Post 9/11 GI Bill Chapter 33

1. Department of Veterans AffairsThe Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008Chapter 33

2. Post 9/11 GI BillChapter 33 • Where are we now? • Yellow Ribbon Program • Fry Scholarship (Marine GYSGT. John David Fry) • Tuition and Fee Return Payments to the VA • Pending Legislation • Questions

3. Payment History • August 1, 2009 to March 11, 2010 VA has authorized payment of $2,328,162,796 for Chapter 33 education benefits • Amount of payments issued to schools $1,068,976,341; • Amount of payments issued to veterans $1,259,186,455.

4. Application Process • Chapter 33 original applications completed as of March 11, 2010 --465,409 • Chapter 33 Supplemental applications completed as of March 11, 2010 –372, 713 • Pending claims: 6,055 for original and 4,643 for supplemental

5. State of Kentucky 09/10 • VA pays schools in the state of Kentucky up to a maximum of $430.30/per credit hour • VA Pays a maximum of $11,235 per semester for fees • Tuition & fees payments are sent to the school. • Book & Housing stipends are send directly to the student.

6. Yellow Ribbon Program • Institutions within the U.S. may voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition and fee costs that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition and fees. • Provides additional funding for:Training at private institutions, Graduate training, Out-of-state tuition. • Institutions must enter into an agreement with VA each year to participate. Deadline for 10/11 is May 21, 2010.

7. Yellow Ribbon Program Who qualifesfor Yellow Ribbon? • Veterans at 100% benefit level • Dependent children • Spouse of Veteran Claimant’s tuition and fees must exceed the highest in-state course at a state college or university. School enters into an agreement to split excess tuition charges over $430.30/hr with VA

8. Yellow Ribbon Program • VA will match each additional dollar that an institution contributes, up to 50% of the difference between the student’s tuition benefit and the total cost of tuition and fees; • The combined amounts may not exceed the full cost of the school’s established charges; • Yellow Ribbon payments will be issued to the school on behalf of each student via EFT; • Payments will include student identification information and the semester, quarter or term the payment is covering.

9. Example of Yellow Ribbon Calculation Bellarmine student @ 100% VA benefits enrolled in 16 hours Fulltime Tuition = $13,900.00 Fees = $ 650.00 Total Tuition & Fees = $14,550.00 16 x $430.30 = $6,884.80 $13900 less $6884.80 = $7015.20 $7015.20/2 = $3507.60 VA pays $6,884.80 +$650 + $3507.60 = $11,042.40 BU pays $ 3,507.60 Total $14,550.00

10. Fry Scholarship • What is the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship? • Public Law 111-32, the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, amends the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) to include the children of service members who die in the line of duty after September 10, 2001

11. Fry Scholarship Who is eligible? Children of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who has died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, are eligible for this benefit. A child may be married or over 23 and still be eligible. Eligible children: ** are entitled to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level; ** have 15 years to use the benefit beginning on his/her 18th birthday; ** may use the benefit until his or her 33rd birthday; ** cannot use benefit before age 18, even if he or she has completed high school; ** are not eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program

12. Fry Scholarship When will benefits be paid? VA will begin accepting applications for this benefit May 1, 2010, and will begin issuing payments to eligible children by 8/1/10. Children enrolled from 8/1/09 through 7/31/10 may receive retroactive payments for that time

13. Where to send money back? 1. Returning the electronically received Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) payment using ACH return code R31. Note: Schools may only return a full payment to VA using the R31 ACH return code. If a student died during a term and would have only been eligible for a partial refund, the school must send the appropriate amount to the RPO of jurisdiction.

14. Tuition & Fees Return Tuition and fee payments should be returned to VA by the institution if: –The student died during the term and would have been due a refund; –The student never attended; –The institution received a payment for an individual that is not a student at the school; –The institution received a duplicate payment for a student. Note: All other overages of funds on a student’s account should be refunded in accordance with the institution’s established refund policies.

15. Where to send money back? 2. Return a paper check to : U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service P. O. Box 51318 Philadelphia, PA 19115-6316 Institutions should only return government issued paper checks received for a student to the Department of Treasury. All other checks for return of tuition and fees should be forwarded to the appropriate Agent Cashier.

16. Where to send money back? 3. Sending a check to the Agent Cashier of the Regional Processing Office (RPO) of jurisdiction. The check must include student’s full name and social security number. St. Louis Regional Processing Office 400 S. 18th Street St. Louis, MO 63103 Attn: Agent Cashier

17. Pending Legislation • Approximately 25 new education bills amending the Post-9/11 GI Bill currently on the floor. • •H. R. 4064--Distance Learning (Online) Students to receive Monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH); • •H. R. 3337--Add OJT/Apprenticeship training to Chapter 33; • •H. R. 3554--Expand Chapter 33 to Title 32 AGR and service connected release vet from Reserve duty.

18. Questions / Discussion