I’ve written a lot about the Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill. Most of it has been positive. I hailed the legislation as it worked itself from a campaign promise to reality under President Bush. But, then I read stuff like this:
Under the old bill, Chapter 30, the student must call a hot line on the last day of the month to certify that their status has not changed since the previous month. The payment is then sent to the student in seven to ten days. It has become a ritual for veteran students, a promise to see that beautiful deposit in a week’s time. But today, some who have submitted paperwork for Chapter 33 might find the certification for Chapter 30 a bit of a challenge. My school’s VA counselor assured a seamless transition – he told me those who were switching over would get paid for the months they already paid tuition for. Once again, someone forgot to forward the memo. Since my claim for Chapter 33 is still being processed, I’m locked out of Chapter 30. Even though I paid for the summer semester, I am not getting paid for August. My case is in limbo, familiar territory for the VA. My bills, on the other hand, are very clearly defined. They pile up as fast as the VA’s backlogs.
The VA counselors at my school buy salt in bulk to pour into the wounds of the students they are purported to serve. One in particular lambasts me whenever I call with a legitimate question regarding veteran benefits. With his trademark condescending tone, he sharply rebuked my questions about a delay in payments, suggesting that I should have been following the news of backlogged certifications, despite his assurance that the transition would not allow a payment disparity. Oh, to be tongue-lashed for not doing his job for him! He heartily laughed at my question of when to expect my next payment. In that brief moment, he acknowledged the absurdity of my situation – he didn’t know, and there is no way to find out. He could not even venture a guess but did not rule out weeks or even a month. The check is in the mail, I am told. That old line doesn’t work for my landlord, and it wouldn’t get past my utility company. But for the government agency responsible for the benefits going out to the men and women who have served this country in a time of war, with the basic sustenance of thousands of veterans in the balance, it’s business as usual.
Is this what we were promised? A lot of politicians patted themselves on the back when this was passed. We were told that this bill will recruit more quality troops. Secretary Shinseki said it will educate the next generation of problem solvers. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Webb (D-VA) called it an “historic victory” and said he was “confident” that the Pentagon and VA would work out any kinks. That was 13 months ago!
Now, our veterans are finding themselves having to decide whether they eat or pay their utility bill. They are facing eviction while sitting in limbo trying to figure out how to pay their huge tuition bill they were promised they wouldn’t have to worry about.
Where are the Military Officers Association of America, Partnership for Veterans Education, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of American, Iraq Veterans Against War, Student Veterans of America – all organizations that championed this bill – now that our vets are being hung out to dry?
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My transitioning from Chapter 30 to 33 was not clean. Instead of liquidating chapter 30 first they send me a bill while I wait for payment of chapter 33. The school was not helpful, the VA was not helpful, and my story tracks closely to many I have read. And the sad part is my error in not reading better the benefits for distance learning. I lost my monthly check to a semester check that only pays tuition at the average rate. I was doing better under chapter 30 to cover more of my educational expenses. My error was to not read better. Please tell your fellow brothers and sisters in arms to not convert if they are a distance learner.
Hi,
I was wondering, has anyone else been told that your VA award letter for disability is not good enough to denote 100%. We are being made to get our dd214 changed to reflect the disability. We were also told that if you received disability after you were released by the military you are not qualified for post 911. I received my first 10% from a medical review board and have all the paperwork that sustains this. Unfortunalty this is not acceptable according to my case worker at VA. It has to be on the dd214. It will take up to a year to have the correction made and I cannot understand why if va is the one awarding us the disability it has to be reflected on the dd214. Sounds like a loop hole to deny qualified soldiers their benefit. It is almost as if they are making this all up as they go along.
I put in for qualification status in march every time I call they tell me I am still being evaluated. I also wanted to transfer my gi bill to my son. The old rules said if you retired in 2008 you could transfer now they have changed it to aug 2009. I do not understand how they can just change the rules in mid stride. This just seems. Like another political look good but impossible to get garbage package.
Jimmy, I totally agree with you. We were briefed when we returned from Iraq that we would be able to transfer out benefit to a child. This was in May of 2008. Then they decided to change the rules. Heres the take I am currently getting. You have to have been serving on or after Aug 1 , 2009, and you had to transfer the benefit while you were still in the service. This is a bunch of crap. Does anyone else out there agree. We have to start a campaign to get this straightened out. Get back to me, and we will see how to get this front page. I served, and was even stop lossed in the IL Army National Guard. November 1986 through October, 2008.
Gourdman
My husband is recieving the Post 911 GI Bill. We had to wait close to 3 months before recieving his money. This past semester he tested out of a class (which means he recieved credit for this class). Now they want us to pay them back money saying that he failed to take the required amount of credit hours. Once again we are trying to call to get this straightened out, but there is no one of intelligence to talk to about it when you call their 800 numbers. That is, if you get through. This has been a horrible ordeal (not as bad as when he was in Iraq), but still horrible. I believe he is planning on quitting school because they have made it so hard.
Thanks Pelosi, Clinton, and Obama,
for making families think you all might actually do something. For giving us hope. Perhaps you might consider next time you wish to help, to instead sleep till noon, so for that brief period you will not oppress the people. Consider also that your offers of hope without substance is fraud, chicanery, humiliation. Post 9/11 GI BILL. Do you three even read?
Its sad, the same story over and over and over… I was lucky enough to get a job after I got out of the Army, I started school about 10 days after i ETS’d and then 8 months later had to move… so, I transfered to another school. Well, the VA paid both schools and then said I owed the money and I had to get them to pay it back. Luckely they already had and I started recieving my BAH again. I was told that I would recieve back-pay for the 4 months they didn’t pay me… well… never happened. Then my school’s VA Certified person (3 of them) quit… so now I’m owed over 8,000 from the VA. I called them and spoke to a wonderful POS (no… not wonderful) whom, when asked what would happend if I needed that job to pay for bills said “you should know after 7 years in the military to never rely on the VA or the Gov to fulfill their obligation”. WTF!? are you Kidding me!? okay, so basically we served for nothing and our country is completly screwed… there ya go… we can’t expect our gov to do their damn jobs. wow….
Wow. This sounds so typical nowadays. Im really sorry this happened to you. I recently got out of the Army myself and still trying to find work. I’m currently staying with my inlaws with my wife and son. I’m in the process of finding a good school for physical therapy assistant and use the post 911 bill. I hope I dont experience what you did.
I began college with the University of Pheonix on 5/25/2010. I was extremely excited to be working toward my Bachelors of Science in Management degree! After one month, and multiple phone calls to the Veterans Benefits 1800 hotline, still no assistance for college. I was wondering how much longer until I receive my first payment. My next classes will begin 6/29/2010. I think that the individuals in place to assist students in the Universities should be screened prior to being employed to assist prior service members with their GI Bill or Post 9 11 benefits. For some of us it’s our first time attending College and we don’t know all the do’s and don’ts of ensuring everything is in order in regards to payments from the Government. Please anyone who can assist me, I would appreciate any assistance that you can provide. I’m beginning to fall behind on my rent waiting on the Veterans Benefits to be placed into my CHASE account. Thanks in advance your assistance!
Very Respectfully,
Tamatra J. Davenport
Tamatra: Are you sure that all the paperwork has been submitted by your school? That you are attending classes in person that is considered more than half time by your school? When was the certification submitted to the VA by your school? You need some physical acknowledgement from either the VA or your school that your certification has been sent and is being processed by the VA. We have been getting good response time from our certifications, we had only one lapse of 2 weeks of our receiving payments due to a mixup in the school, and yes, I believe the VA reps at the schools do need to be better trained.
Actually, for Screwed RoyAly, the new Bill was proposed by Sen Jim Webb of Virginia, passed by a GOP Majority congress, and signed by President Bush. I hate to have to mention politics into what is a very informative discussion with fellow vets, and I would hope you would refrain from bringing your personal political beliefs into the discussion as well, as uninformed as they are.
My husband had to take a lower paying job to work hours that would allow him to attend night classes, I also got a job to make up for those differences, and with the promised BAH payments everything was going to be great… HAHAHA! Boy did they fool us! I now fully understand why there are soooo many homeless vets! Its pathetic! After 3 months of no BAH, we were in default on our mortgage, this is when they offered the “emergency relief” payments. We got a check for 3,000 dollars (which is the amount we needed to make our default mortgage payment). That put us on track and we were doing good until Febuary, we then got a notice that we owed them 3,000 dollars back even though we were told that that amount would be taken off the end of the GI benefits. Which I still dont understand because it was the amount that THEY were behind on paying us to begin with, we did not recieve double pay for those 3 months. So the VA began taking those payments from us, which in turn made it impossible for us to make our mortgage payment AGAIN…now we are facing foreclosure if we do not have 3500.00 by Aug. 8th. Now that is FINE veteran service! AND NO ONE CARES!!!! If anyone has any advice please let us know….
CMOLLOHAN: Who ever told you that the $3000 payment was to be paid back at the end of your benefits was yet another uninformed VA rep. We were told from the beginning that it would have to be paid back as soon as they figured out what they were going to do. Did you not receive the letter in march stating that you could make payment arrangements up to 12 months($250), or in financial difficulty longer? We did and it worked out quite well for us. As for the backpay, as soon as you started receiving payments and realized they were not giving you your backpay as well you should have called, it took us a couple of trys, but finally someone found the missing amount. You do need to be specific, give exact dollar amount you feel you are due, not just how many months. Hope this helps…
This sounds ridiculous. I had no issues at all with the Montgomery GI Bill and am attempting to use the 9/11 for the first time this Fall. I previously read that you need to have 6 hours that are not distance but the VA website says you need one course that is not distance. Which is right?? I also do not understand how the tuition works with the 9/11 GI bill. Does the student pay it up front and just wait until the VA pays the school and they refund it? I also got out on disability and the VA only awarded me 70% when it should have been 100%. I filed to get it changed at the end of May and no responce there. I thought the 9/11 GI bill was going to b a great thing but all I read here is disappointment.
michelle:
To get the housing allowance you need to actually have “more than” half time that is not distance. This all depends on what term you are attending. For the fall and spring you need at least 7 hours to get the BAH. For summer you need only 4 hrs, for shorter terms you need only one class. As for the payment, most schools can give you a waiver like all other financial aid students so you dont have to pay up front, you just have to be very proactive and make sure that the schools VA office contacts your schools payment office with the appropriate paperwork. Make sure you call both offices to confirm this. Once you get into the system the 9/11 GI bill is a good thing, but you cannot let your guard down for even a second, you need to monitor all the paperwork every step of the way, especially your schools VA rep and that they certify your classes on time. Also, remember that for the classes to count and be paid for, they need to fill a slot on your degree plan that you have on file with your VA rep, if not they wont certify it and you wont get paid. Hope this helps…
I can’t even get to the point of frustration that all of you are enduring over the post 911 bill. As an active duty with 18+ years, I don’t even qualify to transfer my Montgomery GI bill unless I re-enlist over 20 yrs.
I fall into a loophole in the system because of my eas. I must have 2 yrs left to transfer, but I don’t. So I must extend beyond 20 yrs to transfer and I won’t.
I don’t think it’s fair that I serve 20 years of honorable active service and OIF and OEF veteran yet still not qualify for the post 911 BILL!!!!
I hope you all start receiving the payments you rate, and I hope they fix this loophole I’m in.
Good Luck
Some clarification please…My state pays my community college directly 100% for 5 classes a semester and 2 in the summer. They told me to fill out the 1606 form of the post 9/11 gi bill for $337/month for books, etc, etc. which will be a direct deposit into my checking that asked for my banking info during the online interview/application. They said it takes 4 weeks to process once that hits my account i can choice what to do with it? And also what is the total months I get the $337? I just came back from 20 weeks of BCT/AIT and am in the RI National Guard.
From what I heard it’s my choice to spend money or use for school. I just wanted a clarification on that and how long is it worth for 12 months?
Thank You
Check out what these turkeys are doing to me!
My family is being shafted by the Post 9/11 GI Bill program.
They completely flip flopped their policy over night.
I am attending BMCC in Manhattan and a former USMC 99′ – ’03, and over the summer 1 term my daughters moved in with me, ages 13 and 14 and now my 18 year old son.
I needed to spend extra time with them so I called the 1888GIBILL number and asked there representatives if I could attend summer 2 instead of summer 1.
They told me “absolutely, you have a 56 day grace period over the summer and summer 2 fully meets those requirements”.
So I canceled summer 1 and double registered with 6 credits for summer 2 (just in case).
I received a collections letter approximately 40 days ago and immediately jumped on the ball to find out what was going on.
I was told to submit my issue on the internet on the VA website which I did immediately.
35 days after I submitted my question they answered me telling me that it is 30 days and not 56 days and my summer 2 means nothing.
Guess what? No check this month and the just answered my question 2 days ago.
Totally shafted with no due process and there is no way this is legal.
Ummm, rent has to be paid. Tummies need food and I diligently tried to avoid and prevent issues.
I have DILIGENTLY done my job.
The idiots are flipp’in crazy and they cannot even provide me with documentation on their policies.
These turkeys are making it up as they go along!
Below is a copy of the correspondence. Please note the dates. It’s disgusting.
Very sincerely,
Brad S
Phones will be down this month for obvious reason…
Email works fine.
A weblink to GI Bill policies.
http://www.veteransbenefitsgibill.com/2009/05/11/the-post-911-gi-bill-does-not-offer-break-pay/
Brad S Customer (bradley s) 08/23/2010 09:26 AM
I received a letter the other day stating that I owed money for my stiphon payment made for the summer semester.
I was enrolled in summer 1 but withdrew and immediately returned for summer 2 completing 2 full classes. I was told by your phone-in center that I fully met the 56 day requirement for being full time for summer break.
All of this information should have been uploaded digitally to you by now.
Is this simply a matter of the proper paperwork catching up or should I be worried now ?
If above = worried now
then
What do I do to correct this?
With all do respect, this is rent money and you folks like to surprise people.
Sincerely,
Brad S
Customer (bradley s) 08/27/2010 12:02 AM
I am curious the delay in responding. Normally this system is very quick to get a response.
Customer (bradley s) 09/24/2010 06:00 AM
30 days now since the original questions was asked.
I am sorry for the delay in responding to you, but we have quite a backlog of claims and have been working diligently to complete as many claims as possible.
We process each enrollment, or amended enrollment as soon as possible after receiving them. We received notice that you withdrew from Summer 1 term on 07/21/10. We processed the withdrawal and created the debt. Soon afterward, we received the new enrollment for Summer
term 2, which we then paid.
You were misinformed regarding the break pay for the Summer term. For Summer terms only, breaks can not be more than 30 days. While attending Summer term 2, you were considered as attending full time.
I hope this information is helpful,
Lynn
Customer (bradley s) 09/29/2010 10:05 AM Actually no, the information you provided did not ‘clearly’ answer my original question.
Question:
Do I owe money for attending summer 2 instead of summer 1?
Your response sparks another question.
How or why would the date restriction be lower/smaller for a semester that is shorter? This is common in all schools.
Summer 2 is ALWAYS an ‘express’ semester and hammered out in a very short time frame, must shorter than Summer 1.
What you are stating is that if someone attend Summer 2, they will be violating the ‘days’ restriction but Summer is just fine? This make no sense.
If I am misinterpreting your earlier response, kindly close this ticket out and I will know all is well.
If not, what to do next and an explanation would be expediently requested.
Thank you,
Brad S
Response (307LV) 09/29/2010 09:47 AM
You owe money because you were paid housing during the term you withdrew from, before the amendment was processed. Since you withdrew before the term started, the school owes us the tuition money.
The 30 day rule applies to break pay during the Summer and we are directed to follow the rules supplied by Central Office. When you attended the Summer 2 session, you were considered as attending full time.
Thank You,
Lynn
Customer (bradley s) 10/01/2010 06:01 PM WHERE IS THE POLICY AND PROCEDURES and or statute that allows you to change the rules as you see fit?
Customer (bradley s) 10/01/2010 06:16 PM
I called your offices and checked with EVERY POSSIBLE person PRIOR to changing to summer 1
YOU ARE THE ONE WHOM TOOK 30 days to answer a flippn’ question and just gaffed me off and then screwed me.
Customer (bradley s) 10/01/2010 06:14 PM PLUS, you ROBBED me this month without the opportunity to appeal!!
I WANT THE BLACK AND WHITE print to support YOUR claim!!!
Customer (bradley s) 10/01/2010 06:24 PM The children say FUCK you too!
Has anyone heard of this? My wife, a former Army soldier, used up 48 months of education benefits through a combination of Chapter 30 and chapter 33. This was nice because it allowed her to complete a Masters degree. But she decided to continue to her PhD, and obviously exhausted her benefits. I am still on active duty, so I transferred 12 months to her (to allow her to finish without racking up huge student loans, as her school is rather expensive). However, she was denied because the “most” entitlement you can get is 48 months regardless of which benefits she’s using. So even though I transferred MY BENEFITS to her, she can’t use them because she already exhausted HER BENEFITS. Is this for real? I feel she is being discriminated for being a former soldier and a military spouse at the same time. And before anyone lashes out at me for being selfish (since she is on her PhD), I am not looking to blame anyone or create anarchy against the VA, I just want to see it in black and white where it says that because I can’t find that “regulation” anywhere. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
I would suggest for your wife to apply for FAFSA. Quit depending on VA – they suck.
To Alex E.:
There is supposed to be a TEB users manual on the TEB application website. Try here: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB/
I don’t remember how long it took for VA to process payments to my account, but I think it was 2 to 3 months. When you skip a semester like I did, you tend to forget how long it takes to get paid. I do remember the anxiety of being completely broke and swallowing my pride by begging my room mate to give me 6 to 8 weeks before I can pay rent. Focusing in class was the last thing in my mind since my pocket was empty. No one can study with an empty stomach. Asking my older siblings for money was not an easy task since I had to beg and cry. There were no jobs last year and there are still no jobs today. There was a time when I thought about selling my body for money because I needed to buy food, gas, and pay for rent. I should have done it, but I am better than that. If you are like me, depending on VA to pay us for school could be one of the worse experience we could ever have after separating from active duty. Serving in the US military can make you too dependent with the government, so be aware that it is a different lifestyle when you get out.
Don’t be a victim due to lack of planning. As much as I want to blame VA, it is not their fault. Remember your military training and be a survivalist.
I highly recommend planning ahead, buy an RV if you’re single so you don’t pay rent, apply for FAFSA seven months before starting a semester, apply for GI Bill 45 days before the semester starts and do everything you can to survive as long as it is legal. (*hint * legal as in sue bad employers for asking if you’re a homosexual during interview).
u should have finished college while you did your 20 years.
My wife has had nothing but problems with the Post 9/11 GI BIll for 2 years. Every time she registers for classes the VA Madness begins and she gets the same series of letters form the enrollement people and the debt management people. I am just about done with my Bachelors degree using Voc Rehab and would like to go back and begin my Masters using my Post 9/11 but after all the problems she has had, no way! It is to the point now that she is requesting a Congressional inquiry into the whole thing through our Congresswoman. Her degree would have been done over a year ago but with all the issues she has had with them, they delayed it all. It is obvious VA has a SERIOUS problem yet nobody wants to do anything about it. Congress doesn’t care and neither does the VA.
They might as well call Chapter 33 the Get Fucked Bill.
Last summer the VA tried to fool my school into thinking they needed a copy of my certification of eligability from the school – which is a document the VA provides. I can’t imagine why they needed to see a copy of their own document but ironing out that question took 45 days, during which I did not receive BAH. I was homeless, sleeping in my jeep because the VA can’t do their job right.
This summer my schools certifying official tells me that I’m not going get BAH until august because the VA has to comply with some new change in the Chapter 33 benefits. Then I’m told that they are processing starting June 6th. I’m told I’ll receive back back pay for June and that I”ll get it in July along with July’s BAH. Today is July 1st and I haven’t received ANYTHING.
Wait, I got more BILLS. Just no money to pay for them.
I’m very curious to know why the VA can turn off any portion of my benefits with out so much as a slap on the wrist for damaging my credit report, but if I was 1 second late for formation in the Marine Corps, or didn’t do my job perfectly, that I would have had my bag smashed for it and made to do stupid shit for a month strait.
My concern is that it’s basically illegal to hold the federal government accountable and they they play on our inherent ability to endure difficult situations to keep us from thinking things are as bad as they are. We live in a country that has a very deep divided line between the pay of the college educated, and the uneducated and or vocationally educated.
It’s a buyers market right now when it comes to labor. Companies can hire anyone they want at whatever price they want because the economy is still tanked. The flippant advice from the VA of “get a job” just doesn’t quite fit into the economic reality we Veterans find ourselves in. Very little of our military credentials transfer into the civilian world, most employers are afraid to hire veterans because we won’t work for peanuts and we generally are geared towards leadership positions. We also tend to be told that we are over qualified. This absolutely bizarre externality of military service coupled with the absolutely intolerable complacency and negligence of the VA makes it impossible to get a job at the level of compensation we need to make ends meet, with a schedule that leaves enough time for the 3 hours of study you need for every one hour of class time.
With this particular set of rather daunting challenges and the sheer lack of accommodation on the part of the VA I’m curious to see how long it will take for the program to fail. The only problem is that when it fails, it’ll leave home homeless for a -second- time.
Completely Fucking Pissed,
- William
So I just recently transitioned from Chp 30 to Chp 33. I just found out that since I am only taking 6 units this semester I do not qualify for the BAH, which is ridiculous. Why can’t they just pro-rated and give me half? I wonder if the VA is not aware of the current class reduction in the Universities due to the budget problems. Is there a way to appeal this? I currently work for the University I attend as a Student Assitant and make close to minimum wage, and during the semester I can only work 20hrs per week. I have this job to gain experience and all, so it’s ok, but then I get this news and I am now so frustrated with them. Not only that, but the VA reps can be so out of touch and non-sympathetic. Plus the VA rep at school only hands you information that she feels you need. So if there is something I haven’t asked about then nothing is provided.