G.I. Bill (Ch 30 & Post 9/11)

WGU has been approved by the Department of Veteran's Affairs for G.I. Bill usage. For those who are using Ch. 30 benefits, you can have your tuition broken down into 6 monthly payments. However, you should plan to pay the first two months ($1,000) out of pocket because it can sometimes take a while for them to get everything setup for you, especially when starting around the busy enrollment months for brick and mortar schools (Aug/Jan)

The amount you receive is based on how many credit units (CUs) you select for your initial AAV (the courses you agree to complete by the end of that term).It is important to understand that you can always add additional courses to your AAV throughout your term but you can not remove any.

Courses on the AAV that are not completed by the end of the term are treated as failures. To meet GI Bill requirements, you must PASS the required amount of credits or you will likely have to repay the difference back at the end of the term.

Below are the credit requirements for undergrad programs:

• Full time: 18 or more CUs
• 3/4 time: 13 to 17 CUs
• 1/2 time: 12 CUs

It is my personal recommendation that you only start out with 13 to 17 CUs on your first AAV. This will reduce your monthly amount but it will also reduce the risk of owing anything back at the end of your term. If you add additional courses to your AAV mid-term that results in you finishing with 18+ CUs, WGU will notify the VA of this change and they will backpay the difference (about $3,000).

If you have Ch. 30 MGIB and you are considering converting it over to Post 9/11 GI Bill, I suggest you wait. As of recently, the Post 9/11 GIB will now pay 1/2 the national BAH rate for online schools. However, it is possible to add an additional year of benefits if you wait...

This tip only works for veterans who have only been awarded 3 years of MGIB benefits. If you have earned a 4th year from Guard/Reserve, this does not apply.

After you have used 100% of your Ch. 30 MGIB, apply for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. If you qualified for the Post 9/11 GI Bill and used all of your Ch 30 MGIB benefits, the VA will award you with 1 year of Post 9/11 benefits. This only works if you use every penny of Ch 30. If you have 2 days left of Ch 30 benefits when you apply for Post 9/11, they will convert those 2 days but not award the additional year.

This information has been passed to me second hand but I have confirmed it from multiple veterans. I still have 12 months of benefits left on my Ch. 30 before I can do this myself.