Post 9/11 GI Bill payment cap

[willwash]

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OK, so I've heard a thousand conflicting things on this and no one seems to know the right answer, the VA website is useless for this, and no preexisting thread seems to address the topic.

I have 100% tuition benefits on the post 9/11 GI Bill. Will this cover 100% of DENTAL SCHOOL tuition if I am in-state?

I keep hearing that the maximum it will pay is 100% of the highest UNDERGRADUATE tuition for your state. For dental school that is a pittance.

However, I've also heard that it covers 100% of DENTAL SCHOOL tuition, regardless, as long as you are in-state.

If you are OOS or at a private school it covers 18k/year.

So let me get this straight: private school or OOS DENTAL school: 18k/year cap on tuition benefits.

In-state DENTAL school: unlimited tuition coverage (as long as you're in state), or only up to the highest UNDERGRADUATE tuition in the state?

If anyone can speak to this with sources I'd be much obliged.

 

[Jalcalde]

Yes it will cover your in-state tuition for all of dental school. I know cause I am using it. You are also correct on the cap for private schools.

 

[endoaccess]

Your also automatically in-state at any school for tuition purposes. So basically any state school is going to be free tuition. It's a great deal.

 

[Huskk]

Does anyone have any experience using it for hospital-based post-grad specialty programs where there is no tuition? I know it would be sacrificing a lot of the overall benefit, but wondering if you are still eligible for the stipend

 

[endoaccess]

You should get the bah and a small book allowance.

 

[willwash]

Yes it will cover your in-state tuition for all of dental school. I know cause I am using it. You are also correct on the cap for private schools.

Do you only use it for fall and spring or do you use it year round to include summer terms? If you use it year round you'll run out of benefits before the end of dental school, but I think the summer terms tend to be cheaper so it's probably worth just paying for them and saving your GI Bill for the heftier Fall and Spring tuition bills.

 

[Jalcalde]

I use it now to cover anything that the HPSP doesn't cover because I am doing that at the moment 🙂. I'd recommend doing the fall and spring as those are heftier semesters.

 

[stor]

I use it now to cover anything that the HPSP doesn't cover because I am doing that at the moment 🙂. I'd recommend doing the fall and spring as those are heftier semesters.

I am about to start post-baccing for 3 semesters to get dental school prereqs done. Planning to save up GI bill for the D School, while paying for undergrad out of own savings. However, if I am only able to get accepted into a private school, I am seriously considering HPSP. If I understand correctly, in this case whatever VA (GI Bill) and the Army (HPSP) would pay directly to school would overlap, with me essentially wasting the 21k/year portion of the GI Bill, while only getting BAH and book allowance from GI Bill, with HPSP in full effect. Also you mentioned that HPSP doesn't cover everything. Please do tell?

Secondly, when it comes to public schools, I understand that for the purposes of tuition I'd be considered in-state anywhere, but I am wondering if the same applies to preference quotas D Schools have - that is where 75-98% of the students, depending on the state, have to be in-state. Would they consider me in-state or out-of-state? I understand that it would be a royal pain in the ass to go to interviews, but there are a few locations in the country I'd be particularly willing to live in for four years.

 

[Jalcalde]

I am about to start post-baccing for 3 semesters to get dental school prereqs done. Planning to save up GI bill for the D School, while paying for undergrad out of own savings. However, if I am only able to get accepted into a private school, I am seriously considering HPSP. If I understand correctly, in this case whatever VA (GI Bill) and the Army (HPSP) would pay directly to school would overlap, with me essentially wasting the 21k/year portion of the GI Bill, while only getting BAH and book allowance from GI Bill, with HPSP in full effect. Also you mentioned that HPSP doesn't cover everything. Please do tell?

Secondly, when it comes to public schools, I understand that for the purposes of tuition I'd be considered in-state anywhere, but I am wondering if the same applies to preference quotas D Schools have - that is where 75-98% of the students, depending on the state, have to be in-state. Would they consider me in-state or out-of-state? I understand that it would be a royal pain in the ass to go to interviews, but there are a few locations in the country I'd be particularly willing to live in for four years.

You are correct that is exactly what I did. Got out of the army and did my prereqs post bac. I am also using GI Bill and HPSP together and all I get is the extra living stipend and am wasting the tuition from the GI Bill. But I am not going to use my GI bill for anything else so am enjoying the stipend on top of the HPSP stipend. The GI bill has come in handy sometimes though on some fees the HPSP for some reason didn't cover at my school. I just asked the school to use the GI bill to cover them and they did. I'm not exactly sure what fee it was as the HPSP is supposed to cover all fees and tuition.

No for dental school for the 1st year you will be considered out of state. So the HPSP would cover it as it covers any out of state/in state tuition/fees. And GI bill would be acting as if you were out of state. Then you gotta apply for in state residence after the 1st year. I interviewed at plenty of places out of state. Apply to University at Buffalo as they really like veterans and have many that are Deans. That is where I am going. Hope this helps.

 

[stor]

You are correct that is exactly what I did. Got out of the army and did my prereqs post bac. I am also using GI Bill and HPSP together and all I get is the extra living stipend and am wasting the tuition from the GI Bill. But I am not going to use my GI bill for anything else so am enjoying the stipend on top of the HPSP stipend. The GI bill has come in handy sometimes though on some fees the HPSP for some reason didn't cover at my school. I just asked the school to use the GI bill to cover them and they did. I'm not exactly sure what fee it was as the HPSP is supposed to cover all fees and tuition.

No for dental school for the 1st year you will be considered out of state. So the HPSP would cover it as it covers any out of state/in state tuition/fees. And GI bill would be acting as if you were out of state. Then you gotta apply for in state residence after the 1st year. I interviewed at plenty of places out of state. Apply to University at Buffalo as they really like veterans and have many that are Deans. That is where I am going. Hope this helps.

This is actually very helpful, as Buffalo and Stony Brook are on top of my list of public schools since I live in NY. If you don't mind me asking, what other schools did you apply to and what made you choose Buffalo?

As far as tuition, when did you start D school? As of July 1, 2015 according to this http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_residentraterequirements.asp :

• A Veteran who lives in the state where the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.

So seems like as long as you can produce a lease document, you should be good. Unless D schools are just different.

 

[Jalcalde]

This is actually very helpful, as Buffalo and Stony Brook are on top of my list of public schools since I live in NY. If you don't mind me asking, what other schools did you apply to and what made you choose Buffalo?

As far as tuition, when did you start D school? As of July 1, 2015 according to this http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_residentraterequirements.asp :

• A Veteran who lives in the state where the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.

So seems like as long as you can produce a lease document, you should be good. Unless D schools are just different.

I applied to 5 or so.. Chapel Hill in NC which I got accepted into but turned down (was very difficult the school was beautiful), also got accepted into Temple, and UB.. chose UB because my wife got hired at the VA (across the street from UB dental school) and I wanted her to be able to work there and further her career as well and she is from Buffalo so I reluctantly declined Chapel Hill lol. Don't regret my decision at all. UB also just got approved for an 11 million dollar renovation of the preclinic and clinics that will be done when I graduate in 2018.

I started Dental School in 2014. That should apply then with the GI bill since it says it right there. Dental school shouldn't make a difference I believe.