February 23, 2025: Veteran Education Benefits

GET ANSWERS FROM OUR EXPERT PANEL!Dale Throneberry – Founder and Host of Veterans RadioLydia Pinkham – Veterans Radio Board Member, Academic Advisor, Coast Guard VeteranMichael Wise – Lt. Colonel (US Army, Ret.) – Assistant Director of Military and Veteran Services at EMUSome topics include:Explaining the main difference between the traditional Post 9-11 GI Bill and the VR&E benefits? Is there any difference between what credits it will cover? How do you know if you qualify for VR&E?For military members who paid into the Montgomery GI Bill, a recent communication said that they would receive an additional 12 months of benefits. Is this automatic or do they need to take action to receive these benefits?Who should a student contact first if they are interested in switching to VR&E, to start the process? About how long, on average, does this take?If a student's university charges for some of the following fees/services, can they be covered by the GI Bill or VR&E? Student health insurance, parking & transportation on campus, mandatory student fees (for a recreation center, library use, printing, etc. that are tacked onto a student bill at the start of each term)?What does the school's certifying official do? (this is a title that students hear frequently but may not understand)Is there a stipend for textbooks?How does the final semester work, when a student will run out of benefits midway through the term?Is it worth it to use the benefits during the summer term? How are the benefits reduced if a summer term is half-time per the university's enrollment requirements?