Using Ch 31 for Pre-Med Post-Bacc Program - please help

[QueenAudrey]

Hey friends, I'm an Army vet and currently in Year 1 of a formal, 2-year pre-med post-bacc program. I was just informed about an hour ago that my university is taking back my Yellow Ribbon benefits. Although I am a veteran, I am also a spouse to a current Active Duty service member, so apparently I am not eligible. Now I'm suddenly on the hook for $30k, which came as QUITE a shock. I had wanted to save my Ch 31 VR&E (Voc Rehab) benefits for med school, but my current university has forced my hand. I have a 70% disability rating and applied today via eBenefits for someone to contact me about Ch31. My questions are:

(1) Have any of you successfully applied Ch 31 towards your post-bac program (or pre-med undergraduate studies)?

(2) Will Ch 31 cover any tuition from this year, or only going forward after I'm approved?

(3) How long did it take you to get approved?

(4) If you used Ch 31 for undergrad or post-bacc, were you still able to use it for med school?

Thank you so much! I'm heavily pregnant and a little distressed right now. ANY help or tips would be greatly appreciated.

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[MusicDOc124]

Hey friends, I'm an Army vet and currently in Year 1 of a formal, 2-year pre-med post-bacc program. I was just informed about an hour ago that my university is taking back my Yellow Ribbon benefits. Although I am a veteran, I am also a spouse to a current Active Duty service member, so apparently I am not eligible. Now I'm suddenly on the hook for $30k, which came as QUITE a shock. I had wanted to save my Ch 31 VR&E (Voc Rehab) benefits for med school, but my current university has forced my hand. I have a 70% disability rating and applied today via eBenefits for someone to contact me about Ch31. My questions are:

(1) Have any of you successfully applied Ch 31 towards your post-bac program (or pre-med undergraduate studies)?

(2) Will Ch 31 cover any tuition from this year, or only going forward after I'm approved?

(3) How long did it take you to get approved?

(4) If you used Ch 31 for undergrad or post-bacc, were you still able to use it for med school?

Thank you so much! I'm heavily pregnant and a little distressed right now. ANY help or tips would be greatly appreciated.

1) I know someone personally who was approved and has since completed pre-reqs and medical school with voc rehab. I know another who seems to have a verbal approval for the same but has another meeting upcoming to solidify.

2) While yellow ribbon is being removed, that implies youre on post-9/11 currently. You cannot be dual enrolled under chapter 33 and 31, and thus voc rehab will not be able to cover what you're currently taking, nor can they cover anything prior to applying for the program to my best knowledge.

3) For me, it took the first meeting. For others, some had to appeal denials. Some have also been denied and didn't get to use VRE.

4) Deferring.

It would behoove you to use VRE ASAP as VRE no longer uses up your GI bill time since a recent April 1 change. If you keep using GI bill, it will reduce your total allotted availability even for VRE. But you you use VRE first, then you may possibly get everything covered. Otherwise, you still have GI bill remaining AFTER using VRE again due to this recent change. So it's a good think you applied now.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if or what can be done regarding the debt related to removal of yellow ribbon.

 

[QueenAudrey]

Thank you so much for the information! A classmate of mine told me it took the VR&E folks 2 months to contact her after she submitted her initial request on eBenefits, but this was a couple years ago. I hope mine gets approved in time for the fall.

 

[Doctorswithborders013]

I've been running into problems with VA's recent clarification that if you first use GI Bill then Voc Rehab you can only stack a total of 48 months towards education benefits vs the other way around. I used my post 9/11 to cover post-bacc work and applied for VR&E in January, have had a meeting with the counselor and then a meeting with the independent third party contractor person and have heard nothing back except doubts from my counselor that I will have enough eligible time to complete my program.

You probably received the same speech I did when you got from someone that went along the lines "Use your GI Bill and even if you only have 1 day left of benefits apply for Voc Rehab!"

 

[QueenAudrey]

I've been running into problems with VA's recent clarification that if you first use GI Bill then Voc Rehab you can only stack a total of 48 months towards education benefits vs the other way around. I used my post 9/11 to cover post-bacc work and applied for VR&E in January, have had a meeting with the counselor and then a meeting with the independent third party contractor person and have heard nothing back except doubts from my counselor that I will have enough eligible time to complete my program.

You probably received the same speech I did when you got from someone that went along the lines "Use your GI Bill and even if you only have 1 day left of benefits apply for Voc Rehab!"

Yes, that last famous line is exactly what I've always been told! It's frustrating and confusing. I'm sorry you're going through this too.

 

[jj22901]

(1) Have any of you successfully applied Ch 31 towards your post-bac program (or pre-med undergraduate studies)?

I just got approved today to use CH31 for my undergraduate degree. I'm only 30 semester hours away from completing my degree though.

(2) Will Ch 31 cover any tuition from this year, or only going forward after I'm approved?

VR&E will cover the next semester after you're approved, not the one you're currently enrolled in.

(3) How long did it take you to get approved?

I applied April 11th. Got an email on April 23 for orientation on May 6. The same day, two hours after orientation I was accepted.

(4) If you used Ch 31 for undergrad or post-bacc, were you still able to use it for med school?

I was told that I did qualify for VR&E today as my disability does interfere with my job certification but if I obtained a degree I would need to argue how my disability hindered my job outlooks in my degree path. She told me that I would basically need to have evidence showing I was unemployable with my new degree which would be harder to prove since I would be more employable with it. "It's possible but you would be rolling the dice in the future, today you have secured VR&E but I am unsure if you would be able to after you graduate"