Does post 911 gi bill back pay?

Answer 1

With a caveat to this question, yes it will back pay. I worked in student finance and dealt quite a bit with the Chapter 33 Post 911 GI Bill, and used it myself being an Air Force veteran. Here is the catch. You must first qualify for it, and most importantly have not exceeded the 10 year period you have to start using the benefits once you separate from the military. Once you have your Certificate of Eligibility, get with your schools finance office and let them know that is what you plan on using to fund your education. If you are taking classes at a campus, you will also get a housing allowance. If you were using government financial aid (student loans and grants) prior, you can have your Chapter 33 backdated not to exceed your 36 months of benefits. Be aware of 2 very important things to keep in mind because I had to deal with this allot with my students.

1. Some schools may have a limit on how far back they can establish your GI Bill benefits. They may only be able to backdate for the current academic year, some maybe two years, some maybe up to the three. Just be prepared for all those scenarios and have a contingency plan available.

2. If you have your benefits backdated you may encounter a cost of attendance issue that could result in financial aid (grants and loans) being reversed and sent back to the government. Is this the end of the world? No, because that is ultimately money you won't have to pay back. However, if you received refunds from the excess of the loans you received, it may result in very sizable balances that may not entirely offset depending on how long you are backdated. Cost of attendance issues can arise at ANY school that issues federal funding, so be prepared to ask about that with your finance advisor to ensure all ramifications are outlined prior to making the decision to implement your benefits effective at an earlier date.

Good luck!