Anyone using the Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend WGU?

Arnie335 · June 2015

Hi - Just wondering if anyone here has used their Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend WGU (or any other online school). I know the Post 9/11 GI Bill will also pay a monthly BAH as an E5, but will they still pay this considering the school is 100% online? Any other information you can provide about benefits obtained and experiences would be great. Thanks everyone.

AC

SteveLord · June 2015

It has half the rate for a completely online school. There are a few online calculators out there you can use to figure out all of the dollars.

First thing you should do, is register on the VA for a certificate of eligibility.

Moongoon762 · June 2015

If you're not taking at least 1 class in a brick and mortar setting, you only get $754 for housing. You only get 100% BAH rate if you're attending school full time (12 credits). You get the full tuition benefit if you've completed 36 months of service. If you did less time, the payment rate for tuition changes.

thomas_ · June 2015

Moongoon762 wrote: »

IYou only get 100% BAH rate if you're attending school full time (12 credits).

What you said isn't completely accurate. Yes you need to attend full-time to receive 100% of the benefits, but full-time does not necessarily mean 12 credits. The calculation of full-time is dependent on the length of the semester and the number of credits you are taking. If you are attending college during the traditional fall and spring semesters then 12 credits is full-time. If you are attending college during the summer or are attending a college that has a different semester length then the calculations get more complicated to determine what percentage of the MHA you'll receive.

jvrlopez · June 2015

You need to go to school at what the school considers full time as well as have at least one course in person to get 100% of the BAH rate.

If you do your schooling all online, you are entitled to a specific rate. If you go online and do not meet the full time requirement, you get a percentage based upon how many hours you are taking.

Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Payment Rates For 2013 Academic Year (August 1, 2013 - July 31, 2014) - Education and Training

The biggest thing to do now is submit your original application through the VONAPP. That process is the one that takes the longest (took me 3 months) but it only has to be done the first time around.

The BAH money from an online school isn't that bad but it isn't anything you can live off of. It's great to supplement a job while you go to school. You also get a one time payment for books and materials (around $200) per each semester.

Some schools will waive your tuition while the VA is certifying your claim (they review your courses to make sure they are viable towards your degree), yet Texas A&M made me take out a loan to pay for the course while the VA was reviewing my claim. I did not like this one bit.

Also, if you fail a course under Chapter 33/Post 9/11, you do not have to pay back the VA if the course negatively impacted your GPA. If you drop the course, you have to pay. This is because the course did not affect your GPA. Kind of backwards how that works but it's something to remember if something happens. I failed 4 courses for my BA and didn't have to pay a penny back, however, a course I stopped attending had to be paid back as I got a W for a grade.

SteveLord · June 2015

From WGU (Indiana) FAQ. http://indiana.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/veterans

Will I qualify for full-time or ¾-time VA benefits?

The GI Bill is very generous for WGU students. As a WGU student, you may choose to qualify for either full-time, 3/4-time, or half-time benefits in an undergraduate program. (Half-time benefits are considered to be 12 competency units, a standard full-time load for undergraduate students at WGU.) You can vary your attendance time from term to term. Graduate students will always qualify for full-time benefits when enrolled in the minimum requirement of 8 competency units.

How do my Post 9/11 education benefits work at WGU?

Post 9/11 (CH 33) benefits are paid differently than older chapters. Based on your entitlement—which is factored from your length of qualifying active-duty service—a percentage of your tuition and fees will be sent directly to the school. 100 percent entitlement will cover your tuition and fees completely each term you have remaining entitlement. You will also receive a monthly stipend sent directly to you if you are not on active duty or the spouse of an active-duty service member utilizing a transfer of entitlement. This payment is 50 percent of the amount paid to a student attending an on-campus school, multiplied by your rate of pursuit. In an undergraduate program, 18 CU’s is considered 100 percent pursuit, but you do not have to enroll in 18 CU’s to get the benefit. 12-17 CU’s will be paid at the corresponding lesser percentage. In a graduate program, 8 CU’s is considered 100 percent pursuit. You will also receive a book stipend once each term up to the capped amount for your entitlement.

I got my COE from the VA inside a few weeks from the start of my request. Since I only qualify for 50% tuition, my BAH earned will essentially pay for the other 50%.

Arnie335 · June 2015

Thanks guys. This is exactly what I needed to know. I've been patiently waiting for my COE for a few weeks now. Should be ready soon.

Rell24 · June 2015

I suggest if you were in and paid into the old GI Bill to see if you don't make more that way. Yes you would have to pay the school but full-time for that benefit is around $1700 a month. You do the payment plan for WGU will pay the little more than $3000 to the school over 4 months while you get over $10,000 from the VA over the 6 months.

Arnie335 · June 2015

Hi Rell24 - Even though I paid in the initial 1,200 bucks, I only served 2 years in Active Duty (6 Reserve) so they will not allow me to use the Chapter 30. My only option is Chapter 33 Post GI Bill at 80%.

Anyone using the Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend WGU?

Comments