Philadelphia Tribune - Index

Philadelphia Tribune - Spring 2009 Education Guide - Index

Page 6
For individuals who served
on active military duty on or
after Sept. 11, 2001, a new
piece of legislation can help
further education goals — or
perhaps create new ones.
The Post-9/11 Veterans
Educational Assistance Act
of 2008, also known as the
Post-9/11 GI Bill, provides
veterans with financial benefits
for any approved program
offered by a school that
is authorized to grant an associate
(or higher) degree.
These questions may help
shed light on the subject for
people who have recently
served or are currently serving
in the military, as well as
their families:
Q. Am I eligible?
A. You may be eligible if
you served at least 90 aggre-
Philadelphia Tribune Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Educational Assistance Act
helps veterans of Armed Forces
gate days on active duty
after Sept. 10, 2001.
You may also be eligible if
you were honorably discharged
from active duty for
a service-connected disability
and you served 30 continuous
days after Sept. 10,
2001.
Q. When can I receive benefits
under the bill?
A. Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
are payable for training
that begins on or after Aug.
1, 2009. No payments can be
made under this program for
training pursued before that
date.
Q. How much will I receive?
A. Based on your length of
active-duty service, you may
be entitled to a percentage of
the following:
• Cost of tuition and fees,
not to exceed the most expensive
instate undergraduate
tuition at a public institution
of higher education;
• Monthly housing allowance
equal to the basic
allowance for housing
payable to a military E-5
with dependents. The
amount of the housing allowance
is based on the ZIP
code of the school and is not
payable to individuals training
at half-time or less or attending
distance learning;
• Yearly books and supplies
stipend of up to
$1,000 per year (paid to
you); and
• A one-time payment of
$500 paid to certain individuals
relocating from
highly rural areas.
Q. How many months of
assistance can I receive?
A. Generally, you may re-
ceive up to 36 months of
benefits under the Post-
9/11 GI Bill.
Q. How long am I eligible?
A. You will be eligible for
benefits for 15 years from
your last period of active
duty of at least 90 consecutive
days.
Q. Can I transfer my entitlement
to my dependents?
A. If you are a member of
the Armed Forces on Aug.
1, 2009, the Department of
Defense (DoD) may offer
you the opportunity to
transfer benefits to your
spouse or dependent children.
DoD and the military
services will issue policy on
entitlement to transferability
benefit in the coming
months.
For up-to-date information
on this and other education
benefits, visit
www.gibill.va.gov.— (NAPSI)