More School/GI Bill Help

xcelr8 · March 15, 2009

Hello All. This is a long post, so I apologize in advance

To start I'd like to introduce myself. I'm new here to the forums. I'm currently in the Marine Corps and upon completing my contract I intend on working my way up the pilot ladder.

Moving on, I've heard and read some things on various forums that the GI Bill will cover flight training when it is coupled with a degree, is this correct? I've worked to get the GI Bill, and I want to get everything I can out of it. With that being said, if this is possible, I'm looking for a school that offers aeronautical or aerospace engineering degrees, but again, I still am not sure if this is all possible.

Regardless, even if coupled with a school, the GI Bill will not cover getting a private license correct? If I could make that work also it would be stellar, however I should have 20k saved by the time I get out so I hope that should be enough to cover it in that case.

Basically I'm looking for info from people who have worked with the system and just trying to learn from their experience. The post 9/11 GI Bill doesn't come into affect until August I believe so I'm not sure how much information there may be on that. I contacted the VA a few months ago about the Post 9/11 GI Bill in regards to flight school and even then they didn't know exactly how it would work.

I apologize for the long and new guy post. Thank you for your help in advance.

Patrick

jehh · March 16, 2009

Welcome!

First, so far as we can tell, the Post 9/11 GI Bill has nothing to do with flight training, that will still be covered by Chapter 30. You're right that the VA itself isn't 100% sure, we'll know in August if they change their mind.

Currently, the VA will pay for 60% of your post private training, or about half the total bill, depending on what it takes you to get your private.

Or...

They will pay you $1,321 a month in benefits for 36 months if you go to college.

These numbers are under Chapter 30.

There is only a total of about $48K of benefits, ($5K more if you paid the $600 buy up), so it will not pay for all of helicopter training as that now costs more than either figure.

You'll need about $35K yourself, the VA will pickup the other $35K, assuming you skip college. Otherwise you can get a bit more after expenses taking the college route, but that does add time and cost to the picture.

Chopperjess · March 16, 2009

When my fiance was trying to get the VA to pay for his flight training, he was just running around in circles. They would not pay for his training for his private because it was not directly going for something that would be a career. They pay for 60% of the amount (however, you have to pay it, then the GI bill will send you the money to reinburse you basically). It ended up he'd have to pay his private, and then save up money to pay some of his comm up front.

Another way you can do it, is sorta cheat the system. Go to a Junior college. The college here, costs for 12 units, which is full time 250 or so, and the books are about 200-300 more, if even that. You will get 1300 a month, and you can just put it away for however many months you have on the GI bill. Take that money, and fly with it.

Just a suggestion.

fry · March 16, 2009

Solid, factual information from Jehh...kudos. If all flight schools were only so forthright.

But, as he points out, you'll need to invest another $35k yourself...and that's for the minimum requirements to qualify for an at least a two year apprenticeship (to go from 200 to 1,000 flight hours) and an average income position at the end of that. That's a lot of investment for a not-so-lot return.

If you are even considering an engineering degree means you are not intimidated by the challenge...then go for it. Get into the best college program you can qualify for. Don't worry about the cost...with the GI Bill and the Democrats in power the money will be available. Get an engineering degree and you can pursue anything you want to after that. Make lots of money and buy a freakin helicopter to fly for fun.

mechanic · March 16, 2009

Ya, get a Aerospace Engineering Degree and design us a copter that is safe and affordable.

Under Chapter 30 you can do a split program. You take flight lessons at a Part 141 program in the summer months. Then back to college in the fall. I personally don't know of any one who has gone this route but I have seen it in the VA manuals. I think it is listed in the M-22 Education Manual, but am having a hard time locating it. They, VA, must have moved it.. If I locate it I will post it.

mechanic · March 16, 2009

I still have not located the M-22 manual.

But, I did find this.. follow the link provided in this pamplet..

What does the Post- 9/11 GI Bill cover?

You may receive benefits for any approved program offered by a school in the United States that is authorized to grant an associate (or higher) degree. Visit our website at

www.GIBILL.VA.GOV/GI Bill Info/programs.htm

to verify that the program at your school, or the program at the school you would like to attend, is approved. You may also receive benefits for tutorial assistance or up to $2,000 for the reimbursement of one licensing or certification test.

Pamplet Post 9/11

Takes you to this VA Education Page, includes flight training same as chap 30. So the VA screwed up the info or its the same as chap 30 far as flight training goes??

Also under the VA FAQ's they say this. Flight training allowed only if qualified under Chap 30 program.

Link Va FAQ's

goromadgo · March 16, 2009

You can search the forums for GI Bill info, but from what I was told a few months back when I was getting out of the Air Force was that the Post 9/11 GI Bill will NOT cover flight training. This includes Part 141 VA approved schools. You can still use the MGIB towards ratings past your PPL if you bought into it when you joined (hope you did!), but you won't get any of the nice new benefits like housing allowance, book allowance, tests money, etc. Hopefully everything they told me was correct as I should have my PPL finished up within the week and move on to GI funded ratings! I was quoted as $60k is the average for my school, PPL through CFI and that the GI Bill would cover about 20-30k of this. The rest you are going to have to come up with on your own, but it sounds like you will have a nice savings built up. If you have any questions it would be best to ask the school(s) you are looking at and find out what they know, but always double check that info. If you have any questions feel free to drop me a PM. Also make sure the schools you are looking into are not only Part 141, but ALSO VA APPROVED! Very important! I believe the VA website has a lookup tool, if you can't find it let me know and I'll pull it up. Sorry...1 AM and don't feel like searching at the moment. Good luck!

Adam

xcelr8 · March 17, 2009

well i did a little research and talked to a few people and this appears to be what I have found out. What was talked about earlier with the $1300 per month sent to me for a full time student and such, appears to be the pre 9/11 GI Bill. The post 9/11 sends payments to the school, not myself. Probably so we can't cheat the system as was recommended earlier. They have broken down how much they will pay per credit by state, along with a housing allowance by state. With that being said, from what I have read, in NJ, I will receive $2k per month for a housing allowance, and $1k per year for books, and the post 9/11 will cover up to 30,000 per year in NJ. That number may be off, however it is somewhere around there. Also, the post 9/11 covers up to $85,000. Along with that, if I hit the $85000 mark, they will extend it to $86200 since I invested $1200 in it. Also, they will match, per dollar, how much the school discounts or takes off my rate. For example, if by some reason you can get a school to take off $5000 per year, the VA will match that with another $5k. They will also double your money in what you put in, as in if I pay $1000, they will pay $1000.

This is all not written fact I have found on the VA website, since they still appear themselves to not know what they are doing, however it has come from military newspapers and such so I believe it to be somewhat accurate. Anyway a lot of this may not seem important to what I'm trying to do, so my goal is still to locate a 141 that couples an engineering degree with flight training

I have talked to some instructors at Key-Air, which is a 61 school, about obtaining a private license through them. It's pretty set that whether post or pre 9/11 I will need to pay for my private license myself. After that, I intend to use the GI for everything I can. I earned it so I'll use it.

Another long post and I apologize. If anyone has any other info, help, or anything to add please do. Thank you in advance,

Patrick

diverturnedpilot · March 17, 2009

I am retiring from the Navy this year. I sat through TAP and a couple of other briefings, one of which was the VA. I asked about flight training and got the same response...they don't know.

I will tell you this. I have been making phone calls and writing my Reps. and Senators about this(for about 3 years). Others must be also, because at first I was told that flight training would not be covered. Now I am being told it will be covered at least at the same rate as Chapter 30.

I'll let ya'll know what I learn.

Other than that, be safe, and good luck,

Brad

mechanic · March 19, 2009

Here is a new link I found. I get email news from military.com. Don't know if you saw this yet. Best detail I have found yet of the new Post 9/11 GI Bill.

New GI Bill