by Jonathan Hunter

Created on: February 20, 2010

GI bills are designed to help military veterans receive a college education after they are released from active duty. In a society that demands increasingly more from its workers, a college education is often vital to helping people get jobs that sufficiently support their families. Without the GI Bill, many young servicemembers may find it difficult to get a good job after returning from the military. Various GI bills offer different types and levels of benefits, so the main benefits of the newest GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, will be highlighted here.

Overview of the Post-9/11 GI Bill
Signed in July of 2008 and in effect since August 1, 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill offers tiered benefits based on the amount of time that a soldier spends in active duty. GI’s who serve at least 90 days are eligible for 40% of the maximum allowed benefits, soldiers who serve at least six total months can receive up to 50% of the total amount, twelve months of active duty corresponds to 60% of total benefits, and so on. Servicememembers with 36 months of active duty or 30 continuous days of active duty cut short by a service-connected disability can receive up to 100% of the total funds provided by this bill.

Tuition and fees benefits
Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Department of Veteran Affairs sends tuition payments directly to the school. Unlike previous GI Bills, the tuition payment is not sent to the student. This payment is based on the state in which the school operates and cannot exceed the highest undergraduate tuition amount at a state college or university. Additional payments may be covered under the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Yellow Ribbon Program
The Yellow Ribbon Program is exclusive to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Because tuition and fees may sometimes exceed the highest undergraduate tuition amount in a particular state, the Yellow Ribbon Program seeks to protect students from paying too much out-of-pocket money to cover the extra costs. However, the Yellow Ribbon Program can only be accessed at schools which enter into an agreement with the Department of Veteran Affairs to help share the additional expense. In order to take advantage of this program, veterans must have served a total of at least 36 months of active duty after September 10, 2001 or have served 30 days of continuous service and discharged for a service connected disability after September 10, 2001.

Additional stipends and benefits
A monthly living stipend may be accessed based on the ZIP code of the

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