Veterans Program Updates WVASFAA Spring Conference

1. Veterans Program Updates WVASFAA Spring Conference

2. Office of Veterans Education and Training Programs Skip Gebhart Administrator

3. The Post-9/11 GI Bill of 2008 • Began August 1, 2009 • Provides comprehensive educational benefits to veterans who served on active duty after September 11, 2001 • Tuition, Fees, Books, Supplies, Housing, et. al. • Has paid more than $8 billion in education benefits to nearly 500,000 veterans and family members

4. Public Law 111-377 The Post-9/11 “Improvements” Act of 2010 • Signed by the President January, 2011 • Intended to simplify implementation and administration of Post-9/11 benefits • Contains significant changes to the original Post 9/11 GI Bill • Affects some previous GI Bill benefits, too

5. Details and Workshops Are Coming! • Regulations to implement the changes have not been completed • We are having Certifying Officials Workshops in mid-May and hope to have regulations then • Week of May 16 • Day and a half sessions • Charleston, Morgantown • We will send details as soon as possible

6. Changes to the GI Bill • Several effective dates • Changes include: • Eligibility • Benefit payments • School processing issues

7. Active Duty and National Guard • Effective now, payable on October 1, 2011 • Expands program to include certain active State service performed by National Guard members under Title 32 U.S.C. • Effective March 5, 2011 • Limits Tuition and Fee payments for active duty members training at more than ½ time to eligibility levels (40%-100%) based on length of service (like Post 9/11 veterans)

8. Tuition and Fees • Effective August 1, 2011: • Pays all in-state public school costs (including Masters/PhDs, etc.) • Caps private school costs at $17,500 annually. • Individual state caps no longer needed • Yellow Ribbon Program still applies to costs above $17,500

9. Net Charges for Tuition and Fees Effective August 1, 2011: Schools must report net cost for tuition and fees after deducting: • Any tuition and/or fee waivers or reductions • Any scholarships, federal, state, institutional or employer-based aid (NOT Pell or Loans) applied to the student’s tuition and fee costs Will mean rethinking how and when Certifying Officials communicate with Financial Aid and Business Offices and when they certify T&Fs to VA

10. Housing Allowances Effective August 1, 2011: • Prorates Housing Allowance to training time (half pay for half-time attendance) • Allows Vocational Rehabilitation participants to elect the higher Housing Allowance offered by Post-9/11 GI Bill if otherwise eligible • Adjusts Housing Allowance Rates in August instead of January

11. Break Pay Effective August 1, 2011 “Interval pay” or “break pay” will no longer be paid for periods between terms • Applies to ALL VA education programs, not just the Post-9/11 GI Bill • Effectively reduces GI Bills’ benefits by up to two months’ pay per year • Up to $2600 for Ch. 30 • Between $1500 and $2500 for Ch. 33

12. Licensing and Certification Tests Effective August 1, 2011 • Allows reimbursement for more than one “license or certification” test (previously only one test was allowed under the Post-9/11 GI Bill) • Entitlement charged at the rate of one month for every $1460 paid by VA • Allows reimbursement of fees paid to take national exams like SAT, ACT, GMAT, LSAT, et. al.

13. More Changes. . . Effective August 1, 2011 • Allows VA to pay MGIB and MGIB-SR kickers on a monthly basis (previously paid as a lump sum payment at the beginning of the term) • Allows personnel in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Public Health Service to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to dependents

14. Non College Degree Programs Effective October 1, 2011 • Allows students to use the Post-9/11 GI bill for non-college degree (NCD) programs • Pays actual net cost for in-State tuition and fees at public NCD institutions. • At private and foreign institutions, pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees or $17,500, whichever is less. • Pays up to $83 per month for books and supplies

15. OJT, Apprenticeship, & Flight Effective October 1, 2011 • On-the-job and apprenticeship training • Pays a monthly benefit amount prorated based on time in program and up to $83 per month for books and supplies • Flight programs • Pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the school or $10,000, whichever is less, per academic year

16. Correspondence and Distance Education Effective October 1, 2011 • Correspondence training • Per academic year, pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the school or $8,500, whichever is less • Online Only Training • Pays Housing Allowance for those solely in distance learning • Half the national average of $1,348, or $674

17. Reporting Fees • In 1974, the reporting fee for handling VA paperwork was $7.00 per VA student enrolled on November 1 each year. • Now it goes up to $12.00! • Fees paid SHALL be used by schools to certify VA enrollments or otherwise support veterans programs.

18. Implications • More people now eligible for benefits • Benefits reduced for all to pay for increased costs • Policies and procedures changed; schools will have to relearn, retool, and—in some cases—redo. • Confusion of multiple policy, procedure, and program changes will mean more questions

19. Questions?