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September 01, 2010 02:15 PM
Effective January 1, 2010, DoD adjusted most housing rates. VA’s housing payments under the Post-9/11 GI Bill are based on the DoD basic allowance for housing at the E-5 with dependents level for the zip code where you attend school. Our new education claims processing system will begin phasing in the new rates September 1, 2010. You can see the new rates at www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/bah.html
When will VA start paying the 2010 rates?
We will begin issuing checks at the 2010 rate on September 1st. We expect all files to be updated by the October housing payment.
Do I have to submit a form or do anything to get the new housing rate?
Your payments will update to the 2010 rates automatically, you do not need to do anything.
My housing rate increased in 2010. Do I get back-pay?
We will send you a one-time payment for the additional amount you are owed for your school attendance in 2010. The payment will cover any increase due you for housing allowance during the period January 1, 2010 through July 31, 2010 and will be direct-deposited to your account during the first week of September. The housing allowance for August, that is payable on September 1, will be at the 2010 rate.
I’m in school now and am expecting an increase. How does that work?
If you are currently in school or plan to re-enroll this year, your Retirement Home Plan monthly housing allowance for August 2010 (paid on September 1st) will be at the 2010 rate.
I started school for the first time under the Post-9/11 GI Bill after January 1, 2010 and the housing rate for my area decreased for 2010. What happens to my payments?
You were receiving the 2009 rate. Your payment on September 1st (for the housing allowance for the month of August 2010) will be paid based on the 2010 housing rate. You will not continue to be paid at the higher 2009 rate. However, any housing payments previously paid to you at the 2009 rate will not be reduced and there will not be an overpayment on your record.
I started school under the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2009 and the housing rate decreased for 2010. How does that work?
You will continue to receive the higher 2009 rate during 2010 unless you change schools or have more than a 6-month break in school attendance. However, in the transition to our new computer system, some housing payments were inadvertently reduced to the lower 2010 rate. VA is taking immediate action to pay you the higher 2009 rate.
My housing rate is the same, is there a change to my VA housing?
Your VA housing payment will not change.
If you have other questions, be sure to check www.GIBILL.va.gov and use the “Ask a Question feature, or call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551).
August 31, 2010 02:00 PM
The maximum in-state tuition and fee rates are now available for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. You can find the rates at the following link: http://www.gibill.va.gov/gi_bill_info/ch33/tuition_and_fees.htm
These rates are effective for training pursued on or after August 1, 2010 through July 31, 2011.
August 23, 2010 08:22 AM
As part of our National Outreach and Awareness Campaign, Education Service is now featuring its new series, My Story, on the GI Bill Website at: www.gibill.va.gov/my-story. Through this page we are sharing the real life stories of Veterans and Servicemembers, and their personal experiences with the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Every My Story is different. Yet they all share a common thread — creating a better future using the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
We invite you to read and watch the videos about these inspiring students. If you have a personal success story that you want to share on our My Story page please email us at post911.gibill.vbaco@va.gov. Make sure to include your full name, email address, and a few sentences about why you think you’d make a good candidate and why you would like to participate.
Also, be on the lookout for the My Story print ads in your favorite military publications and look for more videos on the website in the future.
August 19, 2010 12:22 PM
2011 Rate Tables for Montgomery GI Bill, REAP, and DEA are now online. Rate increases are effective October 1, 2010. Click here to view the new rates.
July 20, 2010 8:30 AM
We’ve noticed a few schools and webpages with an incorrect phone number for questions about the GI Bill. We want to remind you that the correct toll free number for the GI Bill Hotline is 1-888-GIBILL-1, not 1-800-GIBill-1. That phone number again is 1-888-GIBILL-1.
July 9, 2010 6:15 PM
Due to the overwhelming popularity of the Yellow Ribbon Program, VA has decided to extend the deadline for Yellow Ribbon Program agreements for the 2010 - 2011 academic year. The original deadline was May 21, 2010, but VA has extended it to July 23, 2010. Schools who otherwise sent their agreement late or missed the deadline now have an opportunity to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program.
All fields must be properly filled out and the form must be signed by an official that has the authority to enter into agreements for the school. Please send questions or concerns to the Yellow Ribbon Program Management Team at yellow.ribbon@va.gov. Completed forms must be received by VA no later than July 23, 1010.
You can learn more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program and find the agreement form by clicking here.
June 21, 2010 5:25 PM
Effective immediately, the Muskogee Regional Processing Office will now process claims for Mississippi and Alabama. The address for the Muskogee office is P.O. Box 8888, Muskogee, OK, 74402-8888.
April 30, 2010 2:25 PM
Marine Gunnery Sergeant John D. Fry, 28, of Lorena, Texas, only had a week left in his Iraq tour in 2006 when he injured his hand. He was given the option of leaving Iraq after the injury and going home with a Bronze Star. He declined and volunteered to go on one last run to defuse bombs. After working seven more hours, Gunnery Sgt. Fry was killed March 8, 2006, by an improvised explosive device in Anbar province, Iraq. He left behind his widow and three small children.
Public Law 111-32, The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, amends the Post-9/11 GI Bill to expand the benefit to children of fallen U.S. soldiers who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001.
On May 1, 2010, VA will begin accepting applications for the Fry Scholarship. Please see the Fry Scholarship fact sheet here.
April 19, 2010 10:30 AM
Initial Yellow Ribbon Information is now posted for the 2010 - 2011 school year. The list is not final and will be updated periodically as additional information is received. The final listing of schools participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program will be posted approximately June 7, 2010. Click here to view the list.
April 3, 2010 9:05 AM
Many of you have commented on the fact that your Advance Payment recoupment was more than the amount you asked VA’s Debt Management Center (DMC) to withhold from your April benefit. We hear you loud and clear and we're looking into some glitches in the system that snagged a number of people accidentally. We should have the issue solved within a few days.
Everyone is going to get all the money to which they are entitled. We understand that a number of student Veterans did not receive their March education benefit as expected on April 1 because of an error in the process of recovering funds for the Fall 2009 advance payments. For some student Veterans, the full amount of the benefit was deducted to recover the advance payment when a lesser amount should have been deducted. VA’s actions to refund this error are underway.
Letters will be sent within the next 48 hours to everyone affected by the issue either by email or through the United States Postal Service. We apologize for the inconvenience this inadvertently caused Veterans and their families. We ask for your patience as we resolve this important issue. We will update with any changes to our progress of correcting the error. You do not need to take any action; VA is working with the U.S Department of the Treasury to refund the over-collections. Payments will be issued to student Veterans within a week.
March 19, 2010 10:15 PM
If you wish to set up a payment plan for the deduction of an advance payment of benefits you received for the Fall 2009 semester you must submit a request form. Please note that requests for payment plans or credit card payments must be received prior to 10 working days of month's end to prevent deduction of the advance payment the following month. ALL REQUESTS FOR REDUCTIONS IN OFFSET ARE SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY DEBT MANAGEMENT CENTER.
Download the request form.
March 19, 2010 10:45 AM
We have updated the Frequently Asked Questions pertaining to break (or interval) pay. Click here to see them.
March 10, 2010 1:45 PM
The Education Call Center is now open from 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM central time.
March 4, 2010 10:52 AM
VA’s Debt Management Center (DMC) recently sent out letters advising veterans of their options for repaying the Advance Payment of education benefits they received for this past Fall term. If you are having trouble reaching DMC over the phone in regards to Advance Payment recoupment, you can also contact VA’s Education Call Center (ECC) toll-free at 1-888-442-4551 or visit http://www.pay.va.gov for instructions on how to submit payments. You may also go to our “Ask a Question” page to submit a question online.
February 26, 2010 1:20 PM
The Ask A Question portion of our website will be unavailable from 8:00 PM, Saturday February 27 to 12:00 PM, Sunday February 28 for a software upgrade.
February 19, 2010 10:00 AM
Effective immediately, VA's Education Call Center is now open Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 5:00pm Central Time. Please contact us at 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) with any inquiries.
February 17, 2010 10:55 AM
Effective February 19, 2010, emergency advance payment checks will no longer be available. Individuals who received advance pay for the fall semester will receive notification letters explaining the repayment process.
February 11, 2010 10:00 AM
We have posted a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the recovery procedure of the Emergency Advance Payment for Fall 2009 GI Bill benefits some personnel may have received. For more information click the headline above.