One option is to take advantage of the new GI Bill, revised in 2009 for the first time in over 40 years, according to Beth Vezina, Enrollment Counselor and VA Certifying Official in the Office of Veteran Affairs at Bristol Community College.
The new version of the GI Bill pays for tuition and fees directly to the school, which allows veterans to attend school while their VA paperwork is pending. The old version required paying tuition and fees and getting reimbursed in a monthly stipend.
“If you’re not working, where do you get the funds to pay for it in advance?” Vezina said. “Because tuition and fees go directly to the school, we can allow the veteran to start classes.”
Increased benefits
The amount of the benefits increased, too, in 2009. If a veteran is eligible for 100% benefits and is enrolled full time, the monthly stipend is $500 for books per semester and $1,600 per month for housing costs.
Benefits are based on length of time in service and how much of that occurred after 9/11. If the majority of the time was served after 9/11, the veteran can apply for benefits under the new G.I. bill. If not, they may be eligible for benefits under the older version, the Montgomery G.I. Bill.
Returning veterans can also get a tuition waiver under the Massachusetts National Guard Tuition Waiver program if they are Massachusetts residents. Courses cost about $166 per course, $75 of which is tuition.
VA certification takes four to six weeks. To get started, Vezina said they need to bring the #4 copy of their DD214 to the Office of Veteran Affairs where Vezina and her staff will walk them through the process.
Classes begin on January 24th, 2012. Application for admission to BCC is open year-round and typically takes up to three weeks. Some majors such as Health Sciences and Dental Hygiene are closed to open enrollment as they are filled on a competitive basis. But students can take General Studies to get basic classes out of the way while deciding on their major.
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