What are the major changes coming to the GI Bill in 2011?
The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 was recently signed into law. This page lists changes to the GI Bill made by this law.
Effective August 1, 2009, but not payable until October 1, 2011
- Certain National Guard members mobilized on Title 32 orders are now eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and any qualifying Title 32 mobilization may be used to increase your percentage of eligibility
Effective August 1, 2011
- The Post-9/11 GI GBill will now pay all public school in-state tuition and fees; this includes graduate training, etc.
- For students attending private institutions of higher learning or foreign schools, the tuition and fee reimbursement is capped at the lesser of net out-of-pocket cost or $17,500 annually - however the Yellow Ribbon Program still exists
- MGIB-AD & MGIB-SR College fund payments will now be paid on a monthly basis instead of a lump-sum at the beginning of the term.
- Reimbursement is now available for multiple Licensing and Certification Tests
- Reimbursement is now available for fees paid to take national examinations used for admission to an institution of higher learning (e.g. SAT, LSAT, ACT, GMAT, etc)
- Vocational Rehabilitation participants may now elect the higher housing allowance offered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill if otherwise eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill
- If you are training at greater than ½ time your housing allowance is now prorated according to the training time you are enrolled in (rounded to the nearest tenth), i.e. full housing allowance for you is $1000, you are attending ¾ time - your housing allowance would be $800 (80% of $1000)
- Break or interval pay is no longer payable under any VA education benefit program unless under an Executive Order of the President or due to an emergency situation such as a natural disaster or strike. Entitlement which previously would have been used for break pay will be available for use during a future enrollment.
- This means that if your semester ends December 15 your housing allowance is paid for the first 15 days of December only. Your benefits will begin again when your new semester begins (e.g. January 15) and you will be paid for the remaining days of that month and term.
- Students using other VA education programs are included in this change. Monthly benefits will be prorated in the same manner.
- NOAA and PHS personnel are now eligible to transfer their entitlement to eligible dependents
Effective October 1, 2011
- Housing allowance is now payable to students enrolled solely in distance learning, the housing allowance is ½ the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents (the rate would be $673.50 for 2011)
- Non-college degree programs, on-the-job training, and flight training programs are now covered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill
- The book stipend is now payable to active duty members
Changes of interest to schools:
- Reporting fees paid to schools increases from $7 to $12 per student per year
- Standard college degree programs offered at accredited public and private-not-for-profit schools are deemed already approved for VA Education Benefits
- Allows the VA to use SAAs for compliance and oversight duties
- Requires that reporting fees only be used for the purpose of certification
- Allows VA to disapprove courses
