Court decides millions of veterans are eligible for more GI Bill benefits

[Tony]

WASHINGTON — A new court decision, if it holds, would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide billions of dollars in education benefits to more than 1 million post-9/11 veterans. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decided Thursday that veterans who qualify for both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill for multiple periods of military service should be allowed to draw benefits from each. Since the newer Post-9/11 GI Bill became effective in 2009, the VA has limited veterans to benefits from one program, not both. 

[Guest Chris]

I'm reading conflicting reports on what would qualify a veteran for this, if it changes. Is it specifically for veterans who served during separate periods of time? One interpretation states that because the Post 9/11 and MGIB have different requirements, veterans who served long enough have met the requirements for both. MGIB requires an honorable discharge, high school diploma, $1200 during your first year of service, and 3 years of service. Post 9/11 only requires that you served for 90 days on or after September 11th. I did 9 years and paid into the MGIB, I'm about to run out of my 36 months of Post 9/11 and an extra 12 months of MGIB would cover my last bit of Grad school without having to find additional tuition assistance.  The ruling can be appealed by the VA, I hope it doesn't. My fingers crossed that this could apply to veterans who paid into the MGIB.