October 21, 2009

Stop Loss Payments



October 16, 2009

POST 9/11 GI BILL AND TRANSFERABILITY OF EDUCATION BENEFITS TEB TO FAMILY MEMBERS

REFERENCES:
A. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, DIRECTIVE-TYPE MEMORANDUM (DTM) 09-003: POST
9/11 GI BILL, JUNE 22, 2009.
B. DEPARTMENT OF ARMY MEMORANDUM, SUBJECT: POST 9/11 GI BILL-POLICY
MEMORANDUM, JULY 10, 2009.
C. NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008 D. TITLE 38, UNITED STATES
CODE E. AR 621-202, ARMY EDUCATIONAL INCENTIVES AND ENTITLEMENTS F.
DAPE-MPE ALARACT 195/2009, DTG 131938Z JUL 09, SUBJECT: POST 9/11 GI
BILL POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT.
1. THIS MESSAGE WILL EXPIRE 1 JANUARY 2011. THE PROCEDURES WILL REMAIN
IN EFFECT UNTIL SUPERSEDED OR RESCINDED AND APPLY TO ACTIVE DUTY ONLY.
2. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO EMPHASIZE THE BASIC PROCEDURES FOR
ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY FOR THE POST 9/11 GI BILL AS WELL AS THE
TRANSFERABILITY OF EDUCATION BENEFITS (TEB) TO CERTAIN FAMILY MEMBERS.
3. REFERENCE C AUTHORIZED THE POST 9/11 GI BILL WHICH BECAME EFFECTIVE
AUGUST 1, 2009. POLICY WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT UPDATE TO REFERENCE
E. THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (DVA) REFERS TO THE POST 9/11 GI
BILL AS CHAPTER 33 BENEFITS.
4. REFERENCE F PROVIDES DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR ESTABLISHING
ELIGIBILITY FOR THE POST 9/11 GI BILL AND FOR TEB. DUE TO THE INCREASED
NUMBER OF INQUIRIES TO HRC, THIS MESSAGE CLARIFIES PROCEDURES FOR
ENLISTED SOLDIERS AND FOR OFFICERS AND WARRANT OFFICERS. AS AN EXCEPTION
TO THE ARMY'S IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE, ARMY HUMAN RESOURCES COMMAND
TEMPORARILY PROCESSED AND CERTIFIED ENLISTED SOLDIER REQUESTS TO
TRANSFER EDUCATION BENEFITS SUBMITTED IN THE TEB PORTAL. THIS ACTION WAS
TAKEN TO FACILITATE THE TIMELY PROCESSING OF TRANSFER REQUESTS FOR THE
FALL 2009 ENROLLMENT PERIOD. ONLY THOSE REQUESTS THAT DID NOT REQUIRE
THE SOLDIER TO EXTEND/REENLIST WERE PROCESSED. ALL OTHERS WERE PLACED IN
A PENDING STATUS FOR ACTION BY THE SOLDIER'S SERVICING CAREER COUNSELOR.
HRC STOPPED PROCESSING TEB REQUESTS FOR ENLISTED SOLDIERS ON 11
SEPTEMBER 2009.
(A) BENEFITS FOR THE SERVICEMEMBER AND VETERAN: SERVICEMEMBERS AND
VETERANS WHO HAVE DECIDED TO CONVERT TO THE POST 9/11 GI BILL AND ARE
READY TO USE THEIR BENEFITS MUST APPLY TO THE DVA BY SUBMITTING VA FORM
22-1990 ONLINE THROUGH THE DVA WEB SITE WWW.GIBILL.VA.GOV. CHECK THE BOX
FOR CHAPTER 33. THE DECISION TO CONVERT IS IRREVOCABLE. THEREFORE,
SERVICEMEMBERS MUST BE CAUTIOUS AND THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND THEIR CURRENT
BENEFITS (I.E. MGIB, VEAP, OR VIETNAM ERA GI BILL, IF APPLICABLE) AND
COMPARE WITH BENEFITS UNDER THE CHAPTER 33. TO ASSIST, A COMPARISON
CHART IS INCLUDED IN THE DVA'S WEB SITE.
(B) BENEFITS FOR DEPENDENTS. ONLY ACTIVE DUTY AND SELECTED RESERVE
SERVICEMEMBERS WHO MEET REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN REFERENCES A AND B
ABOVE ARE AUTHORIZED TO TRANSFER UNUSED BENEFITS TO DEPENDENT FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO ARE IN DEERS. SERVICEMEMBER MUST USE EITHER HIS/HER MILITARY
CAC OR DFAS PIN, AND LOG ON TO THE TEB PORTAL AT
HTTPS://WWW.DMDC.OSD.MIL/TEB/. SERVICEMEMBER MUST CLICK ALL BOXES TO
INDICATE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND EACH STATEMENT ON THE TEB
REQUEST PAGE. THE DECISION IS IRREVOCABLE. ONCE IN THE TEB, THE
SERVICEMEMBER MAY TRANSFER UP TO 36 MONTHS TO ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS.
THE SERVICEMEMBER WILL CHOOSE THE BEGIN DATE, END DATE, AND NUMBER OF
MONTHS TO TRANSFER TO EACH FAMILY MEMBER. TO DETERMINE MONTHS OF UNUSED
BENEFITS, PLEASE CONTACT THE DVA AT 1-888-442-4551.
(1) TRANSFER TO SPOUSE: THE END DATE IS 15 YEARS AFTER THE SERVICEMEMBER
SEPARATES FROM ACTIVE DUTY. SERVICEMEMBER MAY ESTIMATE THIS DATE.
(2) TRANSFER TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN: CHILDREN MUST BE A DEPENDENT AND BE
IN DEERS AT THE TIME OF TRANSFER. THE EARLIEST BEGIN DATE IS THE DATE
THE CHILD RECEIVES A SECONDARY SCHOOL DIPLOMA, EQUIVALENCY CERTIFICATE,
OR REACHES AGE 18. THE END DATE CAN BE UP TO THE DATE THE CHILD REACHES
AGE 26. IF THE SERVICEMEMBER DESIGNATES AN END DATE PRIOR TO THE CHILD'S
26TH BIRTHDAY, THE VA WILL PAY BENEFITS ONLY TO THE DESIGNATED DATE;
BENEFITS WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED BEYOND THIS DATE. THEREFORE, IT IS
RECOMMENDED THAT THE END DATE BE THE CHILDS 26TH BIRTHDAY.
(3) SERVICEMEMBERS SHOULD CONSIDER TRANSFERRING AT LEAST ONE MONTH TO
EACH FAMILY MEMBER LISTED ON THE TEB. ONCE SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY,
THE SERVICEMEMBER CAN NO LONGER ADD ANY FAMILY MEMBER TO TEB; THE
SERVICEMEMBER OR VETERAN CAN CHANGE OR AMEND THE MONTHS BETWEEN THE
FAMILY MEMBERS AT ANY TIME. FOR EXAMPLE, IF 24 MONTHS ARE TRANSFERRED TO
ONE CHILD, BUT THE CHILD RECEIVES A FULL SCHOLARSHIP, THEN THE
SERVICEMEMBER/VETERAN CAN GO INTO THE TEB, ZERO OUT THE CHILD'S 24
MONTHS, AND TRANSFER TO ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER (AS LONG AS THAT FAMILY
MEMBER HAD INITIALLY BEEN GIVEN AT LEAST ONE MONTH).
(4) HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON. ENSURE THE REVOKE IS NOT CHECKED UNLESS THE
INTENT IS TO ZERO OUT BENEFITS TRANSFERRED, WHICH MEANS THE BENEFITS
REVERT BACK TO THE SERVICEMEMBER/VETERAN.
(5) ONCE TEB IS COMPLETED, THE SERVICEMEMBER MAY LATER RETURN TO THE TEB
PAGE AND MONITOR THE STATUS. NO CONFIRMATION NUMBER OR ELECTRONIC
MESSAGE IS SENT TO THE SERVICEMEMBER. THE TEB REQUEST WILL REMAIN IN
SUBMITTED STATUS UNTIL PROCESSED BY AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICIAL.
5. CERTIFYING OFFICIALS: THE CERTIFYING OFFICIAL WILL REVIEW THE TEB
REQUEST AND APPROVE, REJECT, OR PLACE THE REQUEST IN PENDING REVIEW. A
REQUEST IS REJECTED IF THE SERVICEMEMBER DOES NOT MEET THE ELIGIBILITY
OUTLINED IN REFERENCE B ABOVE OR IS FLAGGED.

(A) THE CERTIFYING OFFICIAL FOR ACTIVE DUTY ENLISTED SOLDIERS IS THE
UNIT'S ARMY CAREER COUNSELOR. ALL ENLISTED ACTIVE DUTY SOLDIERS MUST
NOTIFY THEIR SUPPORTING CAREER COUNSELOR IMMEDIATELY UPON REQUESTING
TRANSFER OF BENEFITS WITHIN THE TEB PORTAL. THIS IS THE ONLY MEANS
AVAILABLE TO ALERT THE CAREER COUNSELOR THAT THE ACTION IS IN THE TEB
PORTAL AWAITING REVIEW/CERTIFICATION. THE ARMY CAREER COUNSELOR WILL
DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY IAW REFERENCE B ABOVE; THE SOLDIER MUST EXTEND OR
REENLIST, IF APPLICABLE, TO MEET THE REQUIRED ADDITIONAL SERVICE
OBLIGATION. ALL TEB REQUESTS SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN 3 DUTY DAYS OF
SUBMISSION PROVIDED THE SOLDIER HAS CONTACTED THEIR CAREER COUNSELOR,
MEETS ALL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, AND NO ADDITIONAL ACTION, TO INCLUDE
REENLISTMENT OR EXTENSION IS REQUIRED BY THE SOLDIER. THE SOLDIER MUST
MONITOR THE TEB FOR STATUS. CAREER COUNSELORS MUST COMPLETE A SOLDIER'S
TEB REQUEST WITHIN 3 DUTY DAYS AFTER CONFIRMATION OF THE REENLISTMENT OR
EXTENSION.
(B) THE CERTIFYING OFFICIAL FOR ACTIVE DUTY OFFICERS AND WARRANT
OFFICERS IS THE ARMY HUMAN RESOURCES COMMAND (AHRC) AND THE HQDA, G-1.
OFFICERS WHO MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN REFERENCE B ABOVE
MAY SUBMIT TEB REQUESTS. ONCE SUBMITTED, OFFICER MUST MONITOR THE TEB
FOR STATUS; IF NOT APPROVED, THE OFFICER MAY CONTACT THEIR AHRC CAREER
BRANCH TO RESOLVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCREPANCIES.
6. ONCE THE TEB REQUEST IS APPROVED, THE INFORMATION IS AUTOMATICALLY
FED TO THE DVA. WHEN READY TO USE THE BENEFITS, THE SPOUSE AND/OR
ELIGIBLE CHILD MUST SUBMIT VA FORM 22-1990E THROUGH THE DVA'S WEB SITE
AT WWW.GIBILL.VA.GOV. THE DVA WILL SEND THE SPOUSE AND/OR CHILD A
CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY WHICH MUST BE PROVIDED TO THE SCHOOL. THE
SCHOOL WILL SUBMIT VA FORM 22-1999 TO THE DVA. THE DVA WILL THEN AWARD
APPROPRIATE BENEFITS TO THE SCHOOL AND TO THE SPOUSE/CHILD.
7. EXPIRATION DATE CANNOT BE DETERMINED.

October 9,2009

The Veterans Society contact the Veterans Administration in order to find out how veterans who have been given a hand written Emergency GI Bill check by the V.A. can assure their banks that the check is not fradulant. According to the V.A.
            
The VA is soliciting the support of local and national banks to honor and cash these emergency checks written to our Nation's Veteran-students.

In many cases these checks are handwritten and could pose concerns of fraud from banks. Therefore, VA has established the following special customer service call-in numbers for banks to verify the validity of any US Bank check brought to them by a Veteran.
Banks calling these numbers will be connected directly to a VA employee who can access to all necessary information to verify who the check was issued to, the check number and dollar amount of the check, and whether the check was previously cashed or not.


October 4,2009

Vets Find it Hard to Cash Emergency GI Bill Checks

VA Seeking Assistance of Nation’s Banks in Cashing Emergency Education Payments for Veteran-Students
So far the biggest glitch in the VA GI Bill Emergency Payment process is that several veterans are finding it hard to cash their GI Bill advance payment checks. In some cases it was a matter of bank policy to hold funds until the check clears. This is further complicated because the checks are handwritten US Bank checks which may have seemed odd to the banks.
At any rate the VA is asking banks to help. In addition the VA is offering a toll-free number for banks to verify the authenticity of the checks.

See the VA's official letter below:
From VA - The Department of Veterans Affairs is issuing advance educational benefit payments to Veteran-students in the form of US Bank business checks. These emergency checks are issued in amounts not to exceed $3,000 for Veteran-students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their VA payment. VA's 57 regional offices began issuing these checks to eligible Veteran-students across the country on Friday, October 2, 2009.