Senate Bill Proposes Expanded GI Bill Transfer Options
The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides up to 36 months of funding for higher education, vocational programs, and technical training for those who have served long enough to qualify.
Senate Bill Proposes Expanded GI Bill Transfer Options
Starting in 2009, qualifying military members could transfer unused benefits to spouses or children. But this option is a retention tool and is governed by the Department of Defense. Transferrability is not an automatic right, and under laws current at press time, you cannot transfer GI Bill benefits to spouses or school-age children unless the servicemember is still on active duty and meets other requirements.
But that may all change under new legislation, the Post-9/11 GI Bill Transferability Entitlement Act, introduced by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal. The legislation proposes expanding the transferability of the GI Bill.
How the Bill Works
The legislation alters the basic mechanism of the transfer program. Currently, if an active-duty service member completes 16 years of service and leaves the military without filling out the transfer paperwork through the MilConnect portal, the benefit remains with the veteran and cannot be transferred.
If that veteran chooses not to go to school, the 36 months of tuition and housing allowances go unused. The proposed framework converts the earned benefit into a portable asset that follows the veteran into retirement.
At press time, service members must request a Post-9/11 GI Bill transfer to a dependent while actively serving. Under the rules current at press time, these troops must complete at least 6 years of active duty or selected reserve service and agree to 4 additional years of military service from the date of the transfer request to qualify.
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This policy prevents people who have already separated or retired from passing their benefits to dependents unless they signed a transfer agreement while in uniform.
The new legislation would change these rules for some troops. If signed into law, it would require the military to allow any service member or veteran who completes 10 years of active military service to transfer their education benefits to dependents at any time, during or after military service.
What Veteran Advocates Say
Some advocacy organizations note that military personnel may miss the current GI Bill transfer window because they weren’t aware of the option or the four-year service obligation that comes with it. The Disabled American Veterans organization issued an endorsement after the bill was introduced, stating the ten-year service requirement could help the military reward long-term service while offering flexibility for families trying to pay for school.
At press time, the bill is before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration. It must pass through the committee review stage and face a vote on the Senate floor before moving to the House of Representatives for more consideration. This is an ongoing story.
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About the author
Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
