Stacking G.I. Bills?

[Jason 1995]

Hello Marines,

As I am graduating in twenty-eight days and shipping out for boot camp in August I find myself thinking about where I see myself in ten and possibly twenty years from now. Due to what is probably adolescent naivety I see myself on a couple paths, one being still in the Marine Corps to earn my retirement and the other is a degree in one of the fields that I find interesting.

The latter path based on my current view of the Corps (which is nothing less than a grueling but rewarding lifestyle) is a back up. I understand crap happens and for what ever reason I may not be able to reenlist or may be medically discharged for something. As a result I want to secure my future with a college degree, but as I look at the economy and watch as colleges push out person after person with a bachelor's degree only for them to have nowhere to go, it scares me.

My question is: Can I stack my Post 9/11 G.I. Bill on top of the Montgomery G.I. Bill so that I may get closer to a Master's degree than the thirty-six months(I believe that is the correct number) would permit.

I have asked many service men from each service but I have not gotten a straight yes or no, it has always been an "I guess" or "I do not know".

Thank you for your time with this question Marines

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[thewookie]

My question is: Can I stack my Post 9/11 G.I. Bill on top of the Montgomery G.I. Bill

Nope.

The MGIB wouldn't apply to you at this point.

[Jason 1995]

That sucks, but I was starting to get that notion from some of the looks I got.

Thank you very much.

[Tennessee Top]

I used tuition assistance and ACE while on active duty to finish my AA degree and then complete a BS degree. After I retired, then used my GI Bill benefits to complete a respiratory therapy program at a community college (have been a respiratory therapist for 15 years now).

Congress has been messing around with the rules regarding tuition assistance because of the sequestor so it may-or-may not be there at the time you can apply for it.

You are absolutely correct about a career in the USMC being a crap shoot these days. It is nothing more than a numbers game. You can be the most outstanding Marine in your company but when it comes time to reenlist, if there are no boat spaces (slots) in your MOS, then your reenlistment request will come back denied and you'll be forced out. Saw it happen too many times (sometimes to young Marines with a family who had planned on being career Marines). You are smart to have a back-up plan.

[jeonpaolo]

I got the GI Bill and the Post 9/11 Bill...when you get out you will have to chose one or the other to use...almost everyone chooses the post 9/11 bill its a wayyy better deal. and no you cannot stack. You can use TA while active duty though. Its up to 4 grand a year I believe

[josephd]

I got the GI Bill and the Post 9/11 Bill...when you get out you will have to chose one or the other to use...almost everyone chooses the post 9/11 bill its a wayyy better deal. and no you cannot stack. You can use TA while active duty though. Its up to 4 grand a year I believe

Not entirely true....I am not sure what the cut off date was but if you enlisted after a particular date in the last few years you are no longer eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill. If you are eligible for both, you can use both(not at once). You have to use the Montgomery GI Bill first and exhaust that over a year or two. Then you can switch to the Post 9/11. If you start using your Post 9/11 right away though you are no longer eligible to use the Montgomery any longer.

I wouldn't rely on TA too much though considering it is going away.

[Rocky C]

The Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty, called "MGIB" for short, provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible veterans for:

• College
• Technical or Vocational Courses
• Correspondence Courses
• Apprenticeship/Job Training
• Flight Training
• High-tech Training
• Licensing & Certification Tests
• Entrepreneurship Training
• Certain Entrance Examinations
• Who is Eligible?

You may be an eligible veteran if you have an Honorable Discharge, AND you have a High School Diploma or GED or in some cases 12 hours of college credit, AND you meet the requirements of one of the categories below:
CATEGORY I

• Entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985
• Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for first 12 months
• Continuously served for 3 years, OR 2 years if that is what you first enlisted for, OR 2 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty and served 4 years ("2 by 4" Program)

CATEGORY II

• Entered active duty before January 1, 1977
• Served at least 1 day between 10/19/84 and 6/30/85, and stayed on active duty through 6/30/88, (or 6/30/87 if you entered the Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years)
• On 12/31/89, you had entitlement left from Vietnam-Era GI Bill

CATEGORY III

• Not eligible for MGIB under Category I or II
• On active duty on 9/30/90 AND separated involuntarily after 2/2/91,
• OR involuntarily separated on or after 11/30/93,
• OR voluntarily separated under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) or Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program
• Before separation, you had military pay reduced by $1200

CATEGORY IV

• On active duty on 10/9/96 AND you had money remaining in a VEAP account on that date AND you elected MGIB by 10/9/97
• OR entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between 7/1/85, and 11/28/89 AND you elected MGIB during the period 10/9/96, through 7/8/97
• Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1200 lump-sum contribution

How Much Does VA Pay?

The monthly benefit paid to you is based on the type of training you take, length of your service, your category, and if DOD put extra money in your MGIB Fund (called "kickers"). You usually have 10 years to use your MGIB benefits, but the time limit can be less, in some cases, and longer under certain circumstances.

[Rocky C]

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
For more information see our Post-9/11 GI Bill pamphlet
Approved training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, vocational/technical training, on-the-job training, flight training, correspondence training, licensing and national testing programs, entrepreneurship training, and tutorial assistance. All training programs must be approved for GI Bill benefits.
This benefit provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally benefits are payable for 15 years following your release from active duty. The Post-9/11 GI Bill also offers some service members the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill to dependents.
For details on how much money you will receive using the Post 9-11 GI Bill click here.
Some of the benefits the Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay include:

• Your full tuition & fees directly to the school for all public school in-state students. For those attending private or foreign schools tuition & fees are capped at the national maximum rate. Click here for more information.
  If you are attending a private Institution of Higher Learning in AZ, MI, NH, NY, PA, SC or TX you may be eligible for a higher tuition reimbursement rate. Click here for more information.
  For those attending a more expensive private school or a public school as a non-resident out-of-state student, a program exists which may help to reimburse the difference. This program is called the “Yellow Ribbon Program”. (Click on the link for more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program, not everyone is eligible for the program).
• A monthly housing allowance (MHA)
• An annual books & supplies stipend
• A one-time rural benefit payment

Beginning August 1, 2011, break (or interval pay) will no longer be payable under Post-9/11 GI Bill except during periods your school is closed as a result of an Executive Order of the President or an emergency (such as a natural disaster or strike). For example, if your Fall term ends on December 15th and your Spring term begins January 10th, your January housing allowance will cover 15 days in December and your February housing allowance will cover 21 days in January.