1. What Every Financial Aid Professional Ought to Know

2.  Overview of the Different GI Bill programs  More In depth discussion of Post 9/11 GI Bill  Discussion of Possible Institutional Procedures  Questions

3.  Only Ch 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill) and Ch. 31 (Vocational Rehabilitaton) pays directly to the school. All others pay a stipend directly to the student.  Can only use one benefit at a time.  Maximum of 48 months of benefits under all programs combined.  Only VA can make determination of benefit eligibility!!!

4.  Eligibility  Served at least 2 years on Active Duty  Paid $1,200 Contribution  Honorably Discharged  Entitlement  36 Months  Delimiting Date  10 years from last date of discharge from Active Duty

5.  Payment Rates (effective 10/01/2010):  Less than 3 years service: ▪ Full time - $1,158.00 ▪ ¾ time - $868.50 ▪ ½ time - $579.0o  3 years or more service: ▪ Full time - $1,426.00 ▪ ¾ time - $1,069.50 ▪ ½ time - $713.00

6.  Eligibility  Enlist in Selected Reserve for at least 6 years.  Completed Initial Active Duty Training  Currently actively drilling with Reserve Unit and in good standing.  Entitlement  36 months  Delimiting Date  Generally only eligible while actively drilling.

7.  Payment Rates (Effective 10/01/2010)  Full time - $337.00  ¾ time - $252.00  ½ time - $167.00  Less than ½ time - $84.25

8.  Eligibility  Member of Reserves called to active duty after 9/11/2001 under Title 10 and served at least 90 consecutive days.  Must return from active duty and complete their contract in the Selected Reserves.  Entitlement  36 Months  Delimiting Date  Not fixed – must return to reserve component from which they were called to active duty

9.  Payment Rates (Effective 10/01/2010) Training TimeConsecutive service of 90 days but less than one year Consecutive service of 1 year but less than 2 years Consecutive service of 2 years or more. Full time$570.40$855.60$1,140.80 ¾ Time$427.80$641.70$855.60 ½ Time$285.20$427.80$570.40

10.  Eligibility  Parent or Spouse must have a permanent & total service-connected disability, have died as the result of a service- connected disability, or died in the line of duty.  Entitlement  45 Months  Delimiting Date  Children-generally 10 years from the effective date of rating or date of notification.  Spouses – 20 years from effective date of rating.

11.  Payment Rates (effective 10/01/2010)  Full time - $936.00  ¾ time - $702.00  ½ time - $466.00

12.  Eligibility  Must have a service- connected disability rated at least 10% which causes a demonstrable employment handicap  Must have the approval of their Rehab Counselor to pursue study at an IHL.  Any Discharge other than Dishonorable  Entitlement  48 months  Delimiting Date  Up to 12 years from last separation or date service connection of the disability is determined.

13.  School must receive notification of eligibility directly from the Voc. Rehab. Counselor.  Indicates approved course of study and effective dates  VA pays full tuition & fees directly to the school.  VA pays for books & supplies required for training.  Student also receives subsistence allowance while enrolled.

14.  Some significant differences between Post 9/11 GI Bill and all other GI Bill Programs.  For the first time since the 1 st GI Bill the VA pays tuition & fees directly to the schools  Allows for active members of the military to transfer their benefits to dependents.  Payments to/for veterans vary depending on the location of the college they are attending.  Allows for a tiered benefit based on length of service.

15.  Eligibility  Must have served at least 90 days of active duty after 9/10/2001; or  Must have served at least 30 consecutive days of active duty after 9/10/2001 and discharged due to a service-connected disability.  Must have been honorably discharged.

16.  Entitlement  36 months  If veteran transfers from Ch. 30 they only have the number of months remaining of their Ch. 30 benefits.  Delimiting Date  15 years from the date of last discharge or release from active duty of at least 90 days.

17. Benefit Tiers: Post 9/11 ServicePercentage of Max Amount Payable At least 36 months100% At least 30 continuous days on active duty and discharged due to service-connected disability. 100% At least 30 months, but less than 36 months90% At least 24 months, but less than 30 months80% At least 18 months, but less than 24 months70% At least 12 months, but less than 18 months60% At least 06 months, but less than 12 months50% At least 90 days, but less than 06 months40%

18.  Tuition & Fees  Individuals not on active duty are eligible for the applicable percentage for the lesser of: ▪ Tuition & fees charged; or ▪ Highest amount of tuition & fees charged for in-State undergraduate training at a public institution in the state the student is enrolled.  Individuals on active duty are eligible for the lesser of: ▪ Tuition & Fees charged; or ▪ The amount of charges that exceed the amount paid by the military’s federal tuition assistance.  Fees are defined as mandatory charges (other than tuition, room & board) that are applied by the institution for pursuit of an approved degree program.  Amounts for Missouri this year are $373 per credit hour tuition and $11,898.00 per term fees.

19.  Monthly Housing Stipend  Equal to the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E- 5 w/dependents for the zip code of the school.  Cannot be active duty, enrolled half-time or less, or enrolled entirely in distance learning courses.  Book & Supplies Stipend  Students Can receive up to $1000 per year  $41.67 per credit hour for up to 24 credit hours  Those on active duty are not eligible.

20.  Yellow Ribbon Program  School may contract with the VA to pay all or part of unmet charges.  VA will match school’s contributions toward the unmet charges up to 50%  Issued on a first-come, first-served basis to those eligible  Schools determine the number of slots available and may limit contribution amounts by education level

21.  Yellow Ribbon Program Eligibility  Must be eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at the 100% benefit level  Must have unmet charges (Active Duty not eligible for Yellow Ribbon.)  Must maintain satisfactory progress  Sgt. Fry Scholarship Recipients are not eligible  The Yellow Ribbon Program is always tied to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. After a student is no longer eligible for Post 9/11 they are no longer eligible for the YRP.

22. Transfer of Entitlement  Ch. 33 allows active members of the armed forces to transfer benefits to a spouse or child.  Spouses may use benefits after member has served 6 years and receive benefits according to the status of the service member  Children may use benefits after member has completed 10 years and receive benefits at the veteran rate.

23.  Transfer of Entitlement  Service member must apply to their branch of service to transfer benefits to dependents.  After transfer is approved the dependent then must apply for benefits through the VA.  Dependent receives the benefit at the same level the service member would receive.

24.  Gunnery Sargeant John David Fry Scholarship  For Children of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who has died in the line of duty on or after 09/11/2001.  Entitled to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level  Have 15 years from their 18 th birthday to use the benefit  Cannot use benefits before their 18 th birthday or until they have completed high school.  Are NOT eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program

25.  STUDENTS MUST INFORM US THAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GI BILL BENEFITS – The VA does not inform us of those who have applied for benefits.  Requirements are often more strictly enforced for Post 9/11 GI Bill than for any other Chapter  Communicate with your Veterans Certifying Official about your institutional procedures!  I am going to discuss what we do at SLU along with some other options that other schools may use.

26.  Student must provide documentation of GI Bill Eligibility  DD-214/NOBE  Application for Benefits  Certificate of Eligibility or prior Award Letter  Students cannot be certified until they have actually registered for classes.

27.  School Certifying Official (SCO) Verifies Student’s Enrollment  SCO Runs Degree Audit to verify all courses apply to Degree Program  SCO Certifies Enrollment to the VA  SCO must notify VA of any changes in enrollment within 30 days of the change

28.  After SCO certifies enrollment to the VA, Student Accounts & the bookstore are notified of the student’s eligibility for Voc. Rehab.  Student Accounts Invoices the VA for the Tuition & Fees charged and applies Third Party Payment to the student’s account.  No Refunds are issued until payment is received from the VA.

29.  In addition to verifying Enrollment, SCO must also verify tuition & fees charged to student.  Tuition & mandatory fees are reported to the VA as part of Enrollment Certification.  SCO calculates the payments expected from the VA and, if necessary, the Yellow Ribbon Program amount.  SCO sends notification to Student Accounts of the VA & Yellow Ribbon payment amounts.

30.  Student Accounts applies amounts as Third- Party Payments to the student’s account.  Refunds are not made to the student until the VA pays the funds – This may result in an apparent balance on the student’s account.  Only Tuition & Fees are paid to the school. The Monthly Housing Stipend and the Books & Supplies Stipend are paid directly to the student.

31.  Yellow Ribbon is awarded on the first-come, first-served basis.  Those eligible are required to complete an online application that is available for a set period of time before each semester begins.  Student must be accepted before they will be considered  Student must show proof of eligibility before Yellow Ribbon will be awarded.

32.  The Yellow Ribbon Program cannot be combined with other Saint Louis University institutional awards to result in a surplus for the student.  Any other awards will be reduced so that the total award does not exceed the cost for tuition & fees.  Private sources of support can choose what to do with any surplus.

33.  SLU has contracted to fund a maximum of 50 students during any given year.  Currently this total number is available to any student, at any level, from any school except the Medical School.  SLU currently pays 50% of remaining charges for these 50 students.  Contract is renewed each year so this could change in the future.

34.  Remember payments made to students are paid in arrears (with the exception of the Books & Supplies Stipend)  Tuition Assistance & GI Bill are two very different things and are administered very differently  Only the VA can tell a student if they are eligible for the GI Bill  GI Bill Website: www.gibill.va.gov

35. Questions?