Veterans Benefits GI Bill

10 Benefits of Online Education to Military Students

Kourtnie McKenzie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:37:00 +0000

Online universities and military personnel are a match made in heaven. With the hectic schedules and changing locations active duty face; the chance of deployment for reserve; and the challenges of reestablishment for veterans; online education is an attractive option for military students from all walks of life. The dependents and spouses of military personnel are attracted to distance learning as well from having to move so often. If you're a student seeking a military-friendly college for your future education, consider the following top 10 Benefits of Online Education to Military Students. You'll find many online universities are equipped with the staff to help with military financial aid and other military needs due to the extensive popularity of distance learning in the military student community.

3 Steps to Applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill

Kourtnie McKenzie — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:43:49 +0000

Are you considering applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill in the near future to get your education started at a military friendly school? The Department of Veteran Affairs outlines 3 steps to completing what can be a frustrating and time exhausting process. Veterans Benefits GI Bill is here to guide you through these 3 steps.

Veterans Benefits GI Bill’s Top 25 Military-Friendly Colleges

Kourtnie McKenzie — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:37:12 +0000

For the first time ever, Veterans Benefits GI Bill has put together a Top 25 Military-Friendly Colleges list for the military student community. By providing this list, we hope to further educate the active duty, reserve, veteran students and their family members, whether current or prospective, on the best colleges and universities available. Veterans Benefit GI Bill chose our Top 25 Military-Friendly Colleges based on: the financial aid options available to service members, such as participation in the Post 9/11 GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program and scholarships; the percentage of overall student recruitment budget allocated to recruiting military students; the school’s proximity to a military base and/or availability of distance learning programs friendly to personnel; the school’s academic accreditations; available military scholarships and tuition assistance; participation in the MyCAA program; and whether the school’s featured in other top military-friendly college lists.

The National Association of Veterans Upward Bound Project

Kourtnie McKenzie — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:52:35 +0000

The U.S. Department of Education sponsors a free-to-the-veteran education program to assist low-income, disabled, and first-generation college bound veterans which is designed to help them "knock the rust off of their academic skills" and then enroll in the school of their choice. There are approximately 46 such Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) programs located throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. The best way to find out if there is a VUB program in a specific city or state is to go to the National Association of Veterans Upward Bound Project Personnel website. The National Association of Veterans Upward Bound Project Personnel (NAVUBPP) is the professional association for Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) staff personnel. Veterans Upward Bound projects, supported by NAVUBPP, are designed to help develop the personal potential of military veterans. The VUB staff and instructors assist veterans by improving, developing upon, and extending the educational access of opportunities that veterans are eligible for. This is determined through academic needs assessment, instruction, enrichment, and other academic support activities.

Guide to Military Friendly Colleges and Universities

Kourtnie McKenzie — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:38:49 +0000

The 3rd Annual Guide to Military Friendly Colleges and Universities is now available to view. This guide includes colleges and universities gathered together from the editors of the KMI Media Group that provide military-friendly benefits, programs, and support. This uniform, pertitent information should help prospective students select a school to begin or continue their advanced education. Some of the schools in the guide offer a broad range of educational choices; others are highly specialized.

Council of College and Military Educators 2010 Institution Award

Kourtnie McKenzie — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:33:28 +0000

The Council of College and Military Educators, of CCME, is anon-profit organization founded over three decades ago to help deliver quality educational opportunities to service members and their families; their services extend out to veterans, reserve, active duty members, and any and all branches of armed services. Their members include military educators, civilian educators, post-secondary educational institutions, and suppliers of military-friendly educational services. Students looking for a college or university for their Post 9/11 GI Bill, MGIB, or other military benefits may rely on schools that are members of the CCME for quality military education. Take Hawai'i Pacific University, for example; CCME recently selected Hawai'i Pacific University for the 2010 Institution Award for the significant contributions made to the cause of voluntary off-duty military education programs.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill in 2010

Kourtnie McKenzie — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:01:22 +0000

Yesterday, the VA processed 8,716 Post 9/11 GI Bill applications and 8,220 applications to other military benefit programs. This is a jump from the amount being processed weekly just a couple months ago. In addition, they have closed the call centers on Thursdays and Fridays to open up staff to process the applications faster. While this is not the most optimal situation, already improvements are being shown for the Post 9/11 GI Bill in 2010.

Extensions for Post 9/11 GI Bill Transferability to End in 2009

Kourtnie McKenzie — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:37:02 +0000

For families that are relying on the family transferability option with the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the authorization of short term extensions will cease come the end of the year. This means that the only way to qualify for family transferability is to serve six or more years and also agree to serve four more years. This is unsettling for several military members and stirs up a debate. On one hand, the benefits are part of the earnings of serving the military and should be available to the spouse and children of someone that's been in the military for 10+ years, regardless of if they're retired. On the other hand, the military needs some form of military retention so that recruitment demands are not as high, and the Post 9/11 GI Bill's family transferability is one way to do it. The previous Montgomery GI Bill did not even allow family transferability.

Five Uses for a Zhu Zhu Pet at a Military Base

Kourtnie McKenzie — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:17:45 +0000

The Post 9/11 GI Bill has lead to a stressful year for many military personnel, to say the least. Now's the time for a break! In spirit of this Holiday's favorite toy, the Veterans Benefits GI Bill invites veterans, reserve and active duty to answer the following question: What would you do with a Zhu Zhu Pet at your military base?

Discharge Denies Veteran Benefits

Kourtnie McKenzie — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:17:42 +0000

Being discharged from the military (except in the case of an honorable discharge) means that the ex-military personnel is denied veterans benefits of any form, including the Post 9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill. It's important than any active duty or reserve member be familiar with these terms, as well as those looking to join the military to serve their country and receive military benefits (documented as one of the highest incentives for military recruitment.)

Military-friendly Chiropractic Schools

Kourtnie McKenzie — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:01:07 +0000

Military-friendly colleges participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program extend beyond the universities and colleges that focus on traditional subjects. For example, there are military-friendly chiropractic schools that participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students that attend chiropractic schools won’t find the standard array of college degrees; instead, chiropractic schools focus exclusively on preparing students for a health care career in chiropractics, a nationally and globally growing occupation that held a mean salary of over $100k in 2007. Chiropractic school prepares military students for a rewarding health care position that focuses on a philosophy and technique based on: wellness for the community; the ability to heal the body; and career success.

Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts

Kourtnie McKenzie — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:16:57 +0000

Are you the spouse of a military member looking for an alternative to the family transferability option for the Post 9/11 GI Bill? The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts, or MyCAA, is available to the spouses of members of the military. This $6,000 financial aid program is often referred to as "Spouse Tuition Assistance" and is available through Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647. Eligibility Spouses of military members that are recognized under: Department of Defense active duty; and federally activated members of the National Guard and the Reserve Components; qualify for MyCAA. Spouses of Guard and Reserve members only qualify for MyCAA from the date of the Alert of Warning Order for Military Recall or Mobilization until 180 days following De-Mobilization. The Department of Defense uses Defense Elibility and Enrollment Reporting Systems (DEERS) to determine the spouse's eligibility. It is the responsibility of the service member to ensure that all information provided to DEERS is correct. MyCAA does not correct the information contained in DEERS. The spouse will not be considered eligible for the financial aid benefit until after passing their DEERS screen. Military spouses must be recognized as marital partners by state law or court order. Spouses who are also members of the military waive the rights of eligibility because they can utilize GI Bill benefits instead. Coast Guard spouses, unfortunately, do not qualify; this is found under Public Law 110-417 Sec 582. Spouses of the military members killed in action (KIA), taken as prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA) are also eligible, along with spouses of military members that are injured, ill, or wounded.

The Expiration Dates of GI Bill Benefits

Kourtnie McKenzie — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:45:05 +0000

Once a military personnel transitions from active duty to veteran, they have ten years to take advantage of their Montgomery GI Bill benefits. Ten years might seem like a long time, but over 40% of the Montgomery GI Bill benefits available were not used due to the fact that military personnel either (1) never intended to go to school or, (2) had no idea that their benefits would expire. More than one military benefits forum/comments section tells the story of a veteran that waited to use their benefits until graduate school, only to find out they were no longer available. Does the same hold true for the Post 9/11 GI Bill? According to the Q&A and the V.A.'s website, the answer is thankfully no! Military members that qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill have 15 years until the benefits expire, a 150% increase to the Montgomery GI Bill's time of forfeit.

Preparing Your Post 9/11 GI Bill for Spring 2010

Kourtnie McKenzie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:12:00 +0000

Spring 2010 is just around the corner! Need help with your Post 9/11 GI Bill? The best first step--and one you're probably following if you're here--is trying to keep up with the latest Post 9/11 GI Bill news from November forward. By staying up-to-date, you're sure to remain informed on how your veterans educational benefits are working for you in Spring 2010. Veterans Benefits GI Bill has followed the VA website changes, emergency funds, and other last-minute fixes to the new GI Bill conundrum for the past several months. Some of the news, unfortunately, has been bad news--like banks turning military members with emergency checks away, or at best, telling them to delay--but then there's also the promise if a better semester coming this Spring thanks to the automated system being built for the VA's website. No more applications-in-the-slush-pile, waiting to be done by hand!

Legislation May Extend GI Bill to National Guard

Kourtnie McKenzie — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:30:56 +0000

Think the government's turned its back on the Post 9/11 GI Bill? That the new GI Bill's been left to fend for the wolves? Think again! While there are still several military members that are [quite unbelievably] waiting for their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, there are members that are pushing to refine the new GI Bill and make it more attractive for the military members of future semesters. And here's one of them. New bipartisan legislation was introduced on September 10 that would push 30,000+ National Guard members into Post 9/11 GI Bill qualification status. This legislation is thanked to Iowa representative Dave Loebsack and includes National Guard members that are called to active duty in order to support our homeland security.