CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Soldiers cite many reasons for joining the Army, from serving their country to benefits the Army provides. One answer prominent among them is education.
Thanks to a new program, Soldiers who have been mobilized since Sept. 11, 2001 for 90 days or more will be eligible for some new benefits after Aug. 1.
The Post 9-11 GI Bill Chapter 33 provides benefits for approved programs offered by a school in the U.S. that grants an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree.
“This is a way to give GI Bill benefits to Soldiers who have served post 9-11,” said 1st Lt. Lisa Cullen, education officer for Contingency Operating Base Basra. “It applies to Soldiers mobilized 90 or more aggregate days. That’s in support of any contingency operation after 9/11.”
This GI Bill was developed to assist in providing more education benefits to Soldiers who may have depleted previous bills.
“Many of us, if you were serving prior to 9/11, already have GI Bills,” said the Greenwood, Wis. resident. “There are many different GI Bills out there. There’s the REAP GI Bill. There’s the Chapter 30 GI Bill. Many of these Soldiers may have used up all of their GI benefits or are looking for more benefits to help fund their education. So, the government came up with the post 9-11 GI Bill benefits.”
The amount of benefits Soldiers can receive under the new bill is based on the amount of active-duty time served. Soldiers with service of at least 36 months or 30 continuous days when discharged for a service-connected disability are eligible for 100 percent. Those between 30 and 36 months receive 90 percent, between 24 and 30 month receive 80 percent, 18 to 24 months is 70 percent, 12 to 18 months is 60 percent, 6 to 12 months is 50 percent and 90 days to 6 months is 40 percent. This rate is based upon the most expensive in-state school.
“This (GI Bill) will cover tuition fees, not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution,” said Cullen. “The fees are not to exceed $4,359 per term. A Soldier could easily go to school full time and have their tuition paid for.”
Tuition is not the only benefit of this bill.
“If the Soldier is not on active duty and are going to school full-time, they can receive (Basic Allowance for Housing) at the rate of E-5. They’re getting their tuition paid and they’re getting BAH,” said Cullen. “There is also a yearly book and supply stipend of up to $1000 per year. That is paid directly to the Soldier.”
Additionally, there is also a one-time payment for $500 available for certain individuals relocating from highly rural areas.
The biggest benefit, according to Cullen, is the ability to combine the Chapter 30 benefit with the Post 9-11 benefit and acquire more reimbursement.
“If you have the Chapter 30 benefit, Soldiers gain eligibility for the unused portion of the previous Chapter 30 benefit. If a Soldier qualified under the Chapter 30 benefit and used 12 months under this program, once transferred to the Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits, they will be entitled to 24 additional months of benefits,” said Cullen. “However, Soldiers may not use more than a total of 48 months of benefits when qualifying for two or more chapters.”
There are stipulations for utilizing this benefit, including service in the Armed Forces on or after Aug. 1, a minimum of six years in the Armed Forces and a four-year commitment after signing up for the benefit, unless retiring. Soldiers retiring before Aug. 1 have no additional service requirements. Those retiring between Aug. 1, 2009 and July 31, 2010 have one year; between Aug. 1, 2010 and July 31, 2011 have two years and between Aug. 1, 2011 and July 31, 2012 have three years.
Another benefit to this bill is the ability for Soldiers to transfer the benefits to their spouse or child. A spouse may begin using the benefits immediately and remains eligible for 15 years from the Soldier’s last separation from active duty. The spouse has all the benefits the Soldier would, unless the Soldier is mobilized.
“The spouse is not entitled to monthly housing allowance while the Soldier is serving on Title 10 active duty orders,” said Cullen. “That’s because that Soldier is already receiving BAH.”
Children may begin to use the benefit after the Soldier has completed 10 years of service. They are eligible after the age of 18 and their eligibility ends at the age of 26. However, there is one difference in the child’s benefits.
“The child is entitled to the monthly housing allowance and book stipend while the Soldier is serving on active duty,” said Cullen.
Family members must be enrolled in DEERS to be eligible.
While this bill has many good points, Cullen warns against making any impulsive decisions. Cullen said Soldiers should be careful about changing their benefits without doing research because this decision is irrevocable and Soldiers must relinquish one of their previous GI Bill benefits, such as REAP and Chapter 30, to qualify.
“I would caution people to be careful about applying for these benefits before they know what they currently have and compare it to the Post 9-11 GI Bill,” she said. “A great tool we have available to us is www.gibill.va.gov. It’s important for the Soldiers to do their own research and see how this bill fits into what is going on in their life.”
Soldiers may apply for the Post 9-11 GI Bill on the website using VA form 22-1990.
