{"id":24946,"date":"2018-11-26T14:00:30","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T14:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/26\/gi-bill-advice-for-student-vets-from-student-vets\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:29:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:29:41","slug":"gi-bill-advice-for-student-vets-from-student-vets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/veterans\/2018\/11\/26\/gi-bill-advice-for-student-vets-from-student-vets\/","title":{"rendered":"GI Bill advice: For student vets, from student vets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re transitioning out of the military, chances are you\u2019ve gotten countless handouts and PowerPoint presentations on the Post-9\/11 GI Bill by now. Be honest, you slept through them, didn\u2019t you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked your fellow veterans who have used the GI Bill for their best tips, lessons learned and things they wished they\u2019d known when they were in your shoes. Here\u2019s what they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.<\/b> Know what you\u2019re entitled to<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amount of money you receive toward your postsecondary education is determined by how long you served active duty after Sept. 11, 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have to serve at least 90 days to be eligible at all, and if you served less than 6 months, you\u2019ll only get 40 percent of the benefit. That eligibility percentage increases gradually with time-in-service, maxing out at 100 percent eligibility for people who served 36 months or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Force veteran Mike Molitoris said the first thing you should do if you\u2019re interested in using the GI Bill is get your official certificate of eligibility from the Veterans Affairs Department, \u201cso you know what you\u2019re dealing with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Molitoris\u2019 case, he is eligible for the benefit at the 90-percent rate, meaning he gets 90 percent of the total $23,671.94 in tuition and fees and 90 percent of the housing and textbook stipends that also come with the Post-9\/11 GI Bill. He is currently using the benefit to get his second master\u2019s degree from Creighton University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting that certificate of eligibility, or COE, is key; you\u2019ll need it to use your GI Bill benefits at any school.<\/p>\n\n\n\t