Active Duty Montgomery GI bill Questions

[CagedFatKid]

I have applied for my Montgomery GI Bill and I got the paperwork in the mail confirming my direct deposit account, and my approval. It says that I get 36 months of deposits and that the deposits will go into my account but there is nothing else. When will I start receiveing these deposits? Does anyone know? Also I am currently deployed so I wont be taking another class till Novemeber, where I will be taking 3 classes. With 3 classes, all online, I will get 1,000 a month roughly from the gi bill. I was wondering how that would work currently. Would I still get paid that amount cause Ive already taken 6 classes for this year.

Thank you for your help.

[blu2blu]

Just to be clear you are talking about the old Montgomery GI Bill not the new Post 9/11 GI Bill, right?

You will not receive 'back payment' for courses you have already taken and you will not receive any deposits until your school does your GI Bill paperwork and you can show the VA that you are enrolled and taking classes.

I would call the VA or do some googling. I do not remember how the old MGIB worked while you are on active duty but I seem to remember something about active duty members not receiving the full amount that a full time veteran student would.

Are you sure you can take three courses at a time while still working full time?

[CagedFatKid]

Yes the MGIB. The Post 9/11 does not give me the money it only pays for tutition. I need the money for tuition, and clep test materials and also straighterline courses. I can take 3 courses. I take two right now each semester with no issues. It is true that I do not get anywhere near the amount I would if I wanted till I was out of the Marines, but the TA is not enough to cover my expenses, and I will have my masters by the time I reach my EAS. I am not really converned with using it afterwards. I might take classes just for the hell of it to get the SGT BAH after I get out if I have any months left, but other then that I will not use it. If I am going 100% online school, with halftime course load (3 courses), and going to Excelsior(in New York City) Then I will get 1,080 a month.

[CagedFatKid]

Sorry for the double post, but I had one more quesiton to add. Do I need to get with EXE about the MGBI or will the VA do that already?

[pitbull30]

Those payments wont kick in until you register in November and the school verifies you are attending. Then you go online or call at the end of each month through WAVE and click a button saying you are certifying attendance.

It could have changed, but under regular GI bill you wont get money for CLEP test materials. You submit the reimbursement form for the cost of sitting the test after the CLEP test.

Im not sure if staighterline is VA approved? Did you look it up? I didnt see it on the VA.gov site. I thought they wont pay for SL because its technically not a college.

You said you are using the MGIB but you would have to convert your MGIB to the post 9/11 bill if you want BAH. If you were doing 3 courses wont you get BAH ? Then you could use that for CLEP materials, straighterline etc.

Someone correct me if im wrong. I just got back into this again. I used the MGIB not the post 9/11 because i was using it for tech training instead of college. (i think they changed that now with the 9/11 though now)

[blu2blu]

He would not receive the BAH from the Post 9/11 GI Bill while on active duty anyway. His plan seems to be to take enough courses through Excelsior or another college so that he can collect the MGIB payments which he can then use on Straighterline and CLEP materials. I am assuming that he is using, and maxing out, his TA while all of this is happening.

Not a bad plan if it works.

You would need to do the VA paperwork with Excelsior. They will show you what forms need to be done to begin the VA payment process.

[valsacar]

Unless the payments from the MGIB is more than the cost of classes I don't see how this would work. You can't submit for MGIB payments for classes that were paid for through TA, so it would have to be for classes after your TA runs out for the year (so after about 6 classes).

[blu2blu]

Unless the payments from the MGIB is more than the cost of classes I don't see how this would work. You can't submit for MGIB payments for classes that were paid for through TA, so it would have to be for classes after your TA runs out for the year (so after about 6 classes).

True story I forgot about that. There may not be a lot of money left after paying tuition and books for three classes.

[CagedFatKid]

My plan for clarrification:

1. November-January Use TA for 2 courses.(max allowed per semester) and MGIB for 1 course.

2. Febuary-June Use TA for 2 courses, and MGIB for 1 course.

3. July-October-Use TA for 2 courses, and MGIB for 1 course.

And so on.

To complte a total of 3 courses each semester(non-traditional...including summer semester) then a payment of 1,080 each month from MGIB.

Totaling 12,960. Then paying for only 3 of the courses, which is about 2500. Then use the rest for other things like clep and materials and such things.

I do not plan to pocket much of the money I will be using it towards my education in one way or another. I am trying to figure out if this is feasiable but no one can anwser me. I call VA they tell me to e-mail active duty rep. I e-mail him, he tells me that he cannot help me. I contact my consuler at Lejeune who tells me to contact the VA. Then I ask Excelsior and they tell me that I need to just start my courses. I cannot start my courses cause I have used all my TA and I dont have the money to do so. I cannot go talk to anyone cause I am in Afghanistan and they do not have any representatives here. I am in quite a pickle.

Hope that cleared up the confusion. ...I just want to get my edumacation