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December 2nd, 2009 
collegecareerlife What are the differences between the Montgomery GI Bill and the updated features of the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
The Montgomery GI Bill
The Montgomery GI Bill/ Active Duty provides up to 36 months of education benefits for:
- Business Start-ups
- Technical School or Career College Courses
- Online Degrees
- Apprenticeships
- Flight Training
Under this bill, you may receive benefits for an undergraduate or graduate degree at a community or career college or university. You may also take an accredited independent study program on-campus or online that leads to a degree.
How Long Do These Benefits Last?
Your Montgomery benefits are good up to 10 years from the date of your release from active duty. It can also be extended because of a disability or because you were held by a foreign government or power. You can also qualify for extensions if you were removed from active duty for one of the following reasons:
- A service-connected disability
- A medical condition existing before active duty
- Hardship, or
- A reduction in force
The New GI Bill
The Post-9/11 GI Bill brings new benefits and improves upon some of the outdated features and benefits of the Montgomery GI Bill, which has been one of the most successful pieces of legislation to ever pass through government.
Any veteran who has served at least 90 days of active duty after September 11, 2001 and received an honorable discharge is eligible to take advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Veterans who served 30 days but were honorably discharged for a service-related disability also qualify for the new GI Bill benefits.
The new benefits include:
- Tuition paid directly to schools
- A housing allowance
- Money for books and school supplies
- Up to $2,000 for tutorial services or certification exams
- $500 to individuals relocating from highly rural areas to attend college
How Long Do These Benefits Last?
These new GI Bill benefits are transferable to immediate family and will cover up to 36 months of schooling. The Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits expire 15 years after separation from the Armed Forces instead of 10.
What Else Should I Look For?
Another important program that works with active and honorably discharged military personnel is the Yellow Ribbon Program from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, the department pays for another half of what the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover. The great news is that many community and private career colleges also have special offers for service men and women that match the funds from the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program. This means 100% of your education can be paid for if you choose to enroll in a Yellow Ribbon School!
SBBCollege – Bakersfield, SBBCollege – Palm Desert, SBBCollege – Santa Barbara, SBBCollege – Santa Maria and SBBCollege – Ventura are all Yellow Ribbon Schools. Contact them at www.sbbcollege.edu and ask whether you qualify for the tuition plan. Or read more details on SBBCollege’s blog: http://blog.sbbcollege.edu.
Financial Assistance Available for Those Who Qualify
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