For some time now we have been warning older service members about a cap on Post 9/11 GI Bill transfer that is scheduled to go into effect on July 12. However, the unpopular change could be repealed if language in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC)-approved draft of the FY 2020 NDAA is retained by the full House and Senate.
The measure was unanimously approved by the HASC during this week’s debate of the annual defense authorization bill on Wednesday. Sponsor Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., said the idea is to reverse “a truly lousy decision by the Department of Defense last year.”
That move goes into effect on July 12. Military officials in recent weeks have warned affected service members to finish their transfer paperwork before that deadline or lose out on sharing tens of thousands in education benefits with their family.
“This decision … punishes those who have served over a long period of time, maybe got married late or started a family later,” Courtney said. “It cuts them off from being able to get the GI Bill’s really special component of transferability.
The post-9/11 GI Bill benefits cover the full cost of in-state tuition plus a monthly living stipend for eligible troops, veterans and family members. Troops must serve six years before they can transfer benefits to a family member.
