The Department of Defense announced that veterans and servicemembers will be limited in their ability to transfer their post-9/11 GI Bill benefits starting July 12, 2019, Military.com reported. Those with more than 16 years of service will no longer be able to transfer their benefits to a spouse or child. The goal of this upcoming change is to increase military retention.
"After a thorough review of the policy, we saw a need to focus on retention in a time of increased growth of the armed forces," said Stephanie Miller, director of accessions policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in a statement, per Military.com. "This change continues to allow career service members that earned this benefit to share it with their family members while they continue to serve."
The GI Bill: A tool, not an entitlement
The post-9/11 bill offered educational benefits to military volunteers in areas of sustained conflict such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Under the bill, active-duty servicemembers and veterans were eligible for funding to cover in-state tuition and fees at public colleges and universities along with a monthly allowance for housing. They could also transfer these benefits to their spouse or children, assuming they served when the bill started or enrolled after.
This educational benefit is authorized by law, but the Pentagon decides how it's implemented. Previously, the only requirement was six years of service and commitment to an additional four. Those who planned to serve but were barred from completing their time – for instance, due to an injury or medical discharge – were still eligible for the transfer.
Now, all servicemembers must be cleared to serve for an additional four years when they choose to transfer their GI benefits. This aligns the policy with a 2015 report clarifying the bill as a retention tool, not an entitlement. The department will track the change's effectiveness, monitoring recruit quality and retention metrics, and may make additional alterations in the coming years.
Veterans groups have different reactions
Some advocates understand the change to the bill, while others are strongly against it. The American Legion falls in the latter category, announcing it is "100 percent" opposed.
"We understand the minimum time in service for transferability for retention purposes," said the Legion's Director of Media Relations Joseph Plenzler, according to Stars and Stripes. "But the 16-year cap on the transferability significantly limits a veteran's ability to execute the full economic potential of that benefit in a way that best suits the veteran and his or her family."
The National Military Family Association expressed disappointment but also seemed to understand. The association's Deputy Director of Government Relations, Eileen Huck, noted that many servicemembers and their families were upset by the news but acknowledged that the bill has always been a tool for retention. Meanwhile, the Veterans of Foreign Wars announced it wasn't against the change but urges veterans to transfer their benefits as soon as possible.
