Work is trying to screw me... what should i do?

[Mirilis]

This is the way I see it too. You have two other sources paying 100% of your tuition. There is nothing left for your work to pay.

Thats for the most part true.. I still have to come up with 30% and I got a small scholorship that covered it last quarter but not this new one.

 

[jrfuda]

Is your GI Bill going directly to the school or to you? Which version of the GI Bill do you fall under? The reserve GI Bill check I used in college almost 20 years ago went directly to me every month. The GI Bill I paid into after entering active duty, and the new Post-911 GI Bill (which for me are now one in the same, and which those serving now get without having to pay into) are paid as a stipend directly to the veteran with the amount dependant on your course load. Bottom line is the GI Bill is not meant to pay solely for tuition, but to compensate veterans seeking higher education. The newest version is even transferrable to family members (my 2 kids can essentially get 2 years of school each paid for by the new GI Bill).

I also received a small $700 scholarship for each of the first 2 years I was in college. My folks, however, paid my tuition in full at the start of each semester, so the scholarship checks, which were sent to the university, created a credit balance in my account. Because of this, the university cut me a check each year for the overage. I also received my GI Bill on top of this, all of which went towards food, gas, etc.

I'd defineately fo with the earlier recommendation of seeing the VA rep at your school, I know mine helped me out a lot the first year when I was learning the system.

 

[Mirilis]

The new Post-911 bill is pretty nice. I get 70% tuition assistance paid to school. Then I get a 70% BAH check sent to me every month, and I get a small stipend every year for books. The only thing I dont have cash for is the 30% remaining tuition and all gas its gonna take me to run back and forth.

 

[Edcculus]

I'm no HR expert, and know nothing about the GI bill. It seems to me though that you could at least get your job to pay for that 30% the GI bill doesn't cover. Just present them with your tuition bill, the bursar's paperwork that shows how much the GI paid for, then your credit card bill or bank statement showing how much out of pocket expense you incurred. As long as you meet grade criteria, I don't see how they can deny that. I agree that it would be pretty hard to convince them they need to pay you the entire tuition cost when its already partially paid for.

If you do it right, you MIGHT be able to justify the hidden costs of taking class for reimbursement. No overtime, extra gas etc.

 

[jrfuda]

I get 70% tuition assistance paid to school

Ahhh, so that's the problem... probably all the automation. Back in the day I used to get those pretty gubment checks, now everything's direct deposit.

It won't hurt to ask the VA rep at the school if there's anyway to change the "paid direct to the school" deal, may not help this time, but maybe next time... of course, it may not be possible.

Why I think it *may* be possible, though: Let's say that you or your folks had opened a 529 account to pay for your school. The money in that account has to be used for education-related expenses or it's subject to penalties. Now, you join the military and get the GI Bill. You cash in your GI Bill to pay for 70% of your tuition. Since you/your folks funded your 529 plan with the intent of fully funding your education, there's a lot of money left in the account, so now - in order to use that money - you have to suffer a penalty. However, if you could have used the money from the 529 to pay the tuition in full, you could have saved the GI Bill money - you would be rewarded for both your service and saving for college. If there's not an exception to the "pay the school directly" policy, then some folks are getting a bad deal in this particular case.

This is the exact scenerio I will be in when my kids go to college, becuase I've been funding their 529 accounts since they were born based on the amount projected college (tuition, boarding, books, etc.) will cost when they're 18, and - unless the law changes - they'll each get 2 years of my post-911 GI Bill.

 

[wyzazz]

The GI Bill is a benifit that you get while going to school, it is paid directly to you not to the school, it doesn't have to be used for tuition it can be used for whatever you want. They cannot count using the GI Bill monies against you anymore than using your own paycheck monies toward tuition.

Former US Marine with a college education, that the GI Bill helped fund.

 

[jmendez29]

I still think you should talk to a VA representative about this, whether it be a government official or the one at your school. This is a benefit that is provided by a different employer and should have absolutely ZERO bearing on the decision of your company. Unless someone were to prove to me otherwise, I feel that the company is denying you compensation based on illegal reasoning. Likewise, any which way this turns out, which will probably be somehow unfair, I would still take your newfound degree to the company's competition and work for them. I'm sure they would appreciate what you can bring to the team.

 

[Skins_Brew]

Why is your ch33 benefits NOT paying 100%? Is your school more expensive then the most expensive public school in your state?

 

[Mirilis]

the CH33 Benefit (Post-911) pays out a % based on your active duty time after 9-11. The only time I have that applys is my 18 month deployment to Iraq. The rest of my contract was just national guard time.

 

[GregR]

if you're not using the post 9-11 G.I. bill you could probably argue that the money, in fact, wasn't used for tuition. the pre 9-11 G.I. bill doesn't pay tuition at all; that money is a check that goes directly to you for you to spend as you see fit while enrolled in class. I know none of my classes were directly paid for by the G.I. bill before I switched to post 9-11.

the G.I. bill is money you earned and payed in to while serving. the stipulation to receive that money is to be enrolled in school, that's it. nowhere does it say that that money has to be spent on tuition. for example I didn't pay for tuition because of the board of governors waiver, but I STILL got ALL of my G.I. bill because I was enrolled in classes. the VA didn't say "well you're tuition is already covered so we will only give you x-(tuition).

where you got other money outside of your company is not your companies business. they said they will reimburse your costs of tuition because your education directly helps the company. they should pony up the money owed to you.

however if you are on the post 9-11 bill that may be a different story as it DOES cover 100% of tuition cost directly and explicitly.

EDIT: looks like this was covered already. I read the first few posts and chimed in without reading what everyone else already said.

 

[Mirilis]

Post 9-11 Pamphlet

Theres the link to eligiblity and whatnot... since I had 18 months im only entitled to 70% of the benefit.. as long as I go full time.. and trust me with a house two cars a full time job.. a part time job adding full time school is a pain in the ass!

 

[Skins_Brew]

The GI bill is something that you invested in, and is now paying you back.

This is a different situation but I have another question to pose for guys who were active duty and now using the benefit. I thought that while you were in you paid into a GI bill account (similar to 401k) and now that your out and want to use those benefits you get a monthly check for going to school.

The GI Bill is a benifit that you get while going to school, it is paid directly to you not to the school, it doesn't have to be used for tuition it can be used for whatever you want. They cannot count using the GI Bill monies against you anymore than using your own paycheck monies toward tuition.

the G.I. bill is money you earned and payed in to while serving. the stipulation to receive that money is to be enrolled in school, that's it. nowhere does it say that that money has to be spent on tuition.

Something that has not been brought up is the fact that you NEVER had to pay into the GI Bill in order to receive the NEW GI Bill (Ch 33). Every single svcmbr who served post 9/11 is eligible to some extent, regardless of if they contributed into the GI Bill. Also, with the particular GI Bill that Mirilis is using, the school gets the money from the VA, so he cannot just spend it on whatever he wants.

The people who contributed the $1200 and then use the Ch 33 GI Bill get their $1200 refunded.

Now, I am somewhat getting screwed. I contributed my $1200 and then an additional $600 "Kicker" which amps up my Ch30 benefits a bit. If I decide to use the Ch33, I will get my $1200 back but that $600 is long long. It even says on the VA Site that you wont get your $600 back. I am using Ch 30 benefits for the time being, so at least I can see a little bit of my $600 investment, but I am frankly getting tired of ponying up ~$2000 at the beginning of a semester and then getting paid back over the course of the semester, so I might be switching to Ch33 soon.

 

[GregR]

. . . I might be switching to Ch33 soon.

I switched over to ch.33 with absolutly no problem, but right now tons of people aren't getting paid because of the "unprecedented amount of people" that switched over all at once. almost all of my friends who switched to ch33 didn't get paid for about 5 months! the VA even had to issue emergency checks to tons of people because the transition to ch33 has been such a cluster****.

 

[Mirilis]

Ive had many many problems with trying to get the VA stuff done when I first signed up for the Guard. One semester I had to pay everything out of pocket because they told me I didnt fill out some form on Virtual Armory or some lameness.

The CH33 benefit is pretty nice.. the only thing I can say is make sure you send them your class info 6 weeks ahead of time if you want it paid on time. My first quarter they were almost 8 weeks getting the benefits paid and I had to get a temporary funding loan from school in order not to be dropped from classes. This quarter the money came before it was actually due wich was nice. I only had to come up with the remaining few hundred bucks.