Changes to the WI GI Bill

Last updated 9/28/2009.

rss icon Stay updated, subscribe to our rss.

The following is a list of the major new important changes to the Wisconsin G.I. Bill tuition remission benefit program (WI GI Bill).  The timing for these changes is described in #2 below.  

These changes are complex.  Understanding the relationship among state and federal veterans benefits, and knowing which are best for your specific circumstance will require you to be well informed.  You are urged to speak directly with the following resource people:

    NOTICE: Changing to the Federal Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit is an irrevocable decision.  Regulations for this new federal benefit are still being developed.  We recommend careful consultation with federal, state, and higher education veteran’s benefits staff about any decision to elect the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit.

    This website references the following federal veterans benefit programs: Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty), Chapter 1606 (Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve), Chapter 1607 (Reserve Educational Assistance Program-REAP) and Chapter 35 (Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program-DEA).
  1. New Eligibility Requirement: If a student has federal active duty service since September 10, 2001, he or she must apply for benefits provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill before he or she can receive benefits under the WI GI Bill.  If a student is eligible for Post-9/11 Bill benefits and does not elect to use them, he or she will not be eligible to receive the WI GI Bill tuition remission until such time as he or she does elect to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit. 

  2. Timing:  Beginning Spring semester 2010 and thereafter, students with active duty service since September 10, 2001 will be required to provide a Certificate of Eligibility or a rejection notice for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits in order to use the WI GI Bill.  For Fall or Winterim semester 2010 only, students are not required to use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits in order to receive WI GI bill benefits. 

  3.  Continuing Eligibility Form Required:  All students who have used or applied for the WI GI Bill prior to Fall 2009, will need to complete a new form to verify continuing eligibility for the WI GI Bill.  This form will ask students to indicate if they have had active duty service since September 10, 2001. 

    If no Active Duty Since September 10, 2001:  Students who complete the form and indicate that they have had no active duty service since September 10, 2001, will continue to be eligible for WI GI Bill benefits.

    If Active Duty Since September 10, 2001:  Students who declare they have had active duty service since September 10, 2001, will be required to apply for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and subsequently to supply a Federal Veterans Administration Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or rejection notice for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the campus School Veterans Certifying Official in order to use the WI GI Bill. 

  4. New Applicants: New applicants for the WI GI Bill will be asked on the WI GI Bill application form (WDVA form #2029) to declare that they have had no active duty service since September 10, 2001.  Applicants who have had active duty service since that date will not have access to WI GI Bill benefits unless they apply for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits as well.  Form #2029 will be available from the School Veterans Certifying Official and as part of the packet of application materials for the WI GI Bill available from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.

  5. Clarification Regarding the 128 Credit Limit:  The Wisconsin 2009-2011 Biennial Budget Act clarifies the total WI GI Bill eligibility to 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer, for the combined total credits and semesters attended at all UW institutions and Wisconsin Technical Colleges.  For example, if a student has already used 30 credits of WI GI Bill tuition remission at a Wisconsin Technical College, and 30 credits of WI GI Bill tuition remissions at UW institutions, that student will have 68 WI GI Bill credits remaining of the 128 total credits allowed.  Students will be responsible for the costs of credits beyond 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer.

  6. Relationship between Federal and State Benefits: The Wisconsin 2009-2011 Biennial Budget Act changed the relationship between federal and state veteran’s benefits.  As described in #1 above, as long as a veteran elects to apply for Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, he or she may be eligible to also receive WI GI Bill benefits.  If the student receives less than 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit, the WI GI Bill can be used to remit any remaining tuition amount (up to the amount that would normally be covered by the WI GI Bill).

    Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits used will count against the total 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is longer, that Wisconsin allows an eligible veteran, spouse, or child to receive under the WI GI Bill.
  1. Supplemental Payment:  Students who elect to switch from Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty), Chapter 1606, or Chapter 1607 (REAP), to the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit in order to continue to use WI GI Bill benefits, may be eligible for a supplemental payment.  This payment is intended to approximately make up the difference between what a student would have received from Chapter 30, Chapter 1606, or Chapter 1607 and what the student will receive after relinquish another federal benefit to enroll in the Post-9/11 GI Bill.  Students who receive an equivalent or larger benefit package under Post-9/11 GI Bill, or who have exhausted their 36 months of Chapter 30 benefits, will not receive a supplemental payment.

    1. Eligibility:  Veterans are eligible to receive the supplemental payment if they were “entitled” to Chapter 30, Chapter 1606, or Chapter 1607 and relinquished their benefit when they elected the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit. Children and spouses of veterans are eligible to receive the supplemental payment if they were entitled to Chapter 35, Chapter 1606, or Chapter 1607 and elected to use the Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefit.
    2. Financial Aid:  The supplemental payment will be considered as a resource for financial aid purposes and it may affect eligibility for other state or federal financial aid. Financial Aid offices will estimate the supplemental payment when packaging a student’s financial aid
    3. Payment Process:  Supplemental payments will be directly deposited into students’ accounts according to standard campus business practices and subject to other outstanding financial obligations.
    4. Timing for University of Wisconsin Institutions:  All UW institutions will make supplemental payments in the same way.  The payment will be made twice each term.  The first payment will be for 50% of the estimated semester amount and applied to the student’s account sometime after the institution’s last day to drop courses.  The second payment, for 50% or the final adjusted amount, will be made after grades for the term are posted.  All supplemental payments will be made based on this timing, even if the student is enrolled in a session that does not coincide with the standard term begin and end dates.
    5. Timing for Wisconsin Technical Colleges: WTCS colleges will make supplemental payments based on existing student account procedures.  Students should check with the Wisconsin Technical College they are attending to verify the supplemental payment timing and process.
    6. Children and Spouses:  Children and spouses may be eligible for a supplemental payment if they switched from Chapter 35, Chapter 1606, or Chapter 1607 to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.  Children and spouses are not eligible for a supplemental payment if they switch from Chapter 30.
    7. Taxability of the Supplemental Payment:  Neither UW nor WTCS institutions provide tax advice or guidance to students.  In compliance with federal requirements, UW and WTCS institutions provide the 1098-T to students.  Students are responsible for working with a tax professional to assess the tax implications of the supplemental payment.
    8. Overpayment of the Supplemental Payment:  Students will be responsible to repay the institution for any supplemental payment given in excess of their eligibility.  This is most likely to occur if a student adds or drops classes, or withdraws during a semester.
    9. Option to begin in Fall 2009:  Students who choose to apply for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits beginning Fall semester 2009 will be eligible to begin receiving the supplemental payment for the Fall semester. 
  1. Additional Months of Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits Eligibility:  The Federal Veterans Administration has provided that some veterans may be eligible for up to an additional twelve months of eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits if they exhaust their Chapter 30 benefits prior to enrolling for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

    The WI GI Bill legislation states that at the point when a student wanting to use the WI GI Bill has 12 or fewer months of remaining eligibility under a prior federal veterans benefit program and has qualifying active duty service following Sept. 10, 2001, he or she will be allowed to receive WI GI Bill benefits as described below.  The twelve or fewer months of remaining eligibility will be counted from the first date of the term in which the student wants to use the WI GI Bill.
    1. Veterans Exhausting Federal Benefits:  Beginning in Spring 2010, veterans using the WI GI Bill with 12 or fewer months of remaining eligibility under Chapter 30, Chapter 1606, or Chapter 1607, with active duty service following September 10, 2001, will be allowed to continue to receive WI GI Bill benefits until the Chapter 30, 1606, or 1607 benefits are exhausted.  At that point, they will be required to enroll for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits before receiving any additional WI GI Bill benefits.  Students will not be eligible for a supplemental payment while they are exhausting their Chapter 30, Chapter 1606, or Chapter 1607 benefits or while using the 12 additional months of Chapter 33 eligibility.  Both the Continuation of Eligibility Form and the draft WDVA form #2029 allow students to indicate that they have 12 or fewer months of benefit remaining and indicate their desire to exhaust their previous benefit.  Students selecting this option will be required to provide a copy of their most current VA awards letter or Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) to document that they have twelve or fewer months remaining of the appropriate federal benefit.
    2.  Children and Spouses Exhausting Federal Benefits:  Students using the WI GI Bill as children or spouses who have 12 or fewer months of Chapter 1606, Chapter 1607, or Chapter 35 benefits will be allowed to exhaust these benefits prior to signing up for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.  Please note that, according to the Wi GI Bill legislation, students using Chapter 30 as children or spouses are not included among those able to exhaust their benefits prior to signing up for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.  Students are not eligible for a supplemental payment while they are exhausting their Chapter 35, Chapter 1606, or Chapter 1607 benefits or while using the 12 additional months of Chapter 33 eligibility.   Both the Continuation of Eligibility Form and the draft WDVA form #2029 allow students the option to indicate that they have 12 or fewer months of benefit remaining and indicate their desire to exhaust their previous benefit.  Students selecting this option will be required to provide a copy of their most current VA awards letter or Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) to document that they have twelve or fewer months of the appropriate federal benefit.

  1. Dropping/Withdrawing.  Students should be aware that there are significant financial consequences when adding or dropping classes under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.  Adding classes, dropping classes or withdrawing may result in students being required to repay the Federal VA for any benefits received during that term, and to repay the supplemental payment granted under the Wisconsin GI Bill.  Students are urged to carefully consider the financial consequences of any enrollment changes with Federal VA benefits counselors.

  2. Transferred Post-9/11 benefits:  In order to use the WI GI Bill during a term, veterans who have transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or children must have retained or reclaimed for their own use sufficient months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for that term.

    1. As long as a veteran has remaining Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, whether or not they have been transferred to a spouse or child, the veteran will need to use or reclaim some of those benefits if the veteran wants to use the WI GI Bill him or herself.
    2. If a veteran transfers all of their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a child and/or spouse, the veteran will be ineligible for the WI GI Bill until such time as the child or spouse completely exhausts the transferred benefits, or the veteran reclaims some benefit for him or herself.
    3. If a spouse or child who receives transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits is also eligible for the WI GI Bill, the spouse or child must apply the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits before using WI GI Bill benefits.  The use of the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits will count against the spouse or child’s 128 credits or 8 semesters.

  3. Combined Benefit Payments:  When a student’s tuition and fees are partially covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill, partially covered by a WI GI Bill tuition remission, and/or partially ineligible and therefore paid by the student, the payments will be made as follows:

UWS EXAMPLE: A veteran is attending UW Colleges as a resident student.  The student is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the sixty-percent benefit level and for the WI GI Bill.  The veteran is taking six traditional credits for $1,163.23 in tuition and fees and six credits on-line in two on-line courses for $1,500.00.  The on-line courses also have an administrative fee of $50.00 per course for an additional charge of $100.00.  The total tuition and fees for the 12 credits cost $2,763.23.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay 60 percent of the six traditional credits ($697.94), sixty percent of the online credits ($900.00), and sixty percent of the administrative fee ($60.00).  Combined, the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays $1,657.94 or 60 percent of the total cost.

The WI GI bill will then apply a tuition remission for 40 percent of the remaining WI GI Bill-eligible amount.  The WI GI Bill tuition remission only covers standard tuition and certain fees.  In this example, it would not cover the administrative fee.  So the WI GI Bill tuition remission would apply for 40 percent of the six traditional credits ($465.29) and 40 percent of the WI GI Bill eligible standard tuition for the online credits ($465.29).  The total covered by the WI GI Bill is $930.58 or 34 percent of the total cost.

Once the two benefits are applied, the student is responsible for the remaining $174.71 which is the amount above standard tuition that is not covered by the WI GI Bill. 

WTCS EXAMPLE: WTCS colleges may assess additional fees and charges beyond program and material fees that are not covered by the WI GI Bill, such as the $10.00 online course fee.  Students will be responsible to pay any fees not covered by the Wisconsin GI Bill or Post-9/11 benefits.

  1. Appeals: All University of Wisconsin institutions and Wisconsin Technical Colleges have appeal processes in place for students who disagree with a decision or action.  For details, contact the specific institution and office involved.

For more information about Veterans’ Benefits, contact your County Veterans Service Officer, the Federal Veterans Administration, or the School Veterans Certifying Official at your campus.

Updated 9/25/09