Did any Poolees here get the GI Bill kicker ("Marine Corps College Fund") ?

[Tolerance]

My friend who's a Reservist has it (he enlisted a year ago though).

Is this still available, or did they get rid of it as part of the NEW post-9/11 GI Bill?

And, if still available... is it listed somewhere in our contract?

[ThundaFromUnda]

My recruiter told me I was eligible for it if I chose to finish up with the Marine Corps after my 4 years.

[BR34]

The GI Bill will be discussed and taken care of in boot camp.

[Tolerance]

The GI Bill will be discussed and taken care of in boot camp.

I understand that, Cpl.

The College Fund ("kicker") needs to be in your contract before you leave to obtain it though. This is why im inquiring about it to see whether or not the Corps did get rid of this as part of the NEW GI Bill (like I have heard a recruiter mention).

[Tolerance]

BR34...

Spoke to my recruiter and he coincidently did mention that the GI Bill does get taken care of in bootcamp.

BUT, he mentioned something about that the Marine Corps college fund isnt available anymore because of the New GI Bill? (something im still trying to figure out if so).

also, after searching online... it IS supposed to be listed in your initial contract upon enlistment.

I keep scratching my head... just wanna get this cleared up. thanks for the GI Bill/bootcamp info, BR34!

[blackshirts]

Tolerance,

What is it and is it only for reservists?

[AviatorDog]

Tolerance,

What is it and is it only for reservists?

From what Ive read (I'm signing reserve) the kicker is only for reserves. Its basically $350 a month for 36 months along with your 11k GI Bill (Active gets bigger GI Bill)

[Tolerance]

Tolerance,

What is it and is it only for reservists?

an extra $350 (a "kicker") added to your GI Bill income each month

From what Ive read (I'm signing reserve) the kicker is only for reserves. Its basically $350 a month for 36 months along with your 11k GI Bill (Active gets bigger GI Bill)

hmm... maybe it might be for Reservists? not sure; haven't read anything about it.


ask your recruiter and let us know? :)

[PaidinBlood]

Y'all need to quit talking sh!t and listen. I JUST got the GI Bill brief from the VA and it all goes away Aug1. Those of us who paid our $1200 will have the chance to pick new or old. Those who bought into the kicker lose out. And as the Cpl said, it will be covered in boot camp. I swear y'all are good people, just need to settle down a bit..

[Tolerance]

Y'all need to quit talking sh!t and listen. I JUST got the GI Bill brief from the VA and it all goes away Aug1. Those of us who paid our $1200 will have the chance to pick new or old. Those who bought into the kicker lose out. And as the Cpl said, it will be covered in boot camp. I swear y'all are good people, just need to settle down a bit..

PaidinBlood coming in for the save :D

thanks for the confirmation! :thumbup:

[chrizzle17]

My roommate shipped in January and received what I believe was called option C, or the largest kicker available. He went into the Navy. I however, was told I am ineligible because i signed up in the Marine Corps reserve infantry, which is not a critical mos.

[ohsdrummer08]

I graduated from boot Jan 16 this year, and it was dealt with at bootcamp. There are differences between the old an d new GI bills and also between active/reserve GI bills... but it is all explained at bootcamp.

[Aaron20080630]

Tolerance, I think you may be mixing up the GI Bill and the Marine Corp College Fund.
They are too different things. Just think of the Marine Corp College Fund as a signing bonus, I got offerd 50,000$ Marine Core College Fund for me to leave early, in addition to the GI Bill that everybody gets.

"The Marine Corps College Fund

If you complete an active duty contract of at least 48 months, you may become eligible for the Marine Corps College Fund. In combination with the Montgomery GI Bill, it provides almost all of the funding necessary for your college education. Recipients of the fund can get up to $50,000 for college "

I got that from *************, here is the link. There is a bunch of good stuff on education progams the Marines offer.
http://www.*************/money-for-school/marine-corps-education-programs

[Tolerance]

I graduated from boot Jan 16 this year, and it was dealt with at bootcamp. There are differences between the old an d new GI bills and also between active/reserve GI bills... but it is all explained at bootcamp.


what was exactly explained/dealt with at boot?

from what the "RULES" say, a person needs to get the "College Fund" in their initial enlistment contract in order to obtain it.



Tolerance, I think you may be mixing up the GI Bill and the Marine Corp College Fund.
They are too different things. Just think of the Marine Corp College Fund as a signing bonus, I got offerd 50,000$ Marine Core College Fund for me to leave early, in addition to the GI Bill that everybody gets.

"The Marine Corps College Fund

If you complete an active duty contract of at least 48 months, you may become eligible for the Marine Corps College Fund. In combination with the Montgomery GI Bill, it provides almost all of the funding necessary for your college education. Recipients of the fund can get up to $50,000 for college "

I got that from *************, here is the link. There is a bunch of good stuff on education progams the Marines offer.
http://www.*************/money-for-school/marine-corps-education-programs


idk why the link didnt show? :confused:

[blackshirts]

Put spaces in that address...so is this only if your recruiters offer this to you? That's ridiculous how some are told of these things and others aren't. It'd be huge for me to get something like that after 4 years of loans at a university.

Hopefully it doesn't have to be in your contract and I can get it down the road.

[Tolerance]

after talking to my recruiter, he said AT BOOTCAMP, you sign up for the kicker (just like OHSDRUMMER08 previously said in his post).

also, the USMC College Fund bumped up the old GI Bill to $50k.

.......the new GI Bill is ~$80k with all other perks.



....................................... so there's no point lol :D

[Aaron20080630]

http://www.
military
.com/money-for-school/marine-corps-education-programs
Sorry i dont know why it didnt let me post it.

Anyways, I was offerd if I would ship earlier because MCRD PI was pretty full or somthing like that my orginal ship date. One thing to is that for me to get it i had to have a asvab score above a 50 I beleve it was. I took up the offer not becuase of money or anything like that, but just because i wanted to ship earlier. The only thing is that I will miss my high school graduation, which isnt that big of a deal to me.

[chrizzle17]

after talking to my recruiter, he said AT BOOTCAMP, you sign up for the kicker (just like OHSDRUMMER08 previously said in his post).

also, the USMC College Fund bumped up the old GI Bill to $50k.

.......the new GI Bill is ~$80k with all other perks.



....................................... so there's no point lol :D



Thank you all for the information, I just have one more question. Do the reserves have the option of signing up for the kicker at boot camp as well? This is what I really would like to know, as my recruiter says one is unavailable for the reserve mos of 0311.

[JoeInVille]

The Marine Corps college fund does not apply anymore...the new GI bill just gets rid of it. I got it also, not gonna get it...it only applied to the old 40k GI bill not the one in the works where you will get around 80k for college. I believe someone stated what I just said earlier but w/e.

[blackshirts]

http://www.
military
.com/money-for-school/marine-corps-education-programs
I took up the offer not because of money or anything like that, but just because i wanted to ship earlier.
I'll be sure to PM you with my address and I'll take it off your hands...

:thumbdown

[Aaron20080630]

Haha, no im all set. I was just saying i wasnt doing it for money but if the Marines are going to offer it then hell yeah I will take it, but if it was money that I wanted I would have joined the army. All I want is a chance to be a Marine.

[Tolerance]

Haha, no im all set. I was just saying i wasnt doing it for money but if the Marines are going to offer it then hell yeah I will take it, but if it was money that I wanted I would have joined the army. All I want is a chance to be a Marine.

they offered you the Kicker bc you opt'd to ship earlier? huh? im confused.


and from what im being told, the new GI Bill gets rid of this whole point of the thread I made

[Gallic Gun]

I'm supposed to be getting it. Supposedly my recruiter's Gunnery Sgt. is working on it but it won't be the end of the world if they don't give it to me. I was going to hold onto it anyway and give it to my daughter if I have one. If I have a son, he can join the Marines and get his own.

[chrizzle17]

From what I understand, if you are active duty, you can buy into the kicker in boot camp. My question would be for reservists. They don't receive the same GI bill as active, so can they opt for it in boot under the new GI bill?

[Aaron20080630]

they offered you the Kicker bc you opt'd to ship earlier? huh? im confused.


and from what im being told, the new GI Bill gets rid of this whole point of the thread I made

They offerd it to me if I leave because my old ship date June 22, there was more poolies than the Marines had room for. So some poolies had the chances to getting some type of bonus if they change there ship date. Now mine is June 8th the only thing is is that im going to miss my high school graduation.

[Tolerance]

They offerd it to me if I leave because my old ship date June 22, there was more poolies than the Marines had room for. So some poolies had the chances to getting some type of bonus if they change there ship date. Now mine is June 8th the only thing is is that im going to miss my high school graduation.

I'm only saying this because I would hate to miss it, but...... do not miss your high school graduation. please.

it happens once, you went to school for 13 years and you have finished. you deserve your graduation.

ask your recruiters if you can take the enxt available date after ur graduation. trust me bro, i'd hate to see someone miss their HS graduation

[PaidinBlood]

Your high school graduation is a joke. "13 years" of work for a piece of paper you can use for TP. Unless you're the valedictorian, take a rain check and go start on the only graduation that will ever matter. Where they will congratulate you in front of your loved ones and remind you of the legacy you have inherited and proclaim the Title yours for he rest of your days... Beats the living pizz outta "Pomp and Circumstance" and listening to some 17 year old pimple faced airhead rattle on some speech about friendship and class unity. Horsehockey.... Good luck to both of you.

[Tolerance]

Your high school graduation is a joke. "13 years" of work for a piece of paper you can use for TP. Unless you're the valedictorian, take a rain check and go start on the only graduation that will ever matter. Where they will congratulate you in front of your loved ones and remind you of the legacy you have inherited and proclaim the Title yours for he rest of your days... Beats the living pizz outta "Pomp and Circumstance" and listening to some 17 year old pimple faced airhead rattle on some speech about friendship and class unity. Horsehockey.... Good luck to both of you.

I guess my highschool experience was a bit different (largest school in the nation btw) :scared:

[PaidinBlood]

I wasn't knocking your school; I'm just saying it will seem trivial to you one day. Nobody has ever grown old and sat on the porch wistfully recalling walking the stage. Sure are a lot of proud old Marines out and about however. I'm no sage-hell I'm only 24-but trust me once in a while, huh?

ps-My grad class was around 1200, and we had a terrible drop out rate. I think total enrollment was in the neighborhood of 5k+

[blackshirts]

High school graduation is lame. Nothing important.

[chrizzle17]

I think high school graduation is more for the parents than yourself. My mom would have killed me if I didn't attend my graduation. And of course there was the after grad party she planned for me, it is truly a parents day. Anyway does anybody know the answer to my original question "From what I understand, if you are active duty, you can buy into the kicker in boot camp. My question would be for reservists. They don't receive the same GI bill as active, so can they opt for it in boot under the new GI bill?" If so, I appreciate any helpful answers.

[Aaron20080630]

Thanks for the advice, im not to worried about my high school graduation. My boot camp graduation is what really matters to me, I be in the DEP a little over a year and there is not one of those day where I have thought about how good its going to feel to become a United States Marine. My parents a very suportive over my disicion which is good. If I wanted to go to my graduation I never had to change my date but it will make become a Marine that much quicker.
One thing that my reqruiter is going to do for me, is go to my graduation in his dress blue and recieve my diploma and give a little speech on what im doing and why im not there. He also said he planned on going to my gradution at boot camp espeically if im honor, which he expects of me. Anyways I could care less about my high school grad, all the kids are a bunch of preppy college kids and the rest are pot heads that arent going anyware in life, and then most of the teachers are a bunch of bleeding heart liberals.

[PaidinBlood]

Thanks for the advice, im not to worried about my high school graduation. My boot camp graduation is what really matters to me, I be in the DEP a little over a year and there is not one of those day where I have thought about how good its going to feel to become a United States Marine. My parents a very suportive over my disicion which is good. If I wanted to go to my graduation I never had to change my date but it will make become a Marine that much quicker.
One thing that my reqruiter is going to do for me, is go to my graduation in his dress blue and recieve my diploma and give a little speech on what im doing and why im not there. He also said he planned on going to my gradution at boot camp espeically if im honor, which he expects of me. Anyways I could care less about my high school grad, all the kids are a bunch of preppy college kids and the rest are pot heads that arent going anyware in life, and then most of the teachers are a bunch of bleeding heart liberals.



Hell yeah :thumbup:

[chrizzle17]

Yea, a lot of the kids I go to college with here make me sick. They just dont try to understand anything but their own hollywood led agenda. And the ones that never went are mostly sitting back home wasting time away, half of them have kids by now, and the only responsible few i knew that had kids ended up joining the Air Force or something. Like i said, my graduation was mostly for my mom. Only child so she only gets to do that once. Ill tell you what, I might be nervous about boot camp, but it is going to feel really good being surrounded by people who have goals like me. I try to talk to people around here about why i joined, and they just can't get it through their heads. Sorry for the rant lol...

[MLMonk]

So what I am getting from this, the $54,000 I got during a NJROTC Military Ball from my recruiter as a Marine College Fund is now useless? lol. I'm a reservist if that helps.

[Donut Brigade]

Thanks for the advice, im not to worried about my high school graduation. My boot camp graduation is what really matters to me, I be in the DEP a little over a year and there is not one of those day where I have thought about how good its going to feel to become a United States Marine. My parents a very suportive over my disicion which is good. If I wanted to go to my graduation I never had to change my date but it will make become a Marine that much quicker.
One thing that my reqruiter is going to do for me, is go to my graduation in his dress blue and recieve my diploma and give a little speech on what im doing and why im not there. He also said he planned on going to my gradution at boot camp espeically if im honor, which he expects of me. Anyways I could care less about my high school grad, all the kids are a bunch of preppy college kids and the rest are pot heads that arent going anyware in life, and then most of the teachers are a bunch of bleeding heart liberals.

C'mon man, there time to have fun and party. Guess who was a preppy college kid pot head liberal before he became a PFC in the Corps? Yours truly! And you know what, some of those college kids are future officers.

[Aaron20080630]

C'mon man, there time to have fun and party. Guess who was a preppy college kid pot head liberal before he became a PFC in the Corps? Yours truly! And you know what, some of those college kids are future officers.

Im not trying to rag on kids just because they go to college, but when poeple look down on me because im joining the military, especialy the Marines it makes me mad. Im also not saying college is bad or anything but when people go there only to party or you go there because that is what everone is saposed to do and you dont know what you want to do with your life its a huge waste of money in my eyes. I get kinda mad to when teachers prettymuch force kids into going and then when a recruiter walks into a school they act like he or she is the devil, my school is so set on makeing kids go to college that I have to fill out a college aplication in order to graduate. If somebody wants to go to college thats great to each his own but I want to be a Marine so dont try forceing college on me.

[PaidinBlood]

Aaron, I admire your honesty. Hell, I like you, you can come over to my house and F my sister!:D Seriously, though I hear you. I always felt the same and that was in Texas. The idea that college is the assumed route and anything else is looked down upon. Learning a trade, becoming an emergency worker, or Heaven forbid join the military as an enlisted man. Where I'm from was extremely pro-military....as long as it was someone else's son. Look at Berkeley. Sure would hate to go to my pool function there...

DB-future officers? You're not helping their case. :banana:

[Aaron20080630]

Aaron, I admire your honesty. Hell, I like you, you can come over to my house and F my sister!:D Seriously, though I hear you. I always felt the same and that was in Texas. The idea that college is the assumed route and anything else is looked down upon. Learning a trade, becoming an emergency worker, or Heaven forbid join the military as an enlisted man. Where I'm from was extremely pro-military....as long as it was someone else's son. Look at Berkeley. Sure would hate to go to my pool function there...

DB-future officers? You're not helping their case. :banana:
Thanks its good to know im not the only one that feels this way. I didnt realize how much people hated the military till I signed up. It seem like its every other call my recruiter makes he ends up getting *****ed out by some parent. Like you said it can always be someone elses son or daughter. Speaking of Berkeley that reminds me of a funny video I saw about that. Heres the link http://www.truveo.com/Marines-in-Berkeley/id/3611933595

[Donut Brigade]

It's all good,

PiB everybody knows butterbars party the hardest! As for people looking down on you, I say f*ck 'em! Who cares what they say? And don't rag on your local school and the local parents, once again, f*ck 'em. They're aren't trying to "force" college on anyone, and if they are then I don't know what they're hoping for, college is not mandatory. College is tough to get into, and the schools are doing their best to help the kids who want to go (and most of them do, nothing wrong with that).

If they are forcing you to fill out an application, then put down University of Parris Island or Marine Corps Institute, I know I would.

[PaidinBlood]

It's all good,

PiB everybody knows butterbars party the hardest! As for people looking down on you, I say f*ck 'em! Who cares what they say? And don't rag on your local school and the local parents, once again, f*ck 'em. They're aren't trying to "force" college on anyone, and if they are then I don't know what they're hoping for, college is not mandatory. College is tough to get into, and the schools are doing their best to help the kids who want to go (and most of them do, nothing wrong with that).

If they are forcing you to fill out an application, then put down University of Parris Island or Marine Corps Institute, I know I would.


Hell yeah. Proud graduate of the University of Al Anbar...UaAF

Maybe not all schools are like this, but it was 100% true for us. College is being forced down kid's throats and anything else is considered "settling". By the time my brother in law went to HS and joined the same AFJROTC wing I was in (Aim High!:bunny:) some officer there flat out said she wanted to ban enlisted recruiters from her classroom if she was permitted because college was the only way to go. What's going to happen when every moron has a 2 yr degree in underwater basket weaving? Inflation all over again. Colleges are not hard to get into-good ones are. What about UCSC (i think it was santa cruz) out here accepting minorities with criminally low SATs (think 3 digits) and then selling them worthless degrees in "Women's Studies" or "African American Studies"? Outside of a few genuine professions college is a racket. That being said, I don't want my Dr just to CLEP out of his boards :scared:

SF DB

[Aaron20080630]

It's all good,

PiB everybody knows butterbars party the hardest! As for people looking down on you, I say f*ck 'em! Who cares what they say? And don't rag on your local school and the local parents, once again, f*ck 'em. They're aren't trying to "force" college on anyone, and if they are then I don't know what they're hoping for, college is not mandatory. College is tough to get into, and the schools are doing their best to help the kids who want to go (and most of them do, nothing wrong with that).

If they are forcing you to fill out an application, then put down University of Parris Island or Marine Corps Institute, I know I would.

I know there not going to keep me from doing what I want to do. There are some teachers that are very suportive, but there are some that have a distorted view of the Marines. I know im not a Marine yet but I still care allot about the Marine Corps so I care when teachers look down on it or are misinformed. Ive got three teacher this year that are going down to Parris Island for a educators workshop they have down there. There was one teacher that went last year that hated the military, and now she loves it and she has a bunch of Marine Corps stickers and posters all over her room haha.

[Donut Brigade]

Good points. I'm haven't had a chance to follow news lately but my parents are saying that new college grads are being laid off in favor of HS grads because they don't have to pay them as much for the same quality of work. I feel lucky to be in the military at this point in time; I went to boot a few months before the recession was in full swing. Presently, I have a stable pay check, 3 star hotel equivalent Navy barracks, full health coverage, and a free badass Navy cafeteria. We are the most financially stable people in America. Tell that to your high school teacher.

Semper Fi gents, Donut is off to the Pensacola beach, sponsored by your tax money. :marine:

[chrizzle17]

Eh, Ive had my years of college fun, got into way too much trouble which almost ruined my dream of joining the Corps. It was only after I finally received my AA degree with yet another simultaneous trip in the drunk tank that night that i realized I needed to settle down and concentrate on what I really wanted to do. Hence my boot camp date of 4/27/2009. College is a blast, but most college kids i know are as wild if not more wild than i was. Eventually you have to grow up, and I think that is where the Marine Corps shines, in making men out of us.

[JGiddens]

I believe all of you are mistaking two different supplements to the GI Bill. There is a "kicker" which is normally referred to as a top up, where you contribute up to $600 extra on top of your $1200 fee for the old GI Bill, giving up to 150ish more per month of GI Bill benefit payment. It WONT be used with the new GI Bill, but if you opt to stick with the old, its worth it, seeing that youll get about 5400 extra bucks from a 600 dollar investment.

The other one that you have is the Marine Corps College fund. This is the real KICKER, a completely different entity. You had to get it at the time you signed your contract (I bet most of you picked the enlistment bonus...) or else you dont get it. Most dont hear of it, I did, and I have it now. Its good for an extra 500ish dollars per month on top of your GI Bill payment, and YES it can be used with the new GI Bill, on top of your monthly housing stipend.

I have both of these currently and its awesome. My monthly GI Bill payment for full time credit is like $1970 or so. I will be switching to the new GI Bill though, which will drop it to about 1600 monthly for the housing stipend plus my college fund. All of my info is verified through VA reps and actually attending college after my EAS.

[JGiddens]

A few more things:

You can sign up for the top up of 600 bucks any time during your enlistment. It wasnt offered to me in boot camp, and if it wasnt offered to you either, just go to IPAC and ask for the paperwork (if youre keeping the old GI Bill...)

Another golden tool for Marines expecting to hit college after they EAS, max out on ACE accredited MCIs, and go to your base education center for FREE CLEPS. I cant stress that enough. CLEP tests in the civ world are like 120 bucks each. I have gotten 32 free credits toward my degree from CLEPS, without dropping a dime... that would equal about 50000 dollars of tuition at the university I attend, not including other fees, room board, etc... for nothing but a couple of hours each week for the last few months of my enlistment.

I think it is best to serve in the military before going to college. I will list the best points: youre more mature, and it is easier to buckle down and do your sh*t without being a lazy @ss and not doing your school work or studying, and youre going to be like 24 when you attend your first semester, surrounded by 18 year old girls... I mean come on. Word of advice, dont keep the tard high and tight after you get out, its a turn off for women. They dig it when I dont tell them Im a former Marine and they find out by seeing the pin up girl tattoo up my side in dress blues...