Incentives and Education Benefits

FY 2011-2012 Overview

Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) ARNG GI Bill Kicker Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) GoArmyEd Federal Tuition Assistance (GAE-FTA) State Tuition Reimbursement (STR) Extended State Tuition Reimbursement MN GI Bill – effective 8-04-2007 Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA)

Benefits Available

Education Benefits

Currently the Department of Defense offers 4 different Chapters of the GI Bill each with its own particular qualifications and benefits

Chapter 1606 Chapter 1607 Chapter 30 Chapter 33

In addition select ARNG members may be offered an additional “GI Bill Kicker” increasing their monthly benefit

GI Bill Kicker can be offered as enlistment options for NPS soldiers enlisting in qualifying MOS (See Current Critical Skill list). Current Rate - $200 per month

GI Bill Kickers can be offered as a re-enlistment Incentive to MOSQ soldiers E5 and below, who have never had a GI Bill Kicker previously. Current Rate - $200 per month

Commissioning Programs – Soldiers completing Phase 1 OCS or appointed WOC’s also qualify. Current Rate $350

Commissioned Officers – Newly commissioned LT’s can contract for Kickers as well, rates depend on current college level and length of time since commissioning. Rates vary

Montgomery GI Bill

How much benefit do I have? 36 months maximum benefit if you qualify for any one program

CH 1606 CH 1607 CH 30

48 months total benefit of you qualify for 2 or more MGIB programs. Chapter 1606 and 1607

Benefit Charges Soldiers using GI Bill benefits are charged “per month of enrollment”.

A full time (12SH) student attending class from the 1st to the 30th of a months is charged one months entitlement

Lesser enrollments (3/4 or ½ time) are charged a prorated amount of entiltement

Montgomery GI Bill

MGIB Uses College Technical or Vocational Courses Correspondence Courses Apprenticeship/Job Training Flight Training High-tech Training Licensing & Certification Tests Entrepreneurship Training Certain Entrance Examinations

Is your college/program covered by MGIB? Go to www.gibill.va.gov

Montgomery GI Bill

Selected Reserve Chapter 1606 Qualifications –

6 year enlistment or Officer Service Agreement High School Diploma Graduation from IADT

Benefit is terminated when member leaves the ARNG or after 14 years

Extensions can be granted for Soldiers who were mobilized. Extension of time to use benefit is equal to the amount of deployed service + 4 months

Soldiers are authorized a 1 time “break in service” of less than 1 year. Failure to return within 1 year will result in termination of benefit (no reinstatement)

Montgomery GI Bill

Chapter 1607 - Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) Entitlement to Chapter 1607 benefits are based completion of a qualifying

period of mobilized service. Monthly full-time rates:

- Service of 90 days but less than one year: $589.20 - Service of 1 year +: $883.80 - Service of 2 years +: $1,178.40

Soldiers who stay in an active drilling status with your unit you have unlimited time frame to use the benefit.

Buy-Up – Effective 22 Dec 2009 – Soldiers can elect to contribute up to $600 to receive and increased monthly payment rate.

Portability – 22 December 2009 DoD announced new portability rules for Chapter 1607 benefits. Soldiers who successfully complete their contracted period (8yr MSO) of service can retain 1607 benefits for 10 years from date of completed service.

Montgomery GI Bill

Active Duty Chapter 30 Most commonly thought of as the Active Duty GI Bill Requires entry to a qualifying Active Duty or AGR tour

Exception was granted for 1st BCT Deployment 2005-2007 Soldier must elect to participate and pay in $1200 Current payment rate as a full time student $1473.00 Plus Up opportunity – increase monthly payment rate $150 by

contributing up to $600.00

“Top-Up Program” Allows use of the MGIB-AD while serving in an AGR status. Limits the amount of payment AGR must serve 30 of 36 month initial tour before eligible to use

Montgomery GI Bill

Post 9-11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)

Who is Eligible Soldiers mobilized 90 days or longer in support of a contingency

operation on or after September 11, 2001.

Soldiers honorably discharged from (Title 10) Active duty for a service-connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001.

Eff: 01 OCT 2011, Title 32 AGR service after 9-11-2001 is qualifying service for CH33 benefits

Soldiers must make an irrevocable election of CH 33 and relinquish eligibility for one other qualifying benefit (if applicable)

Percentage of Maximum Amount Payable (post-9/11) At least 36 cumulative months (incl training time): 100% At least 30 cumulative months (incl training time): 90% At least 24 cumulative months (incl training time): 80% At least 18 cumulative months: 70% At least 12 cumulative months: 60% At least 6 cumulative months: 50% At least 90 cumulative days: 40% At least 30 continuous days on active duty and

discharged due to service-connected disability: 100%

*Percentage applies to each component (tuition, housing, books)

Post 9-11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)

The Post-9/11 GI Bill consists of three components: Tuition & fee payment

Paid directly to the institution. In Minnesota, pays up to $450/credit for tuition & $17,500/term for fees

Additional expenses may be covered at participating Yellow Ribbon institutions

Housing stipend Paid directly to the student based on the zip code of the institution Equivalent to the BAH rate for an E-5 w/dependents Prorated based on rate of pursuit (eff: 01 AUG 11)

Books & supplies Paid directly to the student Prorated to approx $41.67/credit up to $1,000/year

Post 9-11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)

Post 9-11 GI Bill Transferability

Chapter 33 (Post 9-11) benefits are transferable to eligible family members providing the following conditions are met:

Soldier must meet eligibility requirements for Chapter 33 (see eligibility criteria)

Soldier must be currently serving in the Armed Forces on or after 1 August 2009.

Soldier must have completed a minimum of 6 years in the Armed Forces Soldier must not be flagged for adverse action

Transferability is not an entitlement like the basic program; it is an option that requires up to a four year service commitment.

Enlisted Soldiers must have current contractual obligation or extend their current enlistment agreement (ETS date in SIDPERS) to meet the four years service commitment

Officers and Warrant Officers must be able to complete required service prior to Mandatory Retirement Date (MRD) or 60th Birthday, which ever is sooner

Family members must be enrolled in DEERS and be eligible to receive benefits at the time of transfer to receive transferred educational benefits

Spouse May use the benefit immediately Remains eligible to use benefit for 15 years from Service Member’s last

separation from Active Duty (REFRAD) Not entitled to Monthly Housing allowance while Service Member is

serving on Title 10 Mobilized tour or Title 32 AGR tour. Children

May begin to use the benefit after Service Member has completed 10 years of service

Eligible to use after age 18 (or secondary school diploma received) Cannot be transferred to a child 23 years old and older, Eligibility ends at

age 26 Is entitled to Monthly housing allowance and book stipend while Soldier

is serving on Active Duty

Post 9-11 GI Bill Transferability

Montgomery GI Bill

Termination and Extension of Eligibility for GI Bill Benefits

Chapter 1606 – Terminated at ETS or Discharge. Can be granted extended eligibility if mobilized equal to length of deployment plus 4 months

Chapter 1607 – Policy Change announced 22 December 2009 retroactive to 11 September 2001. New policy allows Soldiers who complete a service contract (8yr MSO) under other than dishonorable conditions to retain eligibility for 10 years beginning the date the SM left the SELRES.

Chapter 30 – Eligibility extends for 10 years from last day on qualifying Active Duty (i.e. end of AGR Tour)

Post 9-11 (Chapter 33) – Eligibility extended 15 years from date of last qualifying Active Duty (i.e. end of Mobilized service)

Education Benefits

Will fund up to 100% of tuition (up to $250 per semester credit fees combined or $167.00 per quarter credit).  FTA is paid directly to the school. 

The maximum FTA benefit per Soldier, per fiscal year is $4,500.

Soldier must be a member of the MNARNG in a ‘drilling’ status throughout entire course.

To apply go to https://minuteman.ngb.army.mil/benefits

Soldier must submit application before the course start date.

Officers may use FTA, but will accrue a 4 yr Service Obligation from the last time used. If elect to separate sooner, Soldier is required to pay back a prorated amount.

Soldier must submit a degree plan to the MN ARNG Education Office to receive this benefit.

NOT a guaranteed benefit, but is subject to Federal Funds available.

ARNG Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA)

Education Benefits

Tuition Assistance (TA) for AGR Soldiers, Deployed Enlisted Soldiers and ALL ARNG Soldiers after 01 OCT 11: GAE-FTA will fund up to 100% of tuition and some fees. GAE-FTA pays up to

$250 per SEM credit/$167 per QTR credit, with a maximum of $4500 per fiscal year.

Apply at www.GoArmyEd.com

Establish GAE Account First

Must submit Degree Plan (Degree Audit Report)

Must apply BEFORE courses begin

Fails/Withdraws will see immediate recoupment start within 90 days

GO ARMY ED Federal Tuition Assistance

(GAE-FTA)

SATISFACTORY PARTICIPANT

Satisfactory Participant (MNNG Circular 621-5-1, para 2-7) Is an active drilling member of his/her unit of assignment or attachment. Has no period of absent without leave (AWOL)/unsatisfactory participation

within the last 12 months. Has no more than four (4) periods of excused absence within the last 12

months. Is currently deployable as per criteria required for his/her current duty

position, or if not, is making diligent and measurable progress toward becoming deployable.

Is not under suspension of favorable actions (Army) or adverse administrative actions (Air) in accordance with applicable regulation and policy.

Is compliant with APFT (Army), Physical Fitness Test (Air), Ht/Wt standards (Army/Air) for the current fiscal year

Education Benefits

Enlisted Soldiers MUST apply for FTA/GAE FTA to be eligible to use STR.

STR pays up to 100% of tuition upon successful completion of the coursework. The maximum reimbursement is 100% of the undergraduate semester rate of the University of Minnesota.

Maximum yearly benefit is $10,000 per year.

Soldier obligates STR funding through full-time unit representative NLT 45 days after start of course/term.

Soldier must submit payment request form to Unit Admin NLT 90 days after end of course/term.

Grades: Undergraduate – no less than “C”; Graduate - no less than “B”.

Payment made via Direct Deposit using State Direct Deposit form.

State Tuition Reimbursement

State Tuition Reimbursement Option for SPOUSES

Eligibility: The Soldier must have accumulated 8 years of qualifying service in the

MNNG. The Soldier must be a satisfactory participant The Soldier must have a remaining balance of STR available to use Limited to Soldiers in the following pay grades: E-6, E-7, W2,O-2, O-3, O-4

Spouse can use up to 12 Sem credits/17 QTR credits per year

Obligation and Payment requests will work the same as for a Soldier.

Payments will be direct deposited into the Soldier’s bank account (not Spouse)

Education Benefits

STR has been extended to service members who have satisfactorily completed their service contract in the Minnesota National Guard who served honorably in federal active service or federally funded state active service since September 11, 2001. Eligibility is extended for a period of two years, plus the amount of

time equal to the duration of that person's active service i.e. 2 years plus time of deployment.

STR has been extended to service members who have been separated or discharged from that organization due to a service-connected injury, disease, or disability. Eligibility period is extended for eight years beyond the date of

separation.

Contact the State Incentives Specialist to apply/receive benefit

Education Benefits

Extended State Tuition Reimbursement

Co-Use of FTA/STR/CH 33 GI Bill

In accordance with regulation and policy, Soldiers are not authorized to use benefits (Federal and State) - which directly pay tuition - to receive more than 100% of actual tuition cost.

 

Examples of Programs which offer direct tuition payments (not all inclusive):

Chapter 33 Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits Chapter 31 VOC REHAB Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) GoArmyEd Tuition Assistance (GAE-FTA) - AGR and Deployed

Enlisted ROTC Scholarships (tuition scholarship option) State Tuition Reimbursement

Co-Use of FTA/STR/CH 33 GI Bill

Soldiers will still be able to use CH 33 GI Bill, FTA/GAE FTA and STR in conjunction but Soldier’s will not be allowed to use them together to receive money in excess of their total tuition costs.

1. FTA / GAE FTA will “Pay First”2. CH 33 GI Bill will “Pay Second”3. State Tuition Reimbursement will “Pay Last”

Soldiers who received funding through the above sources above the 100% of tuition cost (Double Dipping) will be subject to

RECOUPMENT of Federal/State funds.

MN GI Bill – effective August 4, 2007

Needs-based program established in 2007 to provide postsecondary educational assistance to eligible Minnesota veterans who served on or after September 11, 2001.

Benefit: Full-time undergraduate or graduate students may be eligible receive up to

$1,000 per semester Part-time students can receive up to $500 per semester.

Eligibility Requirements: You must be a Minnesota resident enrolled at Minnesota institutions Veteran who has served honorably on or after September 11, 2001 Non-veteran who has served honorably for a total of five years or more

cumulatively on or after September 11, 2001

To apply or learn more, contact your institution’s financial aid office or the Minnesota Office of Higher Education at 651-259-3931

FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid

FAFSA determines eligibility for Federal & State grants and student loans.

Apply Online at: www.fafsa.ed.gov

Education Services Office

QUESTIONS