Veterans Education Benefits Webinar. June 23, 2014

Transcription

1 Veterans Education Benefits Webinar June 23, 2014

2 Topics Montgomery GI Bill Post 9/11 GI Bill Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Dependent s Educational Assistance (DEA) Program Illinois Programs Illinois Student Assistance Commission Programs Veterans Eligible for Multiple Programs Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs Programs US Department of Education Programs

3 Presentation By: Duane Honeycutt Department of Veterans Affairs Director of the Milwaukee Regional Office and Pension Center

4 Federal Education Benefits Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty Selective Reserve Post 9/11 GI Bill Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Voc Rehab) Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program

5 Montgomery GI Bill Eligibility Elected the benefit and made contributions Honorable Discharge Service time requirements Active Duty & Selected Reserve/Guard

6 Montgomery GI Bill What does it pay? 10 year time limit Pays monthly stipend directly to student, based on enrollment status Non-transferrable to family

7 Post 9/11 GI Bill Eligibility Service after 9/10/01 Honorable Discharge, some exceptions Service time requirements are graduated Active Duty & Selected Reserve/Guard

8 Post 9/11 GI Bill What does it pay? 15 year time limit Monthly Stipend Tuition & Fees Books & Supplies Stipend Transferrable to family Yellow Ribbon

9 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Program Eligibility Honorable Discharge Service-connected disability rating of 10% or more with a serious employment handicap or 20% with an employment handicap 12 years from date of separation or date veteran notified of serious disability rating.

10 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Program Coverage: Comprehensive rehabilitation evaluation to determine abilities, skills, and interests for employment Employment services-job training, job-seeking skills, and resume development.

11 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Program Assistance finding and keeping a job to include job accommodations. Post secondary training at college, vocational, technical, or business school. Includes case management, counseling, and medical referrals.

12 Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program Eligibility Must be son, daughter, or spouse of veteran who: Died or is permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability Service member missing in action or captured in line of duty by a hostile force. Service member forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.

13 Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program Child must be between to use benefits, can be extended up to 31 in certain circumstances. Marriage or Active Duty service not a bar to this benefit. Spouses benefits end 10 years from date: VA finds you eligible or From the date of the death of the veteran DEA offers up to 45 months of education benefits.

14 Presentation By: Kim Eck Illinois Student Assistance Commission Training Coordinator in the Program Services and Compliance Division

15 Educational Benefits for Illinois Service Members and Veterans June 2014

16 Illinois Programs Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) MIA/POW Scholarship Illinois Troops to Teachers Program Children of Veterans Scholarship University of Illinois

17 ISAC s Military Programs Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) Program and Illinois National Guard (ING) Grant Program Entitlement programs Awarded to all eligible applicants regardless of funding level Specified by Illinois statute Chapter 110, Higher Education Student Assistance Act Assistance to be granted as long as federal government provides educational benefits to veterans Available at all four-year public universities and public community colleges 17

18 IVG and ING Grant Eligibility Units Students receive 120 units of eligibility* Equivalent to four academic years of full-time enrollment Units are based on the enrolled hours for a term: # of Hours Semester School Quarter School 12 or more 12 units 8 units units 6 units units 4 units units 2 units unit 1 unit * Members of the Illinois National Guard who have served at least 10 years in the Guard may be eligible to receive the ING Grant for up to six years (180 units). 18

19 IVG Benefits Pays tuition and mandatory fees Students attending out-of-district community colleges receive in-district rates and are not responsible for the difference No minimum enrollment requirement Available to undergraduate and graduate students Award year begins with summer term 19

20 IVG Eligibility Requirements An applicant is an eligible veteran if: He/she served at least one year federal active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States Includes the Illinois National Guard and Reserve component of the Armed Forces If less than one year, veteran may qualify if: Service was in a foreign country in a time of hostilities in that country Separation was for medical reasons directly connected to such service Service was prior to August 11, 1967 Separation from service was characterized as honorable If still in the Armed Forces, veteran must verify continued eligibility upon discharge 20

21 IVG Eligibility Requirements An applicant must meet also meet one of these residency requirements: Was a resident of Illinois at the time of entering federal active duty or within six months prior Was a student at an Illinois public university or community college at the time of entering federal active duty service AND one of these: Established or plans to establish Illinois residency within six months after separation from the Armed Forces Established Illinois residency within six months after spouse was separated from military service 21

22 Applying for IVG ISAC application available at isac.org to download/print Can be submitted anytime during award year Only need to submit one time Applicants must also submit a copy of their Department of Defense Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD214 Member 4 copy) or its equivalent for all periods of active service ISAC s processing time is approximately 4 weeks 22

23 Applying for IVG An applicant who is a member of the Armed Forces at the time of application must submit a letter from the commanding officer indicating: that the applicant is a member of the Armed Forces character of service applicant s home of record at the time of enlistment length of time in each period of federal active duty expiration date of current enlistment The student will be subject to verification of continued eligibility after each period of federal active duty service. 23

24 IVG Notification Student receives Notice of Eligibility from ISAC Applicant must notify school of his/her eligibility no later than the last day of classes for the term for which the grant is requested Schools can access eligibility data and IVG benefit history in My Zone Eligibility information is refreshed every night Can view eligibility status, number of units available and payment history for each eligible applicant 24

25 ING Grant Benefits Pays tuition and certain fees Fees specifically included in statute: Registration Graduation General Activity Matriculation Typically charged only to new students when they have been both admitted and enrolled Term Students are not responsible for out-of-district or outof-state tuition charges No minimum enrollment requirement Award year begins with fall term 25

26 ING Grant Eligibility Must have served at least one year with the Illinois National Guard Must be in active status Available to any enlisted member or officer Must maintain an acceptable grade point average As determined by the institution 26

27 Applying for ING Grant Interactive online application is accessible at isac.org Students must reapply each year Deadlines dates: October 1 full year consideration March 1 only second semester, second and/or third quarter consideration June 15 only summer term consideration Students will receive a confirmation page upon completing the application

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29 ING Grant Award Notification Qualified student applicants receive a Notice of Eligibility from ISAC Ineligible applicants also receive written notification Schools receive eligibility information via My Zone Announcement rosters include eligibility dates, number of units used, restrictions, etc. Only the school listed on the student application receives the information Can be used to verify eligibility rather than requiring the student s Notice of Eligibility 29

30 Adjustments in ING Grant Benefits A student who withdraws after a school s refund date can receive the grant for costs incurred up to the term award. If a recipient ceases to be an active member of the Guard during a term, benefits cease and the student is responsible for costs attributed to the remainder of the term. If a recipient becomes eligible during a term, benefits will be prorated for the remainder of the term Proration calculation: total tuition cost divided by total instructional days = cost per day x days of eligibility = total proration 30

31 When Veterans Are Eligible for Multiple ISAC Programs Students who are eligible for ISAC s Monetary Award Program (MAP) and IVG or the ING Grant must use IVG or the ING Grant benefits instead of MAP A student cannot decline IVG or the ING Grant to use MAP Students eligible for both IVG and the ING Grant can choose which program they would like to use Students can use IVG and the ING Grant together The same amount of eligibility units will be charged to each program regardless of the amount of benefits paid 31

32 When Veterans are Eligible for ISAC Programs and VA Benefits VA s Post-9/11 GI Bill program is considered last payer when used with state programs such as IVG and the ING Grant that are specifically designated for tuition and fees When a student uses the state and federal programs together, the benefits of tuition and fees are not duplicated The VA is only billed for remaining charges after other benefits have been applied The Post-9/11 GI Bill program pays tuition and fees directly to the institution Students can choose to not use IVG, the ING Grant and/or MAP and just use their VA benefits that also provide tuition and fee benefits 32

33 Using State and Federal Veteran Education Benefits Together Examples: A veteran who is eligible for IVG and 100% of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits could decide to just use his federal VA benefits and preserve his IVG benefits for use at a later time. A veteran who is only eligible for 60% of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits could choose to use IVG and his Post-9/11 benefits together, in which case, IVG would be applied first to cover all of his tuition and mandatory fee charges, and the Post- 9/11 GI Bill could be used to cover any fee charges not covered by IVG as well as provide him with a housing allowance and book stipend. 33

34 Using State and Federal Veteran Education Benefits Together Examples: A veteran who is eligible for MAP, IVG, the ING Grant and 80% of his Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits could use a combination of IVG, the ING Grant and Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, but could not use MAP. A veteran who is eligible for both IVG and 100% of Post- 9/11 GI Bill benefits and eligible to transfer his Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or children, may choose to use only IVG and transfer his federal benefits to his dependent(s). 34

35 Maximizing State and Federal Military Education Benefits When taking more than 12 credit hours, students will only be charged with 12 units of usage in both the IVG and ING Grant programs Can take 18 credit hours, but only use 12 eligibility units The ING Grant can only be used while on active status with the Guard IVG benefits do not have to be used within a certain timeframe

36 Maximizing State and Federal Military Education Benefits Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for Title IV aid available through the U.S. Department of Education (ED, such as the Pell Grant FAFSA is also used to determine eligibility for the Monetary Award Program (MAP), a need-based financial aid program for Illinois residents Visit studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/military for additional federal resources Apply for other state programs, such as ISAC s teacher programs Visit isac.org for ISAC program applications

37 IDVA Programs MIA/POW Scholarship An education scholarship for the dependents of veterans who are either Missing In Action, a Prisoner of War, died while on active duty, 100% disabled due to service connected disabilities or died as a result of a service connected disabilities Illinois Troops to Teachers Helps eligible veterans with at least 6 years of honorable activeduty service transition to K-12 public school teaching Provides: Educational and teaching career advisement Information resources for earning an Illinois teacher's certification Access to mentors, Illinois veterans who have successfully transitioned Preparation for and referral to employment as an Illinois public school teacher

38 Children of Veterans Scholarship Four-year tuition waiver at the University of Illinois for children of veterans of WWI, WWII, Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict, the Southwest Asia Conflict, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom One tuition waiver is awarded for each Illinois county for each conflict on an annual basis Preference is given to the children of deceased and disabled veterans Application is made available on December 1 and the priority application deadline is March 1 For more info:

39 U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid (Title IV) Programs & The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

40 Federal Student Aid (FSA) Programs Title IV programs are authorized by the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as Amended and administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Pell Grant Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG) Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Work Study William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program

41 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Central element in the federal student aid application process Computes the expected family contribution (EFC) to determine eligibility for need-based aid Confirms eligibility via database matches with federal agencies Determines eligibility for some state and institutional aid programs Complete FAFSA on the Web at Can also contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at FED-AID

42 U.S. Department of Education Definition of Veteran For purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is used to apply for programs such as the Pell Grant, an applicant is considered a veteran if he/she: has engaged in active duty (including basic training) in the U.S. Armed Forces, or is a National Guard or Reserves enlistee who was called to active duty for other than state or training purposes, or was a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies and was released under a condition other than dishonorable

43 Packaging ISAC Programs with Federal VA Benefits Federal veteran education benefits are not treated as estimated financial assistance (EFA) when calculating a student s financial need for Title IV programs Veterans education benefits are also not to be counted as income and are not reported as income on the FAFSA 43

44 Student Loan Benefits for Servicemembers A variety of provisions are in place for servicemembers that provide benefits such as a limit on interest rates, no accrual of interest, payment deferral For example, under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, if you took out student loans prior to entering the military or being called to active duty, the interest rate on those loans will be limited to 6% during your active duty military service. This applies to both federal and private student loans (and other loans as well)

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46 Resources

47 Illinois Resources Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs www2.illinois.gov/veterans/ Illinois Student Assistance Commission Illinois Joining Forces

48 www2.illinois.gov/veterans/

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51 illinoisjoiningforces.org

52 Federal Resources U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs U.S. Department of Education

53 Acquiring Your DD214 or Other Military Records National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) Address: 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, Missouri Phone: Phone: (toll-free) Fax: MPR.center@nara.gov Status Check: mpr.status@nara.gov Website: Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. (CST) Peak calling times are between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm

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