The Post-9/11 GI Bill August Update

Source of story - military.com

By Terry Howell

The Post-9/11 GI Bill became reality for thousands of veterans this week. Several veterans have already started receiving their benefits under the new program. Although there are some reports of payment errors – including both under and over payments – the VA is working in earnest to process the claims as quickly and correctly as possible. As of August 3, the VA had a back log of over 174K education assistance claims. That is a 500% increase over the same time last year.

A Major Tuition Glitch Fixed - In addition, this week brought some welcome news that the VA and the State of California had reached a compromise that eliminated the glitch that would have denied veterans tuition payments if they attended privately operated colleges and universities located in California. To learn more read the full story.

New Tools to Aid Veterans Choice - One draw back to the Post-9/11 GI Bill is that it is not always the best option for every veteran. (See “GI Bill No Longer One Size Fits All”) The issue is compounded by the fact that the choice to switch is irrevocable, making it very important for veterans to choose wisely.

Last week the VA released a helpful tool to aid vets in their research on which GI Bill (MGIB or P911 GIB) best fits their needs. The tool is a step-by-step guide that helps veterans see how their needs align (or not) with the new P911 GIB. The guide also helps veterans with gathering paperwork, comparing actual costs to benefits, a side-by-side comparison of the benefits and a benefit “estimator” which estimates the cash value of each member’s basic P911 GIB benefit. Visit the VA website to learn more.

New 2010 Tuition and Fees Payment Rates - This week the VA updated the State-by-State Tuition and Fees table for 2010. The tuition rates have increased as much as 10 percent for some states. The latest update includes changes for California, Minnesota and New Jersey in-state undergraduate tuition and fee rates. Several states and locations have yet to update their rates for 2010: Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. Guam has also failed to report new figures as of the last posted update on Aug. 5, 2009. The new 2010 Tuition and Fees table is available at Military.com.