GI Bill... what will it pay for?

[sddorian]

Has anyone used the MGIB to pay for EC enrollment fees? How about TESC exams?

I'm active duty and have never used a penny of MGIB. I've asked my education office but they are clueless.

Thanks!

[JanusthePhoenix]

I'll tell you what EC told me.

EC uses the GI Bill on a reimbursement basis. You pay all the fees out of pocket first, then send in the forms to the VA to get reimbursed with money deducted from your GI Bill.

I'm not sure exactly how you would go about this process-wise, since you're on active duty. Best bet is to call EC and ask.

[jaer57]

Janus is correct on how it works; you pay for the exam yourself, apply for reimbursement, and get reimbursed from the VA about a month or so after you submit the paperwork.

Anyways, since you're active duty, why don't you use TA? TA will cover enrollment fees up to $4500/year. Exclesior has done it a thousand times, so asking them will get you the latest gouge, but if you have TA available you should put off using your GI bill until you absolutely have to; in my opinion.

Being active duty, you also can take excelsior exams, CLEPS, and DSST exams all for free.

Anyways, for anyone who may want to know, especially those who aren't active duty, here's where you can see what programs and tests the GI bill will pay for:

Search for Education Programs - (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)

If you take an exam, here's the form you need to fill out and submit for reimbursement:

http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/22-0810.pdf

You must apply for the GI bill before you can submit for test reimbursement.

Good luck!

[sddorian]

Thanks for the responses so far.

MGIB reimbursement would be fabulous! I'll try calling EC tomorrow.

As for TA, I was specifically told by the Ed Ctr that TA only pays for "recurring fees" and thus will not pay for EC's "one-time" application, enrollment, and grad fees.

Does anyone have an experience proving this wrong?

Thanks again!

[jaer57]

Thanks for the responses so far.

MGIB reimbursement would be fabulous! I'll try calling EC tomorrow.

As for TA, I was specifically told by the Ed Ctr that TA only pays for "recurring fees" and thus will not pay for EC's "one-time" application, enrollment, and grad fees.

Does anyone have an experience proving this wrong?

Thanks again!

That's a shame the TA won't cover the fees. I'm also not sure how the Chapter 33 GI Bill (Post 9/11) will work for EC's fees. For Chapter 30, it would only pay while you were enrolled in classes, and the payment was always in arrears (end of the month). Good luck!

[creationstory]

Janus is correct on how it works; you pay for the exam yourself, apply for reimbursement, and get reimbursed from the VA about a month or so after you submit the paperwork.

Anyways, since you're active duty, why don't you use TA? TA will cover enrollment fees up to $4500/year. Exclesior has done it a thousand times, so asking them will get you the latest gouge, but if you have TA available you should put off using your GI bill until you absolutely have to; in my opinion.

Being active duty, you also can take excelsior exams, CLEPS, and DSST exams all for free.

Anyways, for anyone who may want to know, especially those who aren't active duty, here's where you can see what programs and tests the GI bill will pay for:

Search for Education Programs - (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)

If you take an exam, here's the form you need to fill out and submit for reimbursement:

http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/22-0810.pdf

You must apply for the GI bill before you can submit for test reimbursement.

Good luck!

INTERESTING...

[Basket Weaver]

Thanks for the responses so far.

MGIB reimbursement would be fabulous! I'll try calling EC tomorrow.

As for TA, I was specifically told by the Ed Ctr that TA only pays for "recurring fees" and thus will not pay for EC's "one-time" application, enrollment, and grad fees.

Does anyone have an experience proving this wrong?

Thanks again!

TA will not pay for EC's exorbitant fees...I think they are crazy for charging a large graduation fee just for a cheap looking diploma; I believe I paid $480 for mine. I was stationed overseas and not able to attend any EC graduation ceremony; the base Education Office held one for all the university grads at the NCO club...I know Excelsior had no part at all in this ceremony.

[sddorian]

That is what I'm being told. TA won't cover those fees.

I still don't have straight info on the GI Bill... I've taken the initial steps to activate the GI Bill (I've never used it for anything after all these years) I figure that the worst that can happen is I'll apply for reimbursement for the fees and they might tell me "no." On the other hand, it could get approved and the expensive fees could become moot.

I'll keep everyone posted but I don't expect an initial response from the VA for a while...

[CLEP101]

Maybe I missed this, but does anyone know if the GI Bill will pay for Enrollment fees and graduation fees? I will need to enroll with TESC and take one class in order to get a second Bachelors.

[sddorian]

I've applied for my GI Bill benefits and I'm still waiting for a response. The only thing I've received so far is a letter saying that they have received my request and are processing it.

From looking at the GI Bill website, I can't see any reason why the GI Bill would not reimburse us for application, enrollment and even graduation fees because they are necessary for a "degree seeking track." In my mind, the same should apply for TESC Exams.

I hope I'm correct... still waiting.