Last week the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released the “Post-9/11 GI Bill; Final Rule.” This set of regulations governs the policy and procedures for the new GI Bill and offers clarification to many of the questions we have been asking for the last six months.
Highlights of the Final Rule include:
Active Duty National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Public Health Service (PHS) Officers are now deemed eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill so long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. Unfortunately, NOAA and PHS Officers will not be able to transfer their benefits to a dependent.
Some National Guard and Active Guard Reserve (AGR) are deemed ineligible for the Post-9/11 GI Benefit. The VA had determined there is no section of existing statute that will allow them to authorize eligibility for members of the National Guard or Active Guard Reserve serving under title 32, U.S.C.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has yet to issue their final policy on transferability of benefits to dependents, however the general rule is the person receiving the transferred benefits will receive the same payment and benefits as the service member or veteran would have gotten if they kept it.
