Chapter 31 and degree type?

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brand89

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I was accepted into the vocational rehabilitation chapter 31. This pays for my bachelor degree but makes me job focused. So i need and bachelor in something that can land me a job i can work for up to one year, covering as many prerequisites as possible (all would be nice) to apply to med school the following year.

Thank you all for responding.

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I was accepted into the vocational rehabilitation chapter 31. This pays for my bachelor degree but makes me job focused. So i need and bachelor in something that can land me a job i can work for up to one year, covering as many prerequisites as possible (all would be nice) to apply to med school the following year.

Thank you all for responding.
use your chapter 33 gi bill for your undergraduate and make sure you don't use it completely up. As long as you have some chp 33 leftover, you can switch to the voc rehab for medical school.
You may want to confirm this. My brother has voc rehab and I heard him talking about it.
 
Ch 31 can be hard to get into, and you can now use Ch 31 and save your GI bill if you use Ch31 first, so its actually better now to use Ch. 31 and then if you can't get them to extend it for med school, you have your GI bill to fall back on. The ideal scenario of course is if you can prove a SEH and then get them to make your degree plan for an MD, which then covers both undergrad and med school. As it currently stands, it seem using your GI bill will actually reduce the number of months you will be eligible for Ch 31, but not the other way around.
 
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Ch 31 can be hard to get into, and you can now use Ch 31 and save your GI bill if you use Ch31 first, so its actually better now to use Ch. 31 and then if you can't get them to extend it for med school, you have your GI bill to fall back on. The ideal scenario of course is if you can prove a SEH and then get them to make your degree plan for an MD, which then covers both undergrad and med school. As it currently stands, it seem using your GI bill will actually reduce the number of months you will be eligible for Ch 31, but not the other way around.

You have a total of 48 months for your educational benefits. You don't just use 35 months of Chapter 33 and then opt for Chapter 31 for another 48 months. That's a myth. Here is the reference:
http://www.disabledveterans.org/2013/10/30/va-voc-rehab-take-away-gi-bill/
 
Lab med degrees such as MLT will get you through prereqs and qualify you for a specific job.
 
You have a total of 48 months for your educational benefits. You don't just use 35 months of Chapter 33 and then opt for Chapter 31 for another 48 months. That's a myth. Here is the reference:
http://www.disabledveterans.org/2013/10/30/va-voc-rehab-take-away-gi-bill/

That's actually no longer true. As I noted in another thread, the VA has issued a statement regarding the restoration of post 9/11 benefits. As it currently stands, using chapter 31 does not eat into your GI bill, though it seems using your GI bill will eat into your Ch 31 benefits.

changes to the policy on restoration/entitlement use (regarding restoration of Post9/11 months used for Chapter 31) ***General Council Memo Procedural Advisory 48 month rule and chapter 31 entitlement use for original claims dtd. 12-10-2015 "Title 38, United States Code, a Regional Office had misinterpreted the 48-month rule. GC held that the use of benefits under 38 U.S.C. chapter 31 does not limit the use of education benefits listed in 38 U.S.C. § 3695(a). However, use of educational benefits listed in section 3695(a) could limit the number of months of assistance to which a service-disabled veteran may be entitled under chapter 31". This info is given out by the Post9/11 info number. 1-888-442-4551 (1 888 GI BILL 1) from 7AM - 7PM Central Time

That info was actually posted on the Ch. 31 FB group that Ben Krause (the author of the article you linked) founded and still admins.
 
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They said they will not make med school the goal and that they want to get me a job after bachelor. So i need a degree that covers pre med. Will look into mlt/mt more. Happy to be getting help from you guys.
 
They said they will not make med school the goal and that they want to get me a job after bachelor. So i need a degree that covers pre med. Will look into mlt/mt more. Happy to be getting help from you guys.
Try again/harder. If a 250,000 net swing is worth it to you...
 
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That's actually no longer true. As I noted in another thread, the VA has issued a statement regarding the restoration of post 9/11 benefits. As it currently stands, using chapter 31 does not eat into your GI bill, though it seems using your GI bill will eat into your Ch 31 benefits.

changes to the policy on restoration/entitlement use (regarding restoration of Post9/11 months used for Chapter 31) ***General Council Memo Procedural Advisory 48 month rule and chapter 31 entitlement use for original claims dtd. 12-10-2015 "Title 38, United States Code, a Regional Office had misinterpreted the 48-month rule. GC held that the use of benefits under 38 U.S.C. chapter 31 does not limit the use of education benefits listed in 38 U.S.C. § 3695(a). However, use of educational benefits listed in section 3695(a) could limit the number of months of assistance to which a service-disabled veteran may be entitled under chapter 31". This info is given out by the Post9/11 info number. 1-888-442-4551 (1 888 GI BILL 1) from 7AM - 7PM Central Time

That info was actually posted on the Ch. 31 FB group that Ben Krause (the author of the article you linked) founded and still admins.

Can you post the actual link for this? It sounds like a great idea to utilize post 9/11 to boost residency pay.
 
Can you post the actual link for this? It sounds like a great idea to utilize post 9/11 to boost residency pay.

go on FB and search for this group: Disabled Veterans - Chapter 31 Voc Rehab

It was founded by Ben Krause, probably the best known Ch. 31 advocate. The actual post was made by Ramona Dayton, one of the admins, who is also extremely knowledgeable.

They said they will not make med school the goal and that they want to get me a job after bachelor. So i need a degree that covers pre med. Will look into mlt/mt more. Happy to be getting help from you guys.

They can if you fight them on it. Mine not only says "medical doctor" as the goal but even lists the school of choice and that they will pay for the MCAT. Don't take no for an answer, ask for a new VRC if you have to and definitely read the voc rehab survival guide on Ben Krause's site.
 
go on FB and search for this group: Disabled Veterans - Chapter 31 Voc Rehab

It was founded by Ben Krause, probably the best known Ch. 31 advocate. The actual post was made by Ramona Dayton, one of the admins, who is also extremely knowledgeable.



They can if you fight them on it. Mine not only says "medical doctor" as the goal but even lists the school of choice and that they will pay for the MCAT. Don't take no for an answer, ask for a new VRC if you have to and definitely read the voc rehab survival guide on Ben Krause's site.

Okay. I have just read through the law 38 U.S.C. § 3695 again. Here's my interpretation:

For section (a), you can't use the following Chapters 30, 32, 33, 34, and 36 in excess of 48 months. Note that Chapter 31 isn't mentioned here.

For section b, this is what's written:
No person may receive assistance under chapter 31 of this title in combination with assistance under any of the provisions of law cited in subsection (a) of this section in excess of 48 months (or the part-time equivalent thereof) unless the Secretary determines that additional months of benefits under chapter 31 of this title are necessary to accomplish the purposes of a rehabilitation program (as defined in section 3101(5) of this title) in the individual case.

There is a lot of interpretations for this section:

1) You can't use Chapter 31 and other chapters in excess of 48 months. This has been the prevailing interpretation.

2) You can double dip with Chapter 31 and other chapters like 30 or 33. However, the other chapters besides 31 can't be in excess of 48 months. I think the new memo being placed out there is trying to push people towards this interpretation. If that's the case, it bodes very well for vets out there.
 
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Well, the gist of it from all the talk I see is that Ch. 31 by itself does not pull away any months of post 9/11.
right. But if you elect to ch 33 housing allowance, at that point you are combining programs and would be subject to a time limiter (48 months). After that time period you wouldn't be allowed to utilize your ch 33, effectively meaning you just expended you ch 33 benefits.

Obviously I'm rooting for the better deal, but I like to expect/prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised if it doesn't happen.

Quick question. I was getting the army college fund payments attached to my BAH when using my ch 33. I just switched to ch 31 and I thought it would work the same way, but the letter I just got from my VRC had me getting the CH 31 stipend and nothing else (an 1800/month pay cut!). I just sent in the form to elect for the ch 33 housing allowance, hopefully that adds in the ACF as well. Anybody have any experience with this?

The good news is that people are getting the clarification right now.
 
If you are good at math/physics etc and are willing to put in a ton of work to do well and think you can fit in EC's, biomedical engineering has all prereq's. ChemE pretty much does as well, aside from biology, you have to fit that in somewhere.
 
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