Post 9/11 GI Bill Payments

[Moorlock21]

Well today was the first day of school at Cal State San Bernardino. I have yet to receive any kind of tuition or book money from the VA despite the fact that I turned in everything they needed to process my claim on the first day that they began accepting applications and received my certificate of eligibility from the VA sometime around the 1st of June. I went ahead and purchased my books and paid tuition-it was that or drop all classes and try again next semester. I'm wondering if it's just me or have others been having problems with the VA claims? I pulled the following from the VA website(posted today), but I'm not certain if this is something that I would want to do. Any opinions?

 

Joe

 

 

 

Secretary Shinseki Orders Emergency Checks to Students Awaiting Education Benefits

September 25, 2009

 

 

Thousands of Checks to Alleviate Student Financial Burden

 

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has authorized checks for up to $3,000 to be given to students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment. The checks will be distributed to eligible students at VA regional benefits offices across the country starting Oct. 2, 2009.

 

“Students should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties,†Secretary Shinseki said. “Education creates life-expanding opportunities for our Veterans.â€

 

Starting Friday, Oct. 2, 2009, students can go to one of VA’s 57 regional benefit offices with a photo ID and a course schedule to request advance payment of their education benefits. Because not all these offices are located near students, VA expects to send representatives to schools with large Veteran-student bodies and work with Veteran Service Organizations to help students with transportation needs.

 

A list of those VA regional offices is available at www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/offices.asp.

 

“I’m asking our people to get out their road maps and determine how we can reach the largest number of college students who can’t reach us,†VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits Patrick Dunne said. “Not everyone has a car. Not everyone can walk to a VA benefits office.â€

 

Although VA does not know how many students will request emergency funds, it has approximately 25,000 claims pending that may result in payments to students.

 

The funds VA will give to students now are advance payments of the earned benefits for education. This money will be deducted from future education payments.

 

VA officials said students should know that after this special payment, they can expect to receive education payments on the normal schedule -- the beginning of the month following the period for which they are reimbursed.

 

“This is an extraordinary action we’re taking,†said Shinseki. “But it’s necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face.â€

 

More than 27,500 students have already received benefits for housing or books under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, or their schools received their tuition payments.

[DragonFlyer]

Yes, everyone is dealing with this. I don't know of anyone that has gotten a timely payment...in fact the applications are still backed up so you are ahead of the game with already having your certificate of eligibility.

 

I got the notice for a pending application I processed for the GI Bill just yesterday that essentially said "we are backlogged...it may be awhile before we can review your application to know if we need more info from you." So...yes...it's pretty bad.

 

I highly recommend jumping on the bandwagon to get the emergency funds. Do you have an office near you that you can go and apply for the funds?

[Moorlock21]

Nope, not just me.....Pulled this off of VA watchdog

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

Veterans awaiting GI Bill turn to loans, parents

 

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO (AP)

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeq

M5iY47x6ekrtG1FQmWQSZepiszNxmQD9ATTEH84

 

 

 

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — Brandon Thomas was hit by shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade and twice grazed by bullets fired by the Taliban during his final tour with the Army in Afghanistan.

 

 

 

After risking his life, the 27-year-old father and Purple Heart recipient is one of thousands of veterans who now say they are waiting weeks or months for education benefits under a newly fattened GI Bill, leaving many to scrape up money from family or take loans to cover college costs while the Veterans Administration pledges to speed up payments.

 

The Post 9/11 GI Bill is the most significant expansion of education benefits since the original GI Bill in 1944. Eligible veterans receive payments for tuition, housing and a book stipend. The VA says more than 50,000 veterans and their relatives have given notice that they're enrolled in college for the fall semester and hoping to be reimbursed under the program, which started making payments in August.

 

Thomas submitted his paperwork to the Department of Veterans Affairs in July, but he's still waiting for the first check to arrive. When he bought nearly $1,000 in books this semester, Thomas billed it to a credit card.

 

"What was the alternative?" said Thomas, who is studying business.

 

In the military, there is a phrase often repeated among troops: "Hurry up and wait." Hurry up and get to the training field. Hurry up and get to the shooting range. And then, wait for what can seem like an eternity for anything to begin.

 

Veterans are now finding themselves repeating that phrase as they go to apply for their GI Bill benefits.

 

"We're a patient group of people," Thomas said. "Patience only goes so long."

 

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 277,403 claims have been filed for benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Some 205,704 claims have been processed and the rest are pending. The average processing time is 34 days, up from 28 a month before.

 

"We're continuing to work hard and we're not going to stop until this process is smooth for everybody," Keith Wilson, director of the VA's Education Service division, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

 

Veterans must complete two steps to receive payment: First, the VA must confirm that they are eligible: 189,597 of these claims have been processed, and another 60,071 are pending.

 

Second, veterans must obtain a certificate of enrollment, which confirms their college attendance. This is done through their school and the VA. There are some 12,258 certifications still pending.

 

In all, about 51,000 veterans, their spouses or children — who are also eligible for payment under the new bill — have notified the VA of their enrollment for the fall semester. Some 24,186 have been paid and about 27,000 are awaiting payment.

 

A number of factors are behind the delays: Some schools did not set their tuition until mid to late summer, which meant forms needed for payment weren't received until shortly before the start of school.

 

The time it takes to process each claim is also lengthened because an automated system is still being developed and won't be fully in place until December 2010. Meanwhile, it can take more than an hour to process one claim by hand. The VA has hired 760 additional claims examiners to handle the increased workload.

 

Most universities are working with students by granting deferrals and, in some cases, issuing vouchers to cover the cost of books. But many veterans have taken out loans, billed credit cards, asked their parents for money, or dipped into savings as they wait for their claims to be processed.

 

"Veterans have to operate on the assumption that they're not going to get their benefits, because you can't count on that money being there," said Jason Lindsay, 27, an Army veteran who is studying to earn his master's degree in global security at John Hopkins University. "You have to have a backup plan."

 

Lindsay, who served in Kuwait and Iraq, opted to take out a $10,000 loan with a 5.6 percent annual interest rate to cover his tuition, books and living expenses for the semester. By September, he still hadn't received any VA payments.

 

"We fought for our country," he said. "But then we get home and we have to fight for our benefits."

 

The VA has encouraged schools to be flexible, and many have made accommodations.

 

At the University of Maryland, veterans waiting for their GI benefits can place a hold on their tuition payment, which is typically due the same day they register for classes.

 

The school recently sent out a letter to veterans, many of whom were nervous about the delays.

 

"We want to be sure you understand that you may attend classes while we are waiting for payment to arrive," it read.

 

A similar arrangement was made at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where administrators allowed veterans to defer payment until the end of October, said Billie Joe Hamilton, the director of scholarship and financial aid.

 

The school has approximately 800 to 900 veterans, and tuition payments for just 40 or 50 have been received, she said. Hamilton said they will extend the deadline again if the payments haven't arrived.

 

Making veterans aware of their options is one of the challenges.

 

"In nearly every case, they're not aware that there's an opportunity for them to receive a deferment," said Jim Selbe, assistant vice president for lifelong learning at the American Council on Education.

 

"It's tough," he said of the situation universities are in. "They're facing incredible budgetary challenges and finding themselves feeling a sense of obligation to their veterans. And it's quite a challenge of how to figure out a way to defer their tuition while at the same time meet their own budgetary obligations.

 

"At the same time, it appears they're finding a way to do it," he said.

 

Brandon Krapf, an Iraq veteran and American University student, is among veterans turning to family for help. Krapf said he borrowed more than $500 from his father to pay for books after the stipend he was expecting didn't arrive.

 

"Dad, you want my grades to tumble?" he told his father.

 

"He does not support me in the same sense that most college kids out of high school get support," Krapf, 27, said. "He doesn't have the money himself. He's retired Coast Guard himself and drives trucks and works ridiculous hours just for survival. And on top of that, has me coming to him."

 

Thomas, the Broward College student, is at an advantage: Because he earned a Purple Heart, his tuition is already covered by the state of Florida. Nevertheless, the stipends were planned income he did not receive. His wife is picking up extra shifts at her job, and a planned vacation with his family to Sea World has been scratched.

 

He said he calls every Monday, hoping to find out when his claim will be processed.

[DragonFlyer]

Since you've already paid the tuition the deferment won't be helpful (but I am sure it would have been helpful before you shelled out the funds!!!) Don't you love how the information gets buried? NOT!

 

Let me know if you need someone to help you with the emergency funding application. I have a few contacts that can help facilitate that for you.

[aboveliquidice]

Hey Gents,

 

I had an unbelievable amount of difficulty setting up my Post 9/11 GI Bill. I finally received my first payment on Sept 17th (For August). Just today I received my payment for September - So they are finally getting caught up.

 

Hang tight - they will get to you - if in doubt, get student loans. The money will eventually arrive, at which point the difference will be forwarded to you (and you would then be able to quickly pay off your debt).

 

Feel free to post up any questions you may have - After 2 months of constant back and forth - I am pretty well versed with the GI Bill customer service.

 

Above

[Moorlock21]

Well believe it or not this isn't the VA's fault this time. I e-mailed the Veterans coordinator at my school and she said that the state schools ran into a problem because they don't charge traditional tuition(they charge fees instead) in California. Apparently they didn't decide how they were going to do it until late August so they didn't begin certifying until early September. Add 34 days processing on top of that and I'm probably looking at the second week of October to get the book stipend and tuition refunded.

There are only 77 veterans using the post 9/11 GI Bill at my school, so it's doubtful that the regional office will send someone out there to issue checks. I'm just going to wait for the refunds and forget about the check because by the time I received it(I wouldn't be able to go and get it until the 6th because of school(M,W,F) and the distances involved) and it cleared my bank I should already have the refund.

I'll try to keep everyone posted on my adventure...

 

 

Joe

[DragonFlyer]

Hey Gents,

 

I had an unbelievable amount of difficulty setting up my Post 9/11 GI Bill. I finally received my first payment on Sept 17th (For August). Just today I received my payment for September - So they are finally getting caught up.

 

Hang tight - they will get to you - if in doubt, get student loans. The money will eventually arrive, at which point the difference will be forwarded to you (and you would then be able to quickly pay off your debt).

 

Feel free to post up any questions you may have - After 2 months of constant back and forth - I am pretty well versed with the GI Bill customer service.

 

Above

 

Above,

 

Thanks so much for the update and sharing your experience. It's refreshing to see someone able to benefit from the new GI Bill in a reasonable amount of time! I am just sorry you had to go back and forth so much...but glad to know you can help if anyone needs it.

[DragonFlyer]

Well believe it or not this isn't the VA's fault this time. I e-mailed the Veterans coordinator at my school and she said that the state schools ran into a problem because they don't charge traditional tuition(they charge fees instead) in California. Apparently they didn't decide how they were going to do it until late August so they didn't begin certifying until early September. Add 34 days processing on top of that and I'm probably looking at the second week of October to get the book stipend and tuition refunded.

There are only 77 veterans using the post 9/11 GI Bill at my school, so it's doubtful that the regional office will send someone out there to issue checks. I'm just going to wait for the refunds and forget about the check because by the time I received it(I wouldn't be able to go and get it until the 6th because of school(M,W,F) and the distances involved) and it cleared my bank I should already have the refund.

I'll try to keep everyone posted on my adventure...

 

 

Joe

 

That makes sense. I remember how up at arms the VA was about the "fees" that Cali students had versus tuition. I am glad they finally got that resolved!

 

Thanks for keeping us posted.

[aboveliquidice]

Well believe it or not this isn't the VA's fault this time. I e-mailed the Veterans coordinator at my school and she said that the state schools ran into a problem because they don't charge traditional tuition(they charge fees instead) in California. Apparently they didn't decide how they were going to do it until late August so they didn't begin certifying until early September. Add 34 days processing on top of that and I'm probably looking at the second week of October to get the book stipend and tuition refunded.

There are only 77 veterans using the post 9/11 GI Bill at my school, so it's doubtful that the regional office will send someone out there to issue checks. I'm just going to wait for the refunds and forget about the check because by the time I received it(I wouldn't be able to go and get it until the 6th because of school(M,W,F) and the distances involved) and it cleared my bank I should already have the refund.

I'll try to keep everyone posted on my adventure...

 

 

Joe

 

That makes sense. I remember how up at arms the VA was about the "fees" that Cali students had versus tuition. I am glad they finally got that resolved!

 

Thanks for keeping us posted.

 

Just to add to the odd way they handle fees. They couldn't work out a clean way to pay my fees due to my rotation schedule (Final year of pharmacy school). They ended up making 4 deposits of $225.00 over the course of 3 days. I have no idea how they finally settled on making 4 deposits as opposed to one (or why it had to be spaced over 3 days???). Regardless, they do eventually get it ironed out

 

The money was very unexpected (I had exhausted all of my MGIB money previously) - so every penny I get I am thankful for.

[slayerbizkit]

Yeah they're slow as hell. I'm trying to use my MGIB Top-up and I've haven't heard anything from them in 2 months(except for a generic acknowldgement letter in the mail).

[Moorlock21]

For anyone that is interested....

 

 

Emergency GI Bill Payment FAQs

September 29, 2009

Department of Veterans Affairs

 

1. 1. What are emergency GI Bill advance benefit payments?

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki authorized advanced education payments - up to $3,000 - for veterans who have applied for VA educational benefits and who have not yet received their monthly education payment as of October 2, 2009.

 

This is an advance housing stipend and book allowance payment only.

 

2. 2. How do I get an advance payment and what do I need to provide?

Starting October 2nd, you may go to one of VA’s 57 regional offices with a government issued photo ID (Driver’s License, Military ID, etc.) and proof you are enrolled in school (class schedule, admission letter, enrollment verification letter, etc.).

 

3. 3. What if I cannot make it to a Regional Office?

Currently VA is only offering advance payments at one of our 57 offices, however they are looking into alternatives such as having VA representatives visit schools or having Veterans Service Organizations like the American Legion help distribute payments.

 

4. 4. Can I receive more than one advance payment?

No, this is a one-time advance payment, which will be deducted from future education payments. Only one payment is authorized per veteran, up to $3000.

 

5. 5. I am a veteran, am I eligible for an advance payment?

Yes, if you are currently enrolled in school under a VA education program.

 

List of VA (GI Bill) Education Programs:

* - Ch33 - Post-9/11 GI Bill

* - Ch 30 - Montgomery GI Bill

* - Chapter 1606 - Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve

* - Ch 1607 – Reserve Education Assistance Program

 

6. 6. I am a dependent, am I eligible for an advance payment?

No, payments are only available to veterans.

 

7. 7. If I have received my education payment, am I still eligible for a $3000 advance payment?

No, advance payments are only authorized for veterans who did not receive a payment on October 1, 2009.

 

8. 8. Will I have to pay this advance payment back to VA?

This payment will be recouped (deducted) from future VA payments. However, if you stop attending school during the semester, recoupment by VA will not be possible and you will have to repay the advance payment.

 

9. 9. What if I want less than $3000?

Veterans may chose to receive a payment less than $3000, however, only one advance payment is authorized regardless of amount.

 

10. 10. When can I expect future payments?

After the advance payment is recouped, you can expect future payments at the beginning of each month, which will likely start in November.

 

11. 11. How does this emergency payment affect my future education payments?

This payment will be recouped from future VA payments, however, if you stop attending school during the semester, recoupment by VA will not be possible and you will have to repay the advance payment. The exact recoupment amount will be determined once your education claim is processed.

 

This is the latest information concerning the education advance payments. At this time, there is no additional information that can be provided. If you need more information contact the VA National Call Center 1-888-GIBILL-1 or visit www.gibill.va.gov.

[DragonFlyer]

Thanks y'all!

[DragonFlyer]

More info...from IAVA.org

 

http://iava.org/press-room/press-coverage/...bill-recipients

 

IAVA.org is an amazing non-profit, non-partisan organization that my husband and I have close ties to. They've used my husband in one of their commercials in the past, and they really do amazing things on behalf of our veterans.

 

See Paul Reickhoff in this interview on CNN about the GI Bill emergency checks. I hope this helps!

[Moorlock21]

Thanks DF......I found this on the VA website-apparently you can sign up online as well as in the regional office and they will mail you a check.

 

Joe

 

Secretary Shinseki Announces Ability to Sign Up for Emergency Education Benefit Payments on VA Web-Site this Friday

September 30, 2009

Printable Version

Need Viewer Software?

 

Vans to Help Veteran-Students

 

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced further outreach to Veteran-students eligible for a special emergency payment of their education benefits. Veterans can now apply online beginning Oct. 2. Veteran-students can also request courtesy transportation to VA regional benefits offices.

 

“Our Veterans went the extra mile for their country,†Shinseki said. “One of our top priorities in transforming VA is to be, first and foremost, the advocate for Veterans.â€

 

Last week Shinseki announced that on Friday, Oct. 2, VA’s 57 regional benefits offices will begin providing on-the-spot emergency payments up to $3,000 to students who have applied for their education benefits but who have not yet received a government payment.

 

Citing the distance many Veterans would have to travel to apply in person at a VA benefits office, Shinseki announced Veterans can also apply online at www.va.gov, starting Oct. 2. The online application will guide Veterans through the process to supply needed information. Shinseki noted that online applicants will receive their emergency payments through the mail after processing.

 

“VA is adapting to meet the financial needs of our Veteran-students who are on campus,†Shinseki said. “They should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties.â€

 

Students without their own transportation can also request free van service, provided by volunteers, to carry them to the nearest benefits office. To obtain this service, Veterans would have to call their nearest VA medical center and ask for the “Volunteer Transportation Coordinator.†Transportation will be on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis. Veterans can find a map and list of medical centers at http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/division_flsh.asp?dnum=1.

 

Whether traveling by personal vehicle or volunteer van, VA officials suggest students check their mail boxes and banking accounts before leaving home, since some Veterans will find their checks have already arrived. VA would like to recognize the volunteers and Veterans Service Organizations for partnering with the Department to ensure that Veterans’ needs are met.

 

The emergency checks are an advance on each student’s education benefits, and the amount will be deducted from future benefits payments. Checks will be written at the regional offices for Veterans who bring a photo ID and evidence of their enrollment. VA officials emphasize that $3,000 is the maximum payment, with many Veterans receiving smaller payments based upon their likely monthly education benefits.

 

A map and list of the participating VA regional benefits offices is available on the Internet at http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/division_flsh.asp?dnum=3. The most updated information regarding VA issuing emergency checks will be available at VA’s web site www.va.gov starting Oct. 1.

 

Applications from approximately 25,000 Veterans are currently being processed for Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit payments to students or schools.

[013786]

Not sure if any of you are still waiting for your payments but I saw this on Navy Times and thought it might be useful.

GI BIll Emergency Payments

 

Brad

[Moorlock21]

An update!!!

 

Well I bit the bullet and took a ride down to the San Diego Regional office yesterday afternoon. Never in my life have I seen the VA act in such a professional and expeditious manner! I walked in the front door and through security and there was an employee waiting to direct me to the fourth floor. When I got off the elevator there was another employee waiting to direct me to the proper office. As I walked through the door I was handed a paper to fill out(name, social) with a number on it. They had about 20 payment stations set up and each was manned by two people-one to input into the computer and one to check your ID and documents.I waited approximately 3 minutes and my number was called. I showed the case worker my class schedule and the other worker inputted something into the computer and asked me if I wanted $3,000 or less. Naturally I said give me everything! I estimate that I spent about 5 minutes at the station before I had a check in my hand and was walking out the door. They also gave me a letter for the bank asking them not to put a hold on the funds. I drove home and deposited the check into my Navy Federal account-Apparently they had been informed of the upcoming checks and had a system in place to insure that the normal check hold(non-local check(not government) drawn on US Bank over $2500) was waived. I am completely satisfied with the way that things went and believe that VA deserves a hearty congratulations on a job well done. Now if only they would pay me back for the tuition and book stipend .

 

 

Joe

[DragonFlyer]

WOW! That *IS* amazing. Congrats and thank you so much for sharing.

 

I am so glad to see this being handled like it should be. I've been a little jaded with our experiences and known to rock some boats, and was always hopeful that improvements would be made.

[clambert1273]

I am still waiting .. I couldn't verify enrollment for September and I have been in school for a LONG time lol I didn't qualify for the new GI Bill (boo) since I am almost out of entitlement (2 months left now)... so I sucked it up and stuck with the old and went on like normal... they got my school certification on 9/2 and couldn't verify on 9/30 (last day of the month). I called VA and she said it is now 6-8 weeks to process enrollment - this is funny considering my semesters are 8 weeks! I said well that doesn't help me get my check now does it...

 

so in short - I don't have to verify for September and my check will come "sometime" in October

[DragonFlyer]

Update!

 

<h3 class="entry-header">Vets Find it Hard to Cash Emergency GI Bill Checks</h3> October 4, 2009

 

VA Seeking Assistance of Nation’s Banks in Cashing Emergency Education Payments for Veteran-Students

 

So far the biggest glitch in the VA GI Bill Emergency Payment process is that several veterans were finding it hard to cash their GI Bill advance payment checks. In some cases it was a matter of bank policy to hold funds until the check clears. This is further complicated because the checks are handwritten US Bank checks which may have seemed odd to the banks.

 

At any rate the VA is asking banks to help. In addition the VA is offering a toll-free number for banks to verify the authenticity of the checks.

 

See the VA's official letter below:

 

From VA - The Department of Veterans Affairs is issuing advance educational benefit payments to Veteran-students in the form of US Bank business checks. These emergency checks are issued in amounts not to exceed $3,000 for Veteran-students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their VA payment. VA's 57 regional offices began issuing these checks to eligible Veteran-students across the country on Friday, October 2, 2009.

 

VA is soliciting the support of local and national banks to honor and cash these emergency checks written to our Nation's Veteran-students.

 

In many cases these checks are handwritten and could pose concerns of fraud from banks. Therefore, VA has established the following special customer service call-in numbers for banks to verify the validity of any US Bank check brought to them by a Veteran.

 

1-800-827-2166

 

Banks calling these numbers will be connected directly to a VA employee who can access to all necessary information to verify who the check was issued to, the check number and dollar amount of the check, and whether the check was previously cashed or not.

[clambert1273]

JUST NOW got my school money...... 16 days past normal...

[Moorlock21]

clambert-

If I'm not mistaken you can get an EXTRA 12 months of the post 9/11 GI bill if you have exhausted the regular(chapter 30) GI Bill. I would check into this if I were you...It is kind of difficult to find info on this, but I know I saw it somewhere and was bummed because I still had 19 months left on the chapter 30 GI bill, but did the irrevocable transfer to the post 9/11 GI bill and I remember thinking that if I had planned this better that I could have used up the rest of my chapter 30 and then transfered over to the post 9/11 GI bill and gotten an extra 12 months-do some research...

The following is from the VA website:

Can I be eligible for two or more education benefits?

Answer

 

Yes, you may be eligible for more than one VA education benefit program. However, you may only receive payments from one program at a time. You can receive a maximum of 48 months of benefits under any combination of VA education programs you qualify for.

If you are unsure about whether you qualify for more than one program, submit an application to your local VA Regional Processing Office to determine eligibility.

 

If you are eligible for more than one benefit program, please notify VA of which program you intend to use upon deciding to enroll in an approved education or training course. You can contact VA using the "Ask a Question" tab above, or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551).

 

 

 

 

And now...another update to my situation!

 

I still have not received the book stipend or reimbursement for the tuition that I paid to the school in order to avoid being dropped. I spoke with a fellow veteran(in my Spanish class) and he has already received both the book stipend and the tuition-He knew nothing about the emergency checks, so hopefully he'll get that because he still hasn't gotten his BAH yet-he called the VA and they said definitely in November.

Since everyone that attends the same school as I do was certified within days of each other, I decided to call the VA and they stated in no uncertain terms that the school had not certified my enrollment yet and that it is the fault of the certifying official at the school....

 

I called the school and spoke with the veteran coordinator there. My enrollment was certified on the 10th of September-She is certain of that because she has in her possession an e-mail from the VA(that she read to me over the phone) saying that the following individuals are certified...my name and a bunch of others. She said that everyone is having problems and that only approx. 19 out of 77 student veterans had actually received the tuition and book stipend so far...Nobody has received the BAH yet...

 

I can accept the fact that the money is delayed, but the VA rep lied to me just to get me off the phone(not the first time that that has happened either)...

 

I will update when I know more!!!

 

Joe

[Moorlock21]

Not sure if any of you are still waiting for your payments but I saw this on Navy Times and thought it might be useful.

GI BIll Emergency Payments

 

Brad

 

 

Thanks Brad!

[clambert1273]

I dont qualify but thanks tho

 

I had already used a combo of 4 years between voc rehab and gi bill Even if I did qualify - I probably wouldn't take it since my school is online they won't pay me bah

[Moorlock21]

Well believe it or not this isn't the VA's fault this time. I e-mailed the Veterans coordinator at my school and she said that the state schools ran into a problem because they don't charge traditional tuition(they charge fees instead) in California. Apparently they didn't decide how they were going to do it until late August so they didn't begin certifying until early September. Add 34 days processing on top of that and I'm probably looking at the second week of October to get the book stipend and tuition refunded.

There are only 77 veterans using the post 9/11 GI Bill at my school, so it's doubtful that the regional office will send someone out there to issue checks. I'm just going to wait for the refunds and forget about the check because by the time I received it(I wouldn't be able to go and get it until the 6th because of school(M,W,F) and the distances involved) and it cleared my bank I should already have the refund.

I'll try to keep everyone posted on my adventure...

 

 

Joe

 

That makes sense. I remember how up at arms the VA was about the "fees" that Cali students had versus tuition. I am glad they finally got that resolved!

 

Thanks for keeping us posted.

 

Just to add to the odd way they handle fees. They couldn't work out a clean way to pay my fees due to my rotation schedule (Final year of pharmacy school). They ended up making 4 deposits of $225.00 over the course of 3 days. I have no idea how they finally settled on making 4 deposits as opposed to one (or why it had to be spaced over 3 days???). Regardless, they do eventually get it ironed out

 

The money was very unexpected (I had exhausted all of my MGIB money previously) - so every penny I get I am thankful for.

 

 

Is this the extra 12 months that you get if you have already exhausted the MGIB chapter 30? Is so clambert might want to know about it...

 

Joe

 

 

ETA-Nevermind...

Edited October 16, 2009 by Moorlock21

[DragonFlyer]

While speaking with the VA regional offices for my area about an entirely different matter, I brought up the GI Bill issues that our veterans are experiencing. I posed a scenario about using the DEA program versus the new GI Bill and how they don't really compare very well. I told him that the college I wanted to attend highly recommended I get the new GI Bill benefit, but my research says it's not transferable.

 

He said there are exceptions to the transferability requirements and to still apply for the new GI Bill benefit as a dependent, even if you don't "think" you qualify.

 

The rep also said that while you wait for the determination on the GI Bill transfer...you can still use the DEA program and get an emergency check for that too.

 

 

I just thought the checks were for the GI Bill, and apparently it is for any educational program offered through the VA. Hmmmm...thought I would pass it along...going with what I was told.

 

If I find out anything different, I will be sure to update!