Administration Destoys My GI BILL!

So I got a letter yesterday from the Veterans Administration regarding my GI Bill. So, after serving four years in the Marine Corps, after going to Iraq for a tour of duty, after honoring my contract with the Marine Corps, my GI Bill is being severely altered after the fact?

I was planning on going to Stanford in the Fall on the GI Bill, but payment for tuition to private schools has been radically reduced now. If I go to a public school, which it now appears I will have to do if I want to continue my education now, they will pay everything. So now the government is telling me which schools I can go to and which I cannot? It seems clear to me that this new law, passed, apparently, in a lame-duck session of Congress, is designed to funnel money into the public school system and take it away from private schools.

Since my heart was set on going to Stanford, it seems the only alternative for me now is to take a one-year job in Afghanistan to earn the additional money I will need to pay tuition at Stanford myself, assuming they will accept me a year from now. It is really too late for me to find alternate funding sources for the Fall semester, as the deadlines have passed and my GI Bill was my ace in the hole.

This really stinks! I am all for shared sacrifice, but it is not like they paid me a whole lot of money while I served. The GI Bill was pretty much the only benefit I was looking forward to and they haven't really cut it, just shifted the money from one set of schools and shoveled it in the direction of another set of schools, ones THEY approve of. This is not right, especially since many of those public schools are quite anti-military to begin with! I am certainly NOT going to attend UC Berkeley! I worked hard to get into the school of MY choice and should not be denied that opportunity after I served my time and was promised this benefit.

These guys just lost my vote in any future elections!

talk to stanford financial aid. if you're a low income student (under 60k) they drop your tuition

thats awful. We REALLY need to take care of our servicemen. Sad to know you/they dont get the respect and privileges thats deserved.

Sorry to hear it.

Originally Posted by LatinStyleLover

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So I got a letter yesterday from the Veterans Administration regarding my GI Bill. So, after serving four years in the Marine Corps, after going to Iraq for a tour of duty, after honoring my contract with the Marine Corps, my GI Bill is being severely altered after the fact?

I was planning on going to Stanford in the Fall on the GI Bill, but payment for tuition to private schools has been radically reduced now. If I go to a public school, which it now appears I will have to do if I want to continue my education now, they will pay everything. So now the government is telling me which schools I can go to and which I cannot? It seems clear to me that this new law, passed, apparently, in a lame-duck session of Congress, is designed to funnel money into the public school system and take it away from private schools.

Since my heart was set on going to Stanford, it seems the only alternative for me now is to take a one-year job in Afghanistan to earn the additional money I will need to pay tuition at Stanford myself, assuming they will accept me a year from now. It is really too late for me to find alternate funding sources for the Fall semester, as the deadlines have passed and my GI Bill was my ace in the hole.

This really stinks! I am all for shared sacrifice, but it is not like they paid me a whole lot of money while I served. The GI Bill was pretty much the only benefit I was looking forward to and they haven't really cut it, just shifted the money from one set of schools and shoveled it in the direction of another set of schools, ones THEY approve of. This is not right, especially since many of those public schools are quite anti-military to begin with! I am certainly NOT going to attend UC Berkeley! I worked hard to get into the school of MY choice and should not be denied that opportunity after I served my time and was promised this benefit.

These guys just lost my vote in any future elections!

Which guys, exactly?

Originally Posted by indesertum

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talk to stanford financial aid. if you're a low income student (under 60k) they drop your tuition

Do they drop it to the max amount paid by the GI Bill, if you know? Do you know anything about the "Yellow Ribbon" program and Stanford?

What really stinks is that I have been living on my own since entering the Corps. I returned and have been living in an apartment for two years, paying my own tuition, plus the Pell Grant, at a Junior College, having saved pretty much every penny I earned during my four years of duty. I have taken every class that interests me at the school, having earned dual AA degrees in Physics and Mathematics with a 4.0 GPA and yet they have an assumed "Parents Contribution" that they count regardless.

I am afraid that my parents income will ruin this for me. I know it sounds weird, but I will not allow my parents to pay a single penny of my tuition, which they would. If you knew my dad's story and what he endured to get where he is now you would understand why it is important to me to do this on my own. I will not accept help from my parents, other than family friends who are Stanford alumni doing what they can to assist with entrance.

In any event, I will call financial aid and see exactly how much tuition is covered and what additonal money I would have to raise. I thought I had this all planned out perfectly, and then this.

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

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Sorry to hear it.

Which guys, exactly?

Passed during the last "lame-duck session of Congress." I think it is rather self-explanatory.

Hold your horses buddy... The new gi bill is amazing... The problem is your school... Plus this new GI Bill came about before the current administration... I only got 10 months of the new benefit as I used most of my benefits under the old GI Bill which did indeed suck. Your problem is Stanford will only match, under the Yellow Ribbon $3k to the VA's $3k. My school matches $20K to the VA's $20k, this is on top of the highest instate tuition!! I.E. complete free ride... Wait there's more, I also get housing allowance of ~2,200+/month tax free and a book stipend. It's not the VA that's to blame, it's Stanford, yellow ribbon participation is up to the school. Now you'll also get the highest instate tuition from the VA as well, not sure what that is in California. Chapter 33 Post 9/11 though is AMAZING http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/r.../yellow-ribbon "The Yellow Ribbon Provision of the New Post-9/11 GI Bill Stanford is committed to providing benefits through the Yellow Ribbon Provision of the Post 9-11 GI Bill. If you qualify for Chapter 33 benefits at the 100% level, you will receive additional tuition funding through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Under this program, Stanford provides an annual award of $3,000 to supplement the Chapter 33 base tuition benefit (disbursed quarterly, excluding Summer quarter). The VA matches Stanford’s Yellow Ribbon contribution, so the student receives a combined total of $6,000 in additional funds. The amount of the institutional contribution is higher for graduate students enrolling at the Graduate School of Business. The Graduate School of Business will provide a $7,500 annual award (disbursed quarterly, excluding Summer quarter). The VA matches this contribution for a combined total of $15,000 in additional funds. "

Originally Posted by Zackb911

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Ya not sure what you're talking about the new gi bill is amazing... I only got 10 months of it as I used most of my benefits under the old GI Bill which did indeed suck.

You would be correct the the "new" GI Bill [was] amazing, but it got altered a few months ago by Congress and the President. If you want to attend a public school the changes they made are great, truly. I don't, at least not until grad school, maybe.

I saved my entire GI Bill, paying for the last two years plus of school out of funds I saved while serving. I just activated it for my last semester and to pay two years at Stanford. I would still have a substantial portion of the bill available for grad school later, too. Since I am single, lived on base, and pretty much spent most of my free time writing programs on my computer or reading books that were of interest to me, I managed to save quite a bit of money.

In any event, I agree that the GI Bill I was "promised" when I went in was superb. It has been changed, ever so slightly, but in truth significantly to favor public universities. Since you have exhausted yours, you might not be aware of these changes. I just got the letter yesterday!

Originally Posted by LatinStyleLover

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You would be correct the the "new" GI Bill [was] amazing, but it got altered a few months ago by Congress and the President. If you want to attend a public school the changes they made are great, truly. I don't, at least not until grad school, maybe.

I saved my entire GI Bill, paying for the last two years plus of school out of funds I saved while serving. I just activated it for my last semester and to pay two years at Stanford. I would still have a substantial portion of the bill available for grad school later, too. Since I am single, lived on base, and pretty much spent most of my free time writing programs on my computer or reading books that were of interest to me, I managed to save quite a bit of money.

I any event, I agree that the GI Bill I was promised when I went in was superb. It has been changed, ever so slightly, but in truth significantly to favor public universities. Since you have exhausted yours, you might not be aware of these changes. I just got the letter yesterday!


I'm not seeing any changes reflected on the VA website nor was I ever notified of any changes to my benefit under Chapter 33...

It's always been highest in-state tuition plus the yellow ribbon, which again is up to the school. Nothing has changed for me, my school will still pay the same as does the VA (combined $40k+/year). The only problem I see is your school has a weak Yellow Ribbon program.

Maybe if you could clarify on specifics of how yours has changed, I'm just not seeing it. Trust me I've been getting the GI Bill for years, undergrad and now finishing law school, I'm practically a pro with this stuff.

Stanford will meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need.

Originally Posted by Zackb911

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I'm not seeing any changes reflected on the VA website nor was I ever notified of any changes to my benefit under Chapter 33...

I don't have a scanner, but when I get a chance to get to my parents house I will try and scan the letter in its entirety and either link it or insert it as an image file and you can read it for yourself. I hope you are right, truly, but the letter seemed pretty clear to me. I am off to class now anyway so I will see if anyone has provided some additional useful information when I get back. Some of what I have read here already at least gives me hope.

Originally Posted by LatinStyleLover

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I don't have a scanner, but when I get a chance to get to my parents house I will try and scan the letter in its entirety and either link it or insert it as an image file and you can read it for yourself. I hope you are right, truly, but the letter seemed pretty clear to me. I am off to class now anyway so I will see if anyone has provided some additional useful information when I get back. Some of what I have read here already at least gives me hope.
I think I found it: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=1184 The private school tuition cap Another important change is the national cap of private and foreign schools set at $17,500 a year. That might be alarming to those attending private school now, but the Yellow Ribbon Program is still in effect and will be available for the fall semester. Since the changes just happened, many schools have not formalized how the changes will affect their programs in terms of the amount of Yellow Ribbon students and other factors. Check with your VA or financial aid official on campus to see if the new rules impact your ability to attend cost-free. I don't know the details but also keep in mind you'll get BAH and likely the Yellow Ribbon ($6K)in the Fall, i.e. $23.5k year plus housing and financial aid. Still not too shabby, though I would start pushing the school to up their yellow ribbon!

just check with the financial aid office. they're not out to **** with you

you might have to file as a independent (which would mean you dont get any aid for housing or living expenses from parents) to get them to fund your tuition.

i'm not sure about your family situation, but it seems a little unloving to deny the opportunity for someone to show love for you. i have a catholic friend who does a ton of things for me, but wont ever let me do anything for him. i think a relationship means not just giving, but also the grace to accept other people's giving

why do you say it's too late to file for fall? it's march, most schools fafsa deadlines aren't for several months. also, as a veteran, you are able to automatically file as an independent.

FAFSA deadlines are usually arbitrary and flexible. The newest FAFSA, for award year 2011-2012 is based on 2010 Federal income tax returns, which do not have to be filed until...I think it's the 19th this year. UNlike the rest of the federal givernment, the dept of ED's fiscal basically begins July 1st (as opposed to October) The aid you're requestion now must be initiated before 6/30/2011. That is the only real deadline. Even if you do the FAFSA after school starts, they can still disburse aid back-dated to the beginning of the term.

What others have said about Yellow-Ribbon is right. Your GI Bill (chap 33) was never meant to pay for all of your private school tuition. The VA expected the schools to do their part for Vets. Unfortunately, an absurdly high percentage of Chapter 33 money was going to proprietary shools, many of which were not providing valuable education or credentials to the Vets. Make no mistake, the cap on private school tuition is definitely a shot at the University of Phoenixes and AIU Onlines of the world.