domtri33 wrote:
So I was looking at the benefits for the post 9/11 GI bill and its a really sweet deal, especially the BAH part. Said that benefits begin August 1, 2009. I guess this caused two questions to come to mind. 1. Will the financial aid offices at schools automatically assume that you will be getting GI benefits and adjust whatever loan/scholarship package they offer. 2. How do you go about applying for these benefits, and will they be available for students starting in the fall?
1. The Montgomery GI Bill already exists, so the fact applicants may be using a GI Bill is nothing new. If you fill out the Federal Aid form (
FAFSA) then there is already a block to check for whether you will be using the post 9/11 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill, so I assume aid based on the Federal Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be adjusted accordingly. So if you're talking about merit scholarships, the answer should be no. If you're talking about post-acceptance aid applications, all sources of income are considered, so yes.
2. While the new GI benefits have been passed into law, the VA has not yet implemented a method to apply or enroll. When the details are finally worked out, it should be announced here first:
https://www.gibill.va.gov/. According to the law, the funds should be available for this Fall... but only if you have faith in the system.
The new GI Bill is definitely a great deal. There is also something called a "Yellow Ribbon program" where the VA will match any funds the school puts up to close the gap between the GI Bill and their tuition. The VA has not released the list of schools that will participate in this program, if any, and to what extent. Just keep checking that GI Bill web site for updates. That's all I can do anyway.