Can a dentist use the MGIB or Post 9/11 bill to specialize after their active duty committment?
I am an HPSP recipient and would like to specialize after my active duty committment. Since my years as active duty are to pay back my HPSP scholarship, does this disqualify me from those benefits?
If I do a VA program, can I receive the VA salary/stipend and use Post 9/11?
If any knows the answers to these questions, it would be greatly appreciated.
I did HPSP and will be using the Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend residency training. I know of at least one other person who has done so and already completed his ortho training. I have heard both yes and no about using Post 9/11 and attending a VA program at the same time. I don't know the answer, and since there is no VA ortho program, I never really researched it. I'm guessing you want to be endo.
Anyway, as good of a deal as that is, it would be even better if you did a military residency because there will be no tuition, you'll get paid a full salary and benefits, and your commitment will be concurrent, not consecutive, if you go to training right after dental school. So that is a better deal. However, if that doesn't appeal to you it's nice to fall back on the Post 9/11 GI bill.
Heads up, at some schools the Post 9/11 GI Bill is more like a coupon than a scholarship while at other's it's practically a full ride. Let me explain. If you get accepted at a state school (public vs private) they will pay 100% of the tuition and fees plus your BAH as an E-5 with dependents at the rate of an in-state student. If you are an out-of-state student you have to pay the difference between the in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees. If the program is public and charges the same fee for in-state and out-of-state students, your program is free! For instance, UNLV is a public school. They charge like $200K for the entire program whether you're in-state or not. You get a full ride there. If you go to a private school, they will only pay up to $20K a year for tuition and fees. If they're charging $100K, basically you got a coupon for 20% off.
However, some private schools participate in what's called the yellow ribbon program. In this program, the private school can offer to contribute any amount they want towards the remainder of your tuition and fees and the VA will match it. Some private schools offer nothing, some a paltry $2,000 a year but others offer $10K, $20K, and a few offer UNLIMITED meaning you will pay no tuition or fees. This was the case at University of Pittsburg, Seton Hill University, and I think Detroit Mercy or University of Detroit. I can't remember which. Anyway, that can be a sweet deal too.
Lastly, you need to remember that you can sign up to join the reserves or national guard during your residency so that you can get paid a $25K bonus per year. I'll explain more about this if you inquire. This is long enough already.
