JCC session helps students determine best bets for GI Bill

Glen Taylor and Kenneth Hanners haven't decided whether the Post-9/11 GI Bill is right for them, but they came to Jefferson Community College on Tuesday afternoon to find out.

They are second-year students at JCC studying business administration, but their service backgrounds are different and that entitles them to different educational benefits.

Mr. Taylor, who left the Army in 2004, isn't sure he would benefit from transferring his benefits from the old Montgomery Bill to the new Post-9/11 Bill. Mr. Hanners, a medically retired Marine, receives vocational rehabilitation benefits that pay for his books, computer and tuition, give him $750 per month and are equivalent to the new GI Bill benefits.

"I'm concerned with transferring because the wording is still vague and sporadic," Mr. Taylor said. "I served 29 months, so I would only get 80 percent of the benefits and I just need to figure out what the exact dollar amount is going to be."

That's what JCC tried to address Tuesday during the first veterans educational benefits session. The school brought together representatives with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, Jefferson County Veterans Service Agency and Fort Drum veterans to talk about the new bill and whether veterans should apply.

"You just need to look at the Web site very carefully and make sure changing is the most beneficial to you," said Jerry W. Ferguson, the education compliance survey specialist with the VA Regional Office in Buffalo. "Although we have been dealing with this since May, we are still constantly asking questions and things are changing every day."

Officials at JCC are trying to make the process smooth for veterans who are enrolling at the school for the first time or who are considering applying for the new benefits package. One of the major concerns voiced by the students was what if their benefits check from the Post-9/11 GI Bill isn't processed until after the start of the school year.

Mr. Ferguson said his office is processing close to 40,000 applications and there have been 120,000 to 140,000 applications nationwide submitted since May. The difficulty is that there is no computer program to process the new benefits package, and every application must be handled manually.

"I know a lot of you are going to ask, 'How long until I receive my benefits,' and I can't answer that for you," he said. "We will always pay what we owe, but it's going to take awhile."

Mariya Clemons, the JCC veterans contact, said the school is prepared to enroll a student without a certificate of eligibility from the VA. But this also requires an agreement from the student saying he or she takes responsibility for payment in case benefits do not come through.

"We want to make this as painless for the students as possible," she said "We have practices in place where we can create a student account when they bring in their application for educational benefits instead of that certificate."

Every case is different, Mr. Ferguson said, and he encouraged all of the student veterans to check the benefits Web site, www.gibill.va.gov, daily to keep up to date on any changes. People seeking more information could call Ms. Clemons at 786-2283 or the Fort Drum Education Services at 772-6878.