Posted on 04/07/2011 5:44:15 PM PDT by Hotmetal
I'm a vet and I'm currently going to college on the GI Bill. I depend on this money and don't know what I'll do if they cut me off. I'll have to quit and get a job, I know that, but that's easier said than done.
No Offense, but I guess you will have to do like me and get by without it.
I spent 6 years and served on a fast attack sub in expeditionary actions and never got the GI bill.
The good news for you, is this is temporary.
Can’t help except to say don’t depend on anyone in the future.
Thanks for your service to our nation.
None taken.
Don't quit college (well, quit if you're a liberal arts major, and get a head start in looking for burger-flipping jobs - I hear Micky D's is looking to hire thousands) ;-). You're only weeks away from finishing a semester. The shutdown will be a week or two at best, not enough to warrant quitting. For you, it may mean a delay in paying some bills, if you have creditors, let them know you'll be late, and let them know why. Same goes if you're using the money to pay the school. Let them know you're not a deadbeat, and will pay up as soon as you can.
The last guys in the world that should lose benefits are Vets.
I am a Vietnam vet. The only benefit I ever used was to get my teeth fixed after DEROS. Didn’t have time when I was there. Haven’t used it since.
Well, I hope you are taking care of them chompers.
Don’t quit. The school will go along with you in case of gov. shutdown. They will be in somewhat of the same boat. The semester will soon be over, and they know that you are on the GI bill, so they will get their money.
Don’t expect the college/Uni to be unaffected by this, they have the same financial incentives as you do to make do until funding is restored...
GO talk to the VA, talk to the Bursar and the secretaries in the Financial Aid offices now, ask as many questions as you can and one you should ask is deferred payment penalties.
The college Bursar and financial aid people probably have much more discretion than you are presuming, and might be able to hold you over in case your tuition isn’t paid in full for the current semester yet.
Worst case is you finish the semester but your grades are not posted until Federal funding is restored and the VA transfers the money to the Bursar. Unless you are graduating at the end of this semester it makes no difference. If you are graduating, you might be able to plead your case and walk in the ceremony still, but not receive a diploma until paid in full. Either way you look at it, the UNi as an organization and the Uni employees/professors are not going to blame you and if you talk to them they probably won’t go out of their way to punish you for the screwed up Federal Budget.
Short answer: Have a beer and stop worrying about it.
Thanks y’all have eased my mind a little, going to talk to school today.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.