What are your educational benefits?

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachel Martinez
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  As of Aug. 1, the new Post 9/11 Government Issue Bill went into effect, offering financial support for continuing education to servicemembers. 

The new Post 9/11 GI Bill, which supersedes the previous Montgomery GI Bill, is available to all Airmen and veterans who served at least 90 days of honorable service since Sept. 11, 2001. The 90 days of service does not include time in Basic Military Training or technical school. 

With the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, U.S. Air Force Academy graduates and Reserve Officer Training Corps scholars are now eligible to apply for the GI Bill. 

"The new benefits offered are wonderful," said Daisy Jones, Base Education and Training Center. "There is no paying for the new bill and you can do a lot more with it." 

One of the benefits outlined in the new bill will allow the tuition and fees to be paid directly to the school. The maximum payment amount is based on the highest public college's undergraduate tuition and fees. 

Veterans who are going to school full time can also receive a monthly housing stipend similar to the rate of an E-5 with dependents. Airmen can still receive the housing stipend while taking online courses as long as they attend one class on campus. 

All active or reserve, enlisted and officer servicemembers can transfer their unused education benefits to immediate family members. In order to transfer these benefits the servicemember must have at least six years of service and commit to an additional four years. The dependents must be registered in Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. Once the benefits are transferred from the MGIB to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, they cannot be reverted back. In order to transfer the eligibility to a child, the child must be under the age of 23. 

"Also remember that you can be creative with the new bill because your child could receive scholarships, grants or loans and the Post 9/11 GI Bill can be used to pay for graduate school if you have a single child or you can split the bill amongst your children," said Ms. Jones. 

For more information on the transferability policies, click here. 

"People have to remember that transferability is a retention tool," said Ms. Jones. 

Airmen can continue to use their MGIB but once they transfer to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the benefits cannot be transferred back. 

To apply for the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, active-duty personnel and veterans should click here. 

For more information about the Post 9/11 GI Bill, call the Base Education and Training Center at (701) 747-3316.