Keith M. WilsonDirector, Education Service

U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs

April 2009

The Post-9/11 Veterans The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of Educational Assistance Act of

2008 2008

Preparation and Implementation Preparation and Implementation

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Today’s ObjectivesToday’s Objectives

Overview of the Post-9/11 GI Bill (chapter 33)

Eligibility Payments Transferability Rules Yellow Ribbon Program Overpayments and Debt

Collection

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Post-9/11 GI Bill Eligibility CriteriaPost-9/11 GI Bill Eligibility Criteria

Individuals who served on active duty after 09/10/01 may be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill if the individual:

Served for an aggregate period of at least 90 days.

Note: Exceptions are made for individuals discharged due to a service connected disability and serving at least 30 continuous days on active duty after 9/10/01.

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Eligibility CriteriaEligibility Criteria

Service Requirements

(after 9/10/01 an individual must serve an

aggregate of)

Payment Tiers Percentage

At least 36 months 100

At least 30 continuous days on active duty

(Must be discharged due to service-connected disability)

100

At least 30 months, but less than 36 months 90

At least 24 months, but less than 30 months 80

*At least 18 months, but less than 24 months 70

*At least 12 months, but less than 18 months 60

*At least 06 months, but less than 12 months 50

*At least 90 days, but less than 06 months 40

*Excludes time served in Basic Military Training and/or Skill Training

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Post-9/11 GI Bill Eligibility PeriodPost-9/11 GI Bill Eligibility Period

In general, individuals will remain eligible for benefits for 15 years from:

Date of last discharge; or

Release from active duty of at least 90 continuous days.

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Individuals will generally receive 36 months of benefits.

Individuals are limited to 48 months of combined benefits under educational assistance programs administered by VA.

NOTE: Individuals transferring to the Post-9/11 GI Bill from the Montgomery GI Bill (chapter 30) will be limited to the amount of remaining chapter 30 entitlement.

Post-9/11 GI Bill EntitlementPost-9/11 GI Bill Entitlement

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Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit PaymentsPayments

Tuition and Fees

Monthly Housing Allowance

Books and Supplies Stipend

Kickers/College Fund/”Buy-up”

Yellow Ribbon Program

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Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit PaymentsPayments

Miscellaneous Payments

– Rural Relocation Benefit

– Licensing and Certification Tests

– Interval Payments

– Extending payment to end of term

– Work-Study

– Tutorial Assistance

– Refund of MGIB Contributions

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Post-9/11 GI Bill Effective DatePost-9/11 GI Bill Effective Date

August 1, 2009

Post-9/11 GI Bill (chapter 33) benefits can be paid for training pursued on or after August 1, 2009.

No payments may be made for training pursued before that date.

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Tuition and FeesTuition and Fees

Schools must report charged tuition and fees.

State benefits are governed by State law: If State prohibits public IHL from charging student tuition

(and/or fees), no charges should be reported to VA

If State waives tuition (and/or fees) after the student is charged, tuition and fees should be reported to VA

VA cannot consider financial aid or scholarships when determining a student’s payment.

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Tuition ChargedTuition Charged

Each State has maximum in-State per credit hour amount listed on VA’s website

VA compares actual tuition charged per credit hour vs. maximum in-State per credit hour and pays the lesser amount

EXAMPLE: Maximum in-State is $500 per credit hour. Joe’s school reports he is enrolled in 15 credit hours for Fall ‘09 semester and is charged $3,000 tuition.

–Determine maximum: $500 x 15 = $7,500.–VA pays lesser amount: $3,000.

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Fees DefinedFees Defined

FEES — Any mandatory charges (except tuition, room, and board) including, but not limited to:

Health premiums Freshman fees Graduation fees Lab fees

Does not include charges for study abroad courses unless course is mandatory.

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Fees ChargedFees Charged

Each State has maximum fees per term (quarter, semester, or non-standard)

VA compares actual fees charged for term vs. maximum in-State fees per term and pays the lesser amount

EXAMPLE: Maximum in-State fees is $1,000 per term. Joe’s school reports he was charged $900 in fees for Fall ‘09 semester.

– VA pays lesser amount: $900.

If Joe is eligible at 100% tier level (based on length of service), total T&F payment = $3,900)

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Tuition and Fee Challenges

Determining maximum tuition and fee charges has required VA to consider many variables:

– Institutions determine charges in a variety of ways, including:

• One tuition rate for full time pursuit vs. per credit hour

• Varying terms (semester, quarter, summer, mini-terms, etc)

• Varying mandatory fees (by academic program, state, etc)

• Courses at flight and maritime programs typically have very high tuition rates that impact averages

– Institutions update tuition and fee information on different schedules

– Students may enroll at more than one institution simultaneously

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Tuition and Fee Challenges

VA has developed a mechanism that establishes the maximum in-state tuition on a separate “tuition per credit hour” and “fees per term” basis. This allows for flexibility in circumstances including:

• Courses at flight and maritime programs typically have high tuition rates that impact averages

• Student enrollment in overlapping terms or at two schools concurrently

• Variance in course loads or charges unique to programs

• Student estimates of tuition and fee costs

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Tuition and Fees ChargedTuition and Fees Charged

Individuals not on active duty are eligible for the applicable percentage (based on aggregate active duty service) of the lesser of— Tuition and fees charged; or Highest amount of tuition (per credit

hour) and fees (per term) charged for full-time, undergraduate training at a public IHL in the State the student is attending.

Note: Tuition and Fees payments are paid directly to the school

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Tuition and Fees ChargedTuition and Fees Charged

Individuals on active duty are eligible for the applicable percentage (based on aggregate active duty service) of the lesser of—

Tuition and fees charged; or

The amount of tuition and fees charged that exceeds the amount paid by the military’s tuition assistance (TA) program.

Note: Tuition and Fees payments are paid directly to the school

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Monthly Housing AllowanceMonthly Housing Allowance

Equivalent to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents– Amount determined by zip code of the IHL where the

student is enrolled• http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/bah.html

– Prorated based on the percentage of the maximum benefit payable

Active duty members, anyone training at ½ time or less, and those pursuing training solely by distance learning are not eligible for the monthly housing allowance.

Note: Benefit payments are paid directly to the eligible person on a monthly basis

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Books and Supplies StipendBooks and Supplies Stipend

Up to a $1,000 per year– $41.67 per credit hour– Up to 24 credit hours in a single academic

year– Lump sum payment (each quarter,

semester or term attended)

Prorated based on the percentage of the maximum benefit payable

Active duty members are not eligibleNote: Benefit payments are paid directly to the student

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Books and Supplies StipendBooks and Supplies Stipend

Example:– If Susan enrolls in 15 credit hours for the Fall

Term, she will receive a lump sum payment of $625.05 ($41.67 x 15 credit hours = $625.05)

– During the Spring term she enrolls in an additional 12 hours. Susan is only eligible to receive the books and supplies stipend for 9 of the 12 credit hours, she can not exceed the maximum of 24 credit hours in a single academic year. Her payment for the Spring term will be $375.03 ($41.27 x 9 = $375.03)

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Kickers/College Fund/”Buy-Up”Kickers/College Fund/”Buy-Up”

MGIB (ch30) and/or MGIB-SR (ch1606) kickers– Paid in lump sum to student for enrollment

period based on rate of pursuit– Paid to spouse/child if using transferred benefits

New chapter 33 kicker– Not available yet– Will be paid with the monthly housing allowance

$600 buy-up does not transfer to chapter 33

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Approved ProgramsApproved Programs

All programs approved under chapter 30 and offered by an IHL.

Individuals who were previously eligible for chapter 30, 1606, or 1607 may continue to receive benefits for approved programs not offered by IHLs (i.e. flight, correspondence, APP/OJT, preparatory courses, and national tests).

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Post-9/11 GI Bill ElectionsPost-9/11 GI Bill Elections

An individual who has met the requirements toestablish eligibility under the Post-9/11 GI Bill(chapter 33) and, as of August 1, 2009 is:

Eligible for either chapter 30, 1606, or 1607, (must make an irrevocable election to use benefits under chapter 33); or

A member of the Armed Forces and making the basic $1200 contribution toward chapter 30; or

A member of the Armed Forces who previously declined to elect chapter 30.

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Elections – What should a vet Elections – What should a vet consider?consider?

Which benefit pays the individual more?– Is the individual receiving other aid?

• Will entitlement to that aid change?

– What Chapter 33 tier is the individual eligible for?– Generally, if BAH exceeds current monthly

benefit, the individual gains under Chapter 33.

What type of training? Is delimiting date important to the

individual? On active duty on 8-1-09?

– Eligible for T of E? Want to transfer?

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Transfer of EntitlementTransfer of Entitlement(Department of Defense Benefit)(Department of Defense Benefit)

On or after August 1, 2009, DoD may allow an individual to elect to transfer entitlement to one or more dependents if he/she —– Has served at least 6 years in the

Armed Forces; and – Agrees to serve at least another 4

years in the Armed Forces.

Spouses may use transferred benefits after 6 years of service; dependent children after 10 years.

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Transfer of EntitlementTransfer of Entitlement(Department of Defense Benefit)(Department of Defense Benefit)

DoD determines eligibility for transferability and may, by regulation, impose additional eligibility requirements and limit the number of months transferable.

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Yellow Ribbon Program Yellow Ribbon Program

Institutions voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition and fees costs above the highest in-state undergraduate tuition and fees rate.

VA will match each additional dollar that an institution contributes toward an eligible student’s tuition costs, up to 50 percent of the difference between the student’s tuition and fees benefit and the total cost of tuition and mandatory fees.

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Only individuals entitled to the 100 percent benefit rate (based on service requirements) may receive this funding.

Individuals receiving transferred benefits from a service member may also be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Yellow Ribbon Program Yellow Ribbon Program (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

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Yellow Ribbon Program (Cont’d)Yellow Ribbon Program (Cont’d)

Yellow Ribbon Information will be displayed in the Web-Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) on VA’s GI Bill website:– Participating Institutions of Higher Learning– Maximum Yellow Ribbon Payment information– Maximum number of participants at the IHL

EXAMPLE: IHL agreed to pay $1,000 during academic year for each Yellow Ribbon student. – Jim’s tuition and fees for Fall ’09 are $6,500. VA pays maximum

in-State T&F of $4,000 as chapter 33 benefit. – IHL Yellow Ribbon contribution is $1,000 and VA contributes

$1,000. Jim must pay remainder of $500.– Jim has used maximum contribution from school for academic

year.

VA makes Yellow Ribbon payments in lump sum to school.

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Participating institutions will offer Yellow Ribbon

to eligible students.

VA-Once modifications will allow school to certify student’s tuition and fees separately, and to enter the Yellow Ribbon contribution amount.

VA will verify student’s eligibility for Yellow Ribbon and process payments.

VA will provide notification to student, including

decision regarding Yellow Ribbon.

Yellow Ribbon Program Yellow Ribbon Program Certification ProcessCertification Process

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Determining T&F PaymentsDetermining T&F Payments

Assumptions:– Student qualifies at the 100% tier.– Highest public school charges tuition by credit hour.– Private school charges flat rate of $36,000 tuition (or

$1,200 per credit hour) and $1,000 fees per year.– Private school YRP Agreement is for $12,000 per

student.– Both the public school and private school offer three

enrollment periods (fall, spring, summer).– Student takes 30 hours per year (fall & spring).– Student is deciding whether to attend the highest

cost public school in the state vs. a private school.

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Non-Yellow Ribbon CalculationNon-Yellow Ribbon Calculation

Non-YR calculation

Private school tuition per credit

hourState maximum public tuition per credit hour

Private school fees/term

State maximum public fees/term

Potential annual Yellow Ribbon

amount shared by VA and private

school

N/A $500.00 N/A $2,000.00 N/A

Annual tuition and fee amount determined by:1) Determining maximum public tuition charges per credit hour($500)2) Multiplying credit hour charge by credit hours taken ($500x30 = $15,000)3) Determining maximum public fees per term ($2,000) 4) Multiplying fees by terms taken ($2,000x2 = $4,000)5) Adding together the two numbers determined under steps 2 and 4 ($15,00+$4,000 = 19,000)

VA T&F payment: 19,000

VA YR payment: N/A

Total VA pmnt: $19,000

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Yellow Ribbon CalculationYellow Ribbon Calculation

Yellow Ribbon Calculation

Private school tuition per credit

hourState maximum public tuition per credit hour

Private school fees/term

State maximum public fees/term

Potential annual Yellow Ribbon

amount shared by VA and private

school$1,200 $500.00 $333 $2,000.00 $21,000

* Annual Yellow Ribbon amount determined by:1) Determining maximum public tuition charges per credit hour($500)2) Determining maximum public fees per term ($2,000) 3) Determine private school fees that do not exceed the public maximum fees ($666)4) Determining private school tuition charges per CH exceeding the state max public tuition charges per CH ($700 x 30 = $21,000)5) Determining private school fee charges per semester exceeding the state max public fee charges per semester (in this case $0)6) Adding together the two numbers determined under steps 4 and 5 ($21,000)

VA T&F payment: $15,667 ($500x30)+($666)

VA YR payment: $10,500 ($21,000/2)Total VA pmnt: $26,166

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Overpayment of BenefitsOverpayment of Benefits

VA will determine the amount of an overpayment for an individual in receipt of chapter 33 benefits

An individual who does not complete one or more courses in the certified period of enrollment, and who does not substantiate mitigating circumstances for not completing such course(s), will be charged an overpayment equal to the amount of ALL educational assistance paid for such course(s) for that period of enrollment.

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Overpayment of Benefits Overpayment of Benefits (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

This means, the student is responsible for any overpayment incurred as a result of not completing courses.

In the event a student does not complete a course, schools should follow their established student refund policy.

Bottom Line: Tuition and Fees payments are paid to the school on behalf of the student; overpayments for Tuition and Fees will be charged to the student.

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Overpayment of Benefits (Cont’d)Overpayment of Benefits (Cont’d)

In the event a student does not complete a course, the student may (or may not) receive a refund from the school.

Bottom Line: If an overpayment is charged, the student will make repayment arrangements with VA’s Debt Management Center (DMC) regardless of whether or not a refund was received from the school.

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Overpayment of Benefits (Cont’d)Overpayment of Benefits (Cont’d)

If an overpayment is charged, VA will notify the student.

Overpayment notifications will inform the student of the overpayment amount and whom to contact to establish a repayment schedule.

Overpayments are collected by the VA Debt Management Center.

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Overpayment of Benefits (Cont’d)Overpayment of Benefits (Cont’d)

In most cases, overpayments will not be collected during the due process period, which is 30 days from the day of notification.

Bottom Line: Students with existing overpayments on their record may attend schools; however, their benefit payments (including Tuition and Fees) may be applied to the overpayment until it is repaid.

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Student Experience TimelineStudent Experience Timeline

VA begins processing applications for Certificates of Eligibility May 1, 2009− Eligibility data provided from DoD via existing feed− VA mails C of E to student showing:

• Months of entitlement• Tier of eligibility• Delimiting date

Veteran enrolls in school and provides C of E to schoolMay-Jul 2009

VA begins accepting enrollment information from schools Jul 6, 2009− School reports enrollment and charges to VA via existing

mechanism (VA-Once) including Yellow Ribbon data

VA begins processing claims Jul 6, 2009− VA pays first tuition and fees payments to schools Aug 3,

2009− VA pays first books and supplies stipend to student Aug 3,

2009− VA provides notice to student of:

• Tuition and fee payment amount (including Yellow Ribbon amounts)• Book stipend payment amount• Monthly housing payment amount• Need to notify VA of changes in enrollment• Obligation to repay any O/P resulting from changes in training

VA pays partial housing allowance for August attendance Sep 1, 2009

VA pays first full monthly housing allowance Oct 1, 2009

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ReferencesReferences

GI Bill Website (www.gibill.va.gov)

– Sign up for FAQ updates!

GI Bill Hotline: 1-888-GIBILL-1

Yellow Ribbon mailbox (yellow.ribbon@va.gov)

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