are monthly and the rates are based on your enrollment
• Full-time monthly payment rate for initial enlistments of 3 or more years - $2,150/month
• Full-time monthly payment rate for initial enlistments of less than 3 years - $1,744/month
• You may use MGIB benefits for up to 10 years after you separate from active duty

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill

• MGIB “Buy-Up” Program, otherwise known as a “Kicker”, allows you to increase the amount of your MGIB
• Pay additional $600 towards MGIB and Army will add an additional $5,400 to your total entitlement
• Monthly rate example - $2,150 + $150 = $2,300/month
• Visit an Army Guidance Counselor to be enrolled in the MGIB “Buy-Up” Program via DD 2366-1
• Submit copy of DD 2366-1 to Finance and pay $600 lump sum via cashiers check or money order
• Submit copy of DD 2366-1 to S-1 if you desire to pay $600 via an allotment
• You must enroll and pay in full before separation
• Keep copies of the DD 2366-1 and the cash collection voucher/LES that shows $600 paid

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill

• For undergraduate college programs, you must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours during a typical 16 week semester to be certified as full-time status
• For graduate college programs, you must be enrolled in at least 9 credit hours during a typical 16 week semester to be certified as full-time status
• Visit the VA website for monthly payment rates for programs other than college and vocational or technical: https://va.gov

Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill

• If you also received the Army College Fund (ACF) in your enlistment contract, this amount will be added to your MGIB entitlement
• If you entered active duty prior to 2005, DA 3286-66 is the form that shows you have ACF
• If you entered active duty after 2005, DA 3286 is the form that shows you have ACF
• Proof of ACF may be required at the time of benefit application

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

• Service members who serve at least 90 days of aggregate service after 9/10/2001 are eligible
• To be eligible for 100% of the benefit, Service members must have served an aggregate of 36 months of active duty service or,
• Be discharged for a service-connected disability after 30 days of continuous service
• Veterans must have an honorable discharge to be eligible for the benefit
• If you have more than one enlistment and you are being separated with a less than honorable discharge, only the service period(s) with honorable service will count towards Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

*Beginning on August 1, 2018, service members and honorably discharged Veterans who were awarded a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001 are rated at 100%

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

• If you have served less than 24 months, you must exclude your Basic Training & AIT service periods when determining your payment percentage
• Depending on your situation, benefits could include a payment of tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, a stipend for books and supplies, Army College Fund (“Kicker”) payments, a Rural Benefit Payment, and the Yellow Ribbon Program
• Tuition and Fees (college & vocational/technical programs)
• Pays all public school in-state tuition & academic fees
• Private and foreign schools are capped at $26,042.81 annually
• Tuition payments are made directly to the institution
• Veterans must have an honorable discharge to be eligible for the benefit
• If you have more than one enlistment and you are being separated with a less than honorable discharge, only the service period(s) with honorable service will count towards Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

• Monthly Housing Allowance
• Monthly Housing Allowance @ E-5 w/dependents BAH rate is based on the campus location where the student physically attends the majority of their classes.
• Must be more than a half-time student to be eligible to receive the Monthly Housing Allowance
• If not full-time, Monthly Housing Allowance is prorated by the student’s rate of pursuit (rounded to the nearest tenth)
• If enrolled in 100% distance learning classes, Monthly Housing Allowance is $871.00
• Monthly Housing Allowance paid directly to you

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

• Books & Supplies Stipend
• Books and Supplies Stipend up to $1,000 per academic year
• Multiply your total number of credit hours by $41.67 to determine your books & supplies amount
• The amount cannot exceed $1,000 – 24 credit hours in one academic year
• Example – you are enrolled in 12 credit hours for the Fall semester and also for the Spring semester
• $41.67 x 12 = $500.04 – Fall semester
• $41.67 x 12 = $500.04 – Spring semester
• Total amount - $1,000
• Paid directly to you

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

• Army College Fund (ACF) “Kicker”
• Must be in your initial enlistment contract
• Prior to 2005 – DA 3286-66
• 2005 and beyond – DA 3286
• You will not lose your ACF if you choose the Post 9/11 GI Bill
• Take your ACF amount as written in your initial enlistment contract, divide by 36, result is the dollar amount added to your monthly housing allowance
• Example – ACF is $36,000; $36,000 divided by 36 = $1,000
• Monthly Housing Allowance increased by $1,000

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

• Rural Relocation Benefit
• One time payment of $500 meant to help Post 9/11 GI Bill recipients living in rural areas pursue an education program
• Must live in a county with six persons or less per square mile and
• Relocate at least 500 miles to attend school or travel by air to attend school if no other land-based transportation exists

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

• The Yellow Ribbon Program allows degree-granting institutions to enter into a voluntary agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the public school in state resident rate or that exceed the annual cap of $26,042.81 for private or foreign schools
• You must be at the 100% payment percentage to qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program
• If you exhaust all 36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, VA will refund to you the $1200 you paid for your Montgomery GI Bill
• There is no expiration date to the Post 9/11 GI Bill

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill

• Apply for GI Bill benefits early – at least 2-3 months before your classes begin
• Go to www.va.gov and click “Apply for Education Benefits” in the Education section.
• Scroll down to “How Do I Apply”
• Click on “Find Your Education Benefits Form”
• Delete Click on “Apply Now” box
• Delete Read steps 1-4 and select “Start the Education Application”
• Keep Complete VA Form 22-1990
• In approximately 6-8 weeks you will receive a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in the mail – give a copy to your school’s VA Certifying Official

VA Education Benefits

• For questions concerning VA Education Benefits:
• Website: https://va.gov
• Phone: 1-888-442-4551

Other Information

• Joint Services Transcript (JST)
• Website: https://jst.doded.mil/jst/
• Transcript documenting a Soldier's military education and job experience with descriptions and college credit recommendations developed by the American Council on Education (ACE).
• Submit to the school for evaluation and credit transfer.
• College Financial Aid
• Financial aid doesn’t interfere with GI Bill benefits
• Eligibility based on income and household size
• Must apply every year at https://studentaid.gov