NEW GI Bill

[SSgt Rudin]

The story mainly discusses how the DOD is opposed to the bill but it does mention some of the added benefits:

His enhanced GI Bill would be available to any member, active or reserve, who has served at least three months on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. The level of benefits would be tied to length of service. The $1200 member buy-in under the current Montgomery GI Bill would be returned.

The bigger change would be in the value of benefits. Maximum benefits, earned for 36 months' active duty, would cover tuition for up to four years at a level to match tuition at the most expensive in-state public school. The average across states is about $1900 a month. MGIB pays $1100.

Webb's bill also would pay a monthly stipend to cover living expenses. The stipend would reflect local housing costs near school and would be set to equal military Basic Allowance for Housing for married enlisted in grade E-5.

Not a bad deal, sure beats what I get now. The story makes no mention of Veterans who are currently off active duty being able to opt in to this.

Link: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,163440,00.html

[Gunner C]

I've also heard that some in congress are trying to push through a stipulation that 10 year cut off for benifits will be dropped.  I would still have a couple of semesters left if that happened.  That would really help with finishing the masters.

GC

[jimmydeanno]

That would be a great benefit, but being the fiscally conservative person that I am, I think I would request a higher buy in initially because there is a substantial amount of money that is being given away to military members for education. Not only in the GI bill.

Active Duty AF offers 100% tuition assistance. (I'm not sure if this is applied uniformly across all commands though)
The ANG Unit in my state has tuition waiver for traditional guardsmen going to state schools (100%).
The ANG Unit in my state offers a GI Bill kicker of $350.00/mo. as a bonus for signing on.
The GI Bill pays out something along the lines of $1350.00/mo anyway.

Of course I'm talking AF benefits it may be completely different in the other services, which may just 'even the score.'

   

[Stonewall]

Like Jimmy ^ said ^, the ANG has some good deals.

I did this in the Army Guard years ago, which is basically the same thing as the ANG.

Got off of active duty and had the GI Bill and Army College Fund to use for college.  Some don't know that it is actually a pay check in YOUR bank account.  You have to front the college bill then pay yourself back with the GI Bill.

I joined the Army National Guard in Virginia where (a few years after I joined) they had full tuition assistance.  That's 100% of tuition paid to state schools, like the one(s) I attended.

So, if the Guard is making direct payment to your school, you are left with books and parking fees and the GI Bill goes into your pocket.  Yes, tax free money in your pocket.

If you lived at home with your parents after you left active duty, you could go to school full-time, serve one weekend a month in the Guard, and not have to work a job.  But remember, you only get paid from the GI Bill when you are currently enrolled and taking classes.

I'm all out of GI Bill money and still taking classes, but if I were just out of high school, I'd enlist for some job skills, college while on duty, some fun, cash, and of couse, the GI Bill.  Then I'd GO AIR GUARD!

[floridacyclist]

I saw a story today that DoD is very concerned about what this will do to retention rates. They fear that sure, we'd recruit out the Wazoo, but everyone would leave after a hitch in order to take advantage of all the new "new GI Bill" bennies.

[SSgt Rudin]

That would be a great benefit, but being the fiscally conservative person that I am, I think I would request a higher buy in initially because there is a substantial amount of money that is being given away to military members for education. Not only in the GI bill.

Active Duty AF offers 100% tuition assistance. (I'm not sure if this is applied uniformly across all commands though)
The ANG Unit in my state has tuition waiver for traditional guardsmen going to state schools (100%).
The ANG Unit in my state offers a GI Bill kicker of $350.00/mo. as a bonus for signing on.
The GI Bill pays out something along the lines of $1350.00/mo anyway.

Of course I'm talking AF benefits it may be completely different in the other services, which may just 'even the score.'

   

The GI Bill is run by the VA not the individual branches, so everything mentioned above regarding the GI Bill applies to all the branches. However it pays $1101.00 a month not $1350. With the kicker(the one you can opt to buy into) it pays up to $2051 a month, or $950 extra.

Tuition Assistance is also the same in the Navy and Marine Corps, how ever there are limitations. In the Navy & MC you can receive 100% TA but there is a cap on how much you can receive per Fiscal Year.

I saw a story today that DoD is very concerned about what this will do to retention rates. They fear that sure, we'd recruit out the Wazoo, but everyone would leave after a hitch in order to take advantage of all the new "new GI Bill" bennies.

Then I guess they need to work on incentives for retention.

[DNall]

Yeah, GI bill is not that great a deal. I never understand why anyone enlists to active duty for college money. The stats show fewer than 20% of people in that category ever finish a BS degree.

Meanwhile in the guard, you can get 100% tuition assistance up to 4500/yr, my state matches with another 4500/yr. That covers my school, but not books/living expenses. I refer a couple folks a month to recruiters at 2k/enlistment, that's not hard work & takes pretty good care of my needs. I also get drill pay for a MUTA5/mo plus travel, and 4xRMAs for another drill, that adds up to a little over a grand for two wknds. And here's the kicker, I actually have time to go to school, cause it's the national guard. If they're younger than me they can go ROTC & get 1300/mo on SMP for drilling once a month with the guard when it doesn't conflict with ROTC, no two-wks a year. Plus, you get the same bonus for the same job in the guard that you get on active duty. Not only that, if you really want to go active first, the guard has a program that gives you up to 40k on top of the job related bonus, so you can get 60k total for four years active duty & don't even have to come back to the guard at the end if you don't want to.

The guard doesn't give you health insurance, but you can get the same active duty tri-care coverage for $81/mo. Other then that, the guard benefits are so much better than active duty it's incredible, to me at least.

Sorry, but I love the guard, and I just can't understand for the life of me why anyone would go active for the benefits. If they just want to be on active duty then by all means go & do that, but benefits is a really bad reason.

[mikeylikey]

^ It is because Guard benefits have only begun to match (and exceed in some cases) AD benefits.  It was not always the case.  Pre 9-11 Guard and some reserve benefits down right Sucked.  Limited Commissary, no Tri-Care buy-in, clauses to limit GI Bill usage etc.  It was with the huge roll the Guard plays in deployments these days that the benefits changed.

Reasons for going AD or Reserve do depend on the benefits the person wants.  Free housing, medical, travel (pre 9-11 again) more money due to faster promotions etc, were all factors of going Active Duty.  Now the Guard and Reserve establishments are matching what AD provides (except for a few things like housing).

Note:  I was in the Guard before going AD, and one day I plan on returning, but right now I love being AD and would not trade a single day of it for anything.