What is the GI Bill

As a veteran and Gulf Coast State college student myself, I can’t do a series of stories on college funding without talking about the GI Bill. The GI bill is a college funding program offered by the Veterans Administration designed to help service members leaving active duty reintegrate into the civilian world by earning a college degree. Veterans have the option of two flavors of educational benefit, the Montgomery GI Bill, and the most current and common version used today, the Post 911 GI Bill. I will highlight the benefits of the Post 911 Bill, but more information on all VA education benefits can be found at va.gov.

What are the benefits

The GI Bill pays for tuition, a yearly book stipend, as well as provides a monthly housing allowance based on the national average. If taking classes online exclusively, or less than full term, the housing allowance is half of the national average. One significant factor of the Post 911 GI bill is transferability. Service members have the option while on Active Duty to allocate some or all of their benefit to their dependents, giving them identical access to all of the previously mentioned perks. Overall, the GI Bill is an excellent tool for college funding for both Veterans and their loved ones, and the best feature is by far ease of use.

What is the process

“The application process was fast, you just fill out a form online and you hear back from them within a few weeks if not days” says Ryant Johnson, when asked about the process of applying to use his benefit. Ryant is a graphic design student, and has used the GI Bill to fund his education here at GCSC for the past two years. The process begins at va.gov and once approved, the next step is to register with the veterans services office on campus here. Once approved, the benefit is available to use for all of the benefits I’ve shared as long as there is monthly confirmation of registration via text or email. The combination of an extremely simple and streamlined process instituted by the VA as well as unending support from the Veterans Services Center make using GI Bill benefits at GCSC a no-brainer.