G.I. Bill Benefits Changes

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - G.I. Bill Benefits Changes

Posted: 7/20/2010 1:42:10 PM EDT

A very good friend of mine is the wife of an Army O3. She's using the GI Bill to go to school, but has found there's been changes that might jeopardize her future. This is what she's told me.

"I am no longer within the restraints of the program since he changed it. back in february they yanked all tuition becuase of the overload of people requesting tuition. It was only 6000. I was pissed to say the least but then everyone who was already in the program got everything reinstated and got their spring classes paid for everyone else was screwed until they could figure somthing out. I was in, but the new guy that took over decided that it would be funny to change the rules. No more degrees since most spouses were goining for their bachelors within the agreed tuition. Only certificates and registrations and such, cna, phlebotomist, dental assistants, etc etc. then he thinks its funny to restrict it to junior enlistedsoldiers, WO 1 and 2 and O1 and O2, we are 03. AND they are dropping it from 6000 to 4000 by october 25 no matter who you are I guess."

So this is how I understand it. Before, anyone who wanted to could get $6k in tuition for anything, but now, only enlisted, and junior officers can get only $4500, for certs only, and everyone else gets jack? Does anyone else have any info on this? It smacks of politics to me, if true.

ETA: I hate the new editor because it never quotes things correctly and I will not be using it any longer.

Posted: 7/20/2010 5:25:47 PM EDT

[#1]

bump

Posted: 7/20/2010 5:33:00 PM EDT

[#2]

That was painful to read.

Anyway, I think she was saying the VA stopped paying full tuition because of the numbers of ex .mil using the new program to go back to school. Complete BS.

I think she is talking about the school's VA representative, not the VA itself. I don't think she knows what the hell she is talking about.

Go to va.gov and figure it out lady, it isn't rocket science, you can research any question you may have and find the answer. If you don't because you aren't trying hard enough, you can send a question in and get an answer within 2-3 days that everyone can see.

edit: I read it once more, I seriously doubt the VA is cutting education benefits in any way, shape or form.

Posted: 7/20/2010 5:36:40 PM EDT

[#3]

She's not talking about the GI Bill - she's talking about another program from AC spouses. It has been horribly mismanaged; they did not think so many people would take advantage of the program and the complaint is legit, but it is not the GI Bill.

Posted: 7/20/2010 5:38:03 PM EDT

[#4]

Your friend's wife is mistaken.

the program she is using is called "My Career Advancement Accounts"

Follow this link for more info
Link to story

Posted: 7/20/2010 5:41:55 PM EDT

[#5]

Her husband is a CPT huh? Well sir, send your wife to school, you can afford it. He should be able to understand the benefits of an education.

Posted: 7/20/2010 5:44:09 PM EDT

[#6]

Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

Posted: 7/20/2010 7:27:19 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
She's not talking about the GI Bill - she's talking about another program from AC spouses. It has been horribly mismanaged; they did not think so many people would take advantage of the program and the complaint is legit, but it is not the GI Bill.

Ah, sorry about that. She was not specific so I assumed the GI Bill.

Posted: 7/20/2010 7:29:34 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

So, does she have any hope, or is she basically screwed? And yes, she had words about the mis-manager. I did not think it fit to repeat them

.

Posted: 7/20/2010 7:30:14 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

So, does she have any hope, or is she basically screwed? And yes, she had words about the mis-manager. I did not think it fit to repeat them

.

Read this., specifically the last paragraph. It looks like they're going to keep it open for the fall semester, and after that it's over.

Posted: 7/20/2010 7:55:40 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

So, does she have any hope, or is she basically screwed? And yes, she had words about the mis-manager. I did not think it fit to repeat them

.

Read this., specifically the last paragraph. It looks like they're going to keep it open for the fall semester, and after that it's over.

Thanks, I'll forward that to her. It seems she'll be ok for this next semester, but after that she'll have to find alternative funding options. Sucks.

Posted: 7/20/2010 8:00:14 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

So, does she have any hope, or is she basically screwed? And yes, she had words about the mis-manager. I did not think it fit to repeat them

.

Read this., specifically the last paragraph. It looks like they're going to keep it open for the fall semester, and after that it's over.

Thanks, I'll forward that to her. It seems she'll be ok for this next semester, but after that she'll have to find alternative funding options. Sucks.

In their defense, the program was never intended to pay for a degree –– it was for certifications & other short term programs that would help someone get into an entry level job quickly.

Posted: 7/20/2010 8:04:54 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

So, does she have any hope, or is she basically screwed? And yes, she had words about the mis-manager. I did not think it fit to repeat them

.

Read this., specifically the last paragraph. It looks like they're going to keep it open for the fall semester, and after that it's over.

Thanks, I'll forward that to her. It seems she'll be ok for this next semester, but after that she'll have to find alternative funding options. Sucks.

If she is not a vet, she can get a job, borrow the tuition, or get her husband to pay for her education.

The Federal government is waste deep in buying college educations for its employees; it's a sweet deal for anyone that wants to get a master's degree. This is not a function of the government.

Posted: 7/20/2010 8:09:12 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

So, does she have any hope, or is she basically screwed? And yes, she had words about the mis-manager. I did not think it fit to repeat them

.

Read this., specifically the last paragraph. It looks like they're going to keep it open for the fall semester, and after that it's over.

Thanks, I'll forward that to her. It seems she'll be ok for this next semester, but after that she'll have to find alternative funding options. Sucks.

If she is not a vet, she can get a job, borrow the tuition, or get her husband to pay for her education.

The Federal government is waste deep in buying college educations for its employees; it's a sweet deal for anyone that wants to get a master's degree. This is not a function of the government.

I see what you did there...

I disagree with you though. The government, as any employer, should do the things it needs to do to develop its employees and make them more valuable to their organization. That's what those programs are about.

Posted: 7/20/2010 8:26:27 PM EDT

[#14]

She should be grateful she gets anything.

The Gov't has no obligation to pay for any kind of education for a .mil spouse.

Posted: 7/21/2010 7:13:40 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

So, does she have any hope, or is she basically screwed? And yes, she had words about the mis-manager. I did not think it fit to repeat them

.

Read this., specifically the last paragraph. It looks like they're going to keep it open for the fall semester, and after that it's over.

Thanks, I'll forward that to her. It seems she'll be ok for this next semester, but after that she'll have to find alternative funding options. Sucks.

If she is not a vet, she can get a job, borrow the tuition, or get her husband to pay for her education.

The Federal government is waste deep in buying college educations for its employees; it's a sweet deal for anyone that wants to get a master's degree. This is not a function of the government.

I see what you did there...

I disagree with you though. The government, as any employer, should do the things it needs to do to develop its employees and make them more valuable to their organization. That's what those programs are about.

Assistance is one thing, a hand out is another. In the particular instance of this thread, it's worse, it's a handout to a person that is not an employee. Calling it part of her husband's compensation is a stretch, but I have no doubt someone views the program that way.

How private companies handle their employee training is up to each company. The Federal government needs to operate a little different. I have noticed amongst my friends that were career officers that they spent an inordinate amount of time in one long term school or another and not simply a month or two at a time. Civilian employees in engineering assignments go to grad school, then more training at conferences and so on, and yet their primary responsibility is managing contracts or pieces of contracts to insure compliance, not actual pencil on paper technical work - of course there are exceptions but not many amongst employees of the Defense department.

I'm all for education and training. I'm against the US taxpayer footing any more of the bill than benefits the nation.

Posted: 7/21/2010 7:31:31 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Yeah, I saw the notice in Navy Times today. MyCAA has basically been gutted, due to the massive mismanagement that led them to shut it down several months back.

So, does she have any hope, or is she basically screwed? And yes, she had words about the mis-manager. I did not think it fit to repeat them

.

Read this., specifically the last paragraph. It looks like they're going to keep it open for the fall semester, and after that it's over.

Thanks, I'll forward that to her. It seems she'll be ok for this next semester, but after that she'll have to find alternative funding options. Sucks.

If she is not a vet, she can get a job, borrow the tuition, or get her husband to pay for her education.

The Federal government is waste deep in buying college educations for its employees; it's a sweet deal for anyone that wants to get a master's degree. This is not a function of the government.

I see what you did there...

I disagree with you though. The government, as any employer, should do the things it needs to do to develop its employees and make them more valuable to their organization. That's what those programs are about.

Assistance is one thing, a hand out is another. In the particular instance of this thread, it's worse, it's a handout to a person that is not an employee. Calling it part of her husband's compensation is a stretch, but I have no doubt someone views the program that way.

How private companies handle their employee training is up to each company. The Federal government needs to operate a little different. I have noticed amongst my friends that were career officers that they spent an inordinate amount of time in one long term school or another and not simply a month or two at a time. Civilian employees in engineering assignments go to grad school, then more training at conferences and so on, and yet their primary responsibility is managing contracts or pieces of contracts to insure compliance, not actual pencil on paper technical work - of course there are exceptions but not many amongst employees of the Defense department.

I'm all for education and training. I'm against the US taxpayer footing any more of the bill than benefits the nation.

Well, I wasn't talking about myCAA in discussing this –– I was talking about the degree completion programs you referenced. The military requires senior officers to hold advanced degrees, so the idea they would pay for them (or even have their own graduate schools, such as NPS) is not far-fetched.

As far as myCAA's justification, as far as I know it was billed as a way to help military spouses obtain skills that would allow them to be employable, specifically because the military moves them around so much, and makes having a conventional career very difficult. The people getting 4 year degrees with it (where can you get a degree that means anything for less than 6k anyway), were abusing the system.

Posted: 7/21/2010 7:52:44 AM EDT

[#17]

I understand all that and I agree with the philosophy of part of it.

Programs such as myCAA are gold plating. On the one hand, I can see the benefit to young enlisted with wives that are not employable - they shouldn't have gotten married, but that ship sailed long ago and there's not much point in arguing that detail. The money spent in this way is on a scale balanced by the cost of welfare programs, but hopefully the welfare side as a whole gets lighter over time. I'm less sympathetic about allowing the wives of officers to participate; they may have come from a poor background and pulled themselves up, but that is the past.

Programs like this are also on the precipice of a slippery slope. Next we'll be sending their kids to college. Details and rules and new bureauracracies with all sorts of employees are necessary to administer the programs, causing the costs to increase.

Anyway, I'm glad I looked at this thread, I learned something new.

Posted: 7/21/2010 7:55:09 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I understand all that and I agree with the philosophy of part of it.

Programs such as myCAA are gold plating. On the one hand, I can see the benefit to young enlisted with wives that are not employable - they shouldn't have gotten married, but that ship sailed long ago and there's not much point in arguing that detail. The money spent in this way is on a scale balanced by the cost of welfare programs, but hopefully the welfare side as a whole gets lighter over time. I'm less sympathetic about allowing the wives of officers to participate; they may have come from a poor background and pulled themselves up, but that is the past.

Programs like this are also on the precipice of a slippery slope. Next we'll be sending their kids to college. Details and rules and new bureauracracies with all sorts of employees are necessary to administer the programs, causing the costs to increase.

Anyway, I'm glad I looked at this thread, I learned something new.

Yeah, I think the O-1 & O2 and W1 and W2 being included now is pretty silly. My wife is now no longer eligible for it, but if I get picked up for CWO2 next year, she will be? That simply doesn't make any sense, and wasn't well thought out at all.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - G.I. Bill Benefits Changes

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