The Montgomery GI Bill was introduced to the United States after World War II. It was offered to veterans of the war to get a college education. It also provided a number of different loans. The bill did not age well, though, and did not keep up with rising college costs. This put strain on the veterans because the bill became outdated, and it was extremely challenging to go to school and work at the same time. Working was still necessary to pay for cost of living since the bill only covered the education portion. Our government is now making it a little better for those who serve in the armed forces.
As of August 1, 2009, veterans will now be able to take advantage of a new GI Bill which is called the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The eligibility requirements are simple: you are eligible if you have served a minimum of 90 days on active duty after September 10, 2001 with very few exceptions. The benefits are tiered so that the more you serve the better the benefits become.
The benefits clearly reflect how much we appreciate our veterans and rightfully so. The following benefits assume that a person is in the top-benefiting tier. Veterans may have 100% tuition and fees covered, a monthly living stipend for housing, up to $1,000 for books and supplies, a one time relocation allowance and the option to transfer benefits to a family member.
There are a couple of requirements in order to transfer benefits to a dependent family member (spouse and children). After August 1, 2009, veterans who have served 6 years in the military and agree to serve at least another 4 years may pass their benefits to dependents. The spouse or dependent must also be enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS).
95% of the military is composed of high school graduates. This is a great time for our veterans to return to school and take advantage of their intelligence.
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