Post-9/11 GI Bill offers benefits for dependents Published Nov. 23, 2009 By Staff Sgt. Carolyn Viss 15th Airlift Wing Public Affairs HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii -- Parents, rejoice! Your unused education benefits can be passed to our children with the new Post-9/11 Montgomery G.I. Bill. The same benefit can be transferred to military spouses as well, as of Aug. 1 - an asset many senior-ranking military members are eagerly signing up for, especially if they are through with higher education themselves. "A phenomenal number of people are now able to take advantage of the MGIB, which is now open to people who were previously excluded from MGIB or who refused the MGIB," said Joe Peace, 15th Mission Support Squadron Education Services Director. Those now eligible include Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship graduates and Air Force Academy graduates, but if you are going to transfer, the decision has to be made prior to separation or retirement, said Peace. Spouses or children up to age 26 are eligible. "Keep in mind, active-duty members can still use tuition assistance," Peace said. "Many use that to get off-duty education and get their own degrees and plan to save [the MGIB] for dependents." The initial wave of members transferring to the Post-9/11 GI Bill were senior noncommissioned officers and senior officers, those toward the end of their career who already have children college-age or just under, he said. One such user, Lt. Col. Rodger Phillips, 15th Contracting Squadron commander, recently selected his daughter to be the beneficiary. "The Post-9/11 GI Bill will cover tuition, administrative fees, and a $1,000 in books this year for my daughter's expenses," Colonel Phillips said. "She will also receive a staff sergeant pro-rated housing allowance for the dates she is in school!" Members must deal directly with the department of Veterans Affairs to transfer benefits, Peace said. "There's a very intuitive and easy to use web site, and I have talked to dozens of people who say it's five- to 10-min process," said Peace. People can get refunds from the $1,200 they originally contributed to the MGIB, he said; however, they must transfer to Post-9/11 and exhaust the limits of the benefits before that refund takes effect. The new GI Bill offers 36 months of benefits, equivalent to a four-year college degree. Members are paid at the rate of the highest public school tuition in the state they attend. Many schools are more expensive; however, many offer the Yellow Ribbon program where schools agree to pay half the difference over and above or the VA comes back and kicks in the other half. "We had a very senior officer in PACAF who we counseled whose daughter is now at Harvard," Peace said. "The new rules were a huge benefit to the family and we are going to have a much "merrier" Merry Christmas this year during these tough economic times," said Colonel Phillips. "I also look forward to transferring the remaining benefits to my son in about 10 years. It's a super program, and I would highly encourage everyone to take advantage of the extremely flexible benefits." For briefings, counseling, commander's calls, etc. call Joe Peace or at 449-6363 or Flora Wood 448-8074.