With the announcement by the VA that all state schools must provide in-state tuition for Post-9/11 and Montgomery GI bill as a result of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 states are scrambling to comply with the new federal law.
To remain approved for VA’s GI Bill programs, schools must charge in-state tuition and fee amounts to “covered individuals.” A covered individual is defined in the Choice Act as:
- 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.
- An individual using transferred benefits who lives in the state in where the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the transferor’s discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- An individual using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state in where the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the Servicemember’s death in the line of duty following a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
A person described above will retain covered individual status as long as he/she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between terms) at the public IHL.
Public IHLs must offer in-state tuition and fees to all covered individuals with Post-9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (MGIB - AD) benefits in order for programs to remain approved for GI Bill benefits for terms beginning after July 1, 2015. VA will not issue payments for any students eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill or the MGIB-AD until the school becomes fully compliant.
