I've gotten several folks in the past few weeks asking about schools/sites that offer foreign language programs. Three have come to mind, and I ask that if anyone else has some to add please do so in the comments.

Coastline Community College: http://www.coastline.edu/departments/internationallanguages/page.cfm?LinkID=1064

American Military University: http://www.amu.apus.edu/index.htm

Language courses are available on NKO: https://wwwa.nko.navy.mil/portal/home/

The bread crumb trail is NKO/ Learning Tab/ Navy e-Learning > Online Courses/ Browse Categories/ Foreign Language & Culture

It's time to continue your education... besides, the worst thing that could happen is you'll lean something.

Yesterday the Coast Guard ESO's received notice of a great opportunity for the spouses of Coast Guard members. Columbia College is now offering a new program that will allow for spouses to receive 50% tuition reduction. From the press release-

Columbia College is proud to announce the Coast Guard Spouse Grant, a new program that offers a 50 percent tuition reduction to spouses of Coast Guard servicemembers. The new program, modeled after the Department of Defense's (DoD) spouse tuition scholarship program known as the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA), offers financial tuition support for eligible Coast Guard spouses.

"The Department of Defense's Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program represents a unique educational opportunity for spouses in every other branch of the military," said Ramona McAfee, assistant dean for military services at Columbia College. "As a premier military-education provider, it's important to offer financial support to Coast Guard spouses as well."

The Coast Guard Spouse Grant provides financial support for eligible Coast Guard spouses comparable to that of other servicemember spouses using the MyCAA program. This support is equivalent to a 50 percent reduction per credit hour for a maximum amount of $6,000 per spouse. Coast Guard spouses are not restricted to any particular Columbia College campus. The college currently has one campus on a Coast Guard base, in Alameda, Calif., and 17 other campuses on military bases.

There are currently more than 300 members of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve attending Columbia College. In addition, Columbia College has more than 8,000 military learners enrolled online or through its nationwide campuses.

The new program applies towards tuition only, and the student would pay 50 percent of the advertised tuition rate. Other Columbia College discounts, such as the Military Spouse Tuition Discount, cannot be combined with this program. Students must be degree-seeking and fully admitted to Columbia College.

Columbia College is consistently ranked one of the top military-friendly colleges in the nation. G.I. Jobs magazine ranked the college in the top 15 percent of all schools based on the college's military-friendly policies. The Edge named Columbia College its No. 14 military school, as determined by active-duty servicemember course enrollments. Columbia College also has been recognized as a "gold standard" leader in military-friendly education by Military Advanced Education. For more information on the Coast Guard Spouse Grant, visit http://www.ccis.edu/cgsg/ or call Ramona McAfee at (573) 875-7579.

Columbia College, a private, nonprofit institution founded in 1851 in Columbia, Mo., educates 25,000 students each year and has more than 61,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit www.ccis.edu.

It's been a little bit since we've posted anything on here (summer leave...). Nothing ground breaking here, but I thought I'd pass along a link from the MOAA on Five Simple Secrets to Maximizing Your Post 9-11 GI Bill Benefits. Again, nothing major just some more information to keep your brain busy.

Q1. The obligated service time for personnel approaching retirement eligibility (20 years of service) is spelled out in the DTM and from reading the ESOBLOG it is my understanding that the clock starts on that obligated service when EPM approves the transfer request. So if someone with a retirement eligible date of 01JUN11 were to opt to transfer benefits to a dependent and it was approved by EPM on 01OCT09 they would be required to obligate service until 01OCT11. Thus if this same person doesn't decide to transfer the benefit until January 2011 and it is approved on 01MAR11 they would be required to obligate service until 01MAR13. Is this correct?

A1. Yes, absolutely correct.

Q2. This is related to Q1. When a member requests approval to transfer GI Bill benefits to their dependent and it is approved by EPM does that mean that at that point they have irrevocably opted into the Post 911 GI Bill? Or does that only happen when the member of the dependent completes the VA for 22-1990? Referring back to Q1, if a member doesn't want to obligate additional time past their retirement eligible date can they get CG approval to transfer benefits to their dependents now without having to revoke their option of using the MGIB until their dependent is ready to begin using the Post 911 benefits?

A2. In the TEB portal, when the member submits the application to transfer benefits, there is a checkbox that they must check that states they irrevocably elect to convert from MGIB to Post-9/11 GI Bill. Once they submit the application for Transfer, that is when they irrevocably convert from MGIB to Post-9/11 GI Bill. In order to Transfer benefits they must first convert to Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Q3. If a mid-career member, 6+ years, (not retirement eligible) is being discharged with a good conduct discharge but does not have to option to remain in the Coast Guard can that member transfer his/her Post 911 GI Bill benefits to his/her spouse or dependent child(ren)?

A3. Any member who doesn't complete their required obligated service will be subject to recoupment by the VA for any payments made after their failure to complete obligation. So if a 6+ year member transfers benefits, and is then discharged they will be subject to recoupment for any funds used. The only way a member isn't subject to recoupment is if they can't fulfill obligation due special circumstances (death, medical discharge, hardship, condition not a disability). This is elaborated on in Attachment 2, 3.h.5 of the DTM.

Q4: I have a SELRES LCDR whom I referred to the VA yesterday. He is actually eligible for three different education benefits. According to the VA, he only has to relinquish one of them to transfer his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. The VA's VONAPP site provides this capability; however, the TEB site does not. His concern is the required statement on the TEB site that this is a non-revocable decision.

A5: This should be considered a VA issue. CG only has the capacity to approve / reject transfer requests. There is nothing that LCDR Gow can do to ensure a certain benefit is transferred over the other. The member should contact VA to determine what education benefit will be irrevocably lost when he elects post-9/11 gi bill to make the transfer.

While the lack of CAC (Common Access Card) capability on our cutters does present a challenge for members who are underway, there is always the paper-based option for application. The required form (i.e., VA Form 22-1990 ARE, Rev. 5-09) is available at:

http://www.gibill.va.gov/

This site is not CAC-enabled, and is readily accessible from any computer, CGSW (Coast Guard Standard Workstation) or personal. Once the member downloads and completes the VA Form 22-1990, he/she mails it to the Department of Veterans Affairs for processing.

While this solution is most definitely not optimal, it does provide a mechanism by which any of our Guardians can apply for the transfer of educational benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

One of our fellow ESO's out of ISC New Orleans, Mr. Waymon, was nice enough to pass along this great step-by-step on the transfer process of the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Here are the steps to transfer to your dependents:

1. Go to this site: http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2009/0409_gibill/


2. Under "Related Links" click on "Transferability Application (Internet Explorer only)


3. A pop up will appear, just click "Yes" then "OK"


4. The "DMDC Single Sign On" page will appear


5. Under the "Select Authentication Method", using the Common Access Card (CAC), click "Log On"


6. Under the "Educational Benefit Program" click the box Post 9/11 GI Bill Chap 33


7. Verify the dependents that are listed. Under the "Edit" column click each respective name and add the amount of benefit you want to add.


8. Click the boxes under "Transferability of Education Benefits Acknowledgements" to acknowledge.


9. Click Summit

You can check the status of eligibility by logging back to the site and under the member's name there is a status indicator which should read "Submitted, Pending Approval, or Approved". (ALCOAST 447/08)

Once the application is approved, THE DEPENDENT can apply to receive education benefits by submitting VA Form 1990E, Application for Transfer for Entitlement (TOE), to the Veterans Administration.

Members that are not choosing to transfer to dependents and are electing the option of the New Post 9/11 GI Bill can immediately apply. Below are the steps for the application:

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ACCEPTING ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR NEW POST 9/11 GI BILL BENEFITS

CG members can apply electronically and activate their New Post 9/11 G.I. Bill by visiting this link http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2009/0409_gibill/. Here are the simple directions and process to fill out the application to activate your GI Bill:

1. Click on “Start VONAPP”


2. Click “continue” located at the bottom right of page until you reach the login and Pass screen


3. Click on “Sign up now” and create a user name/ Password (with hint)


4. Select “Form 22-1990e” from the drop down menu located at the top and click continue


5. You will be asked a series of questions to create your electronic submission

Post 9/11 GI Bill Transferability Policy as seen at the DoD Worldwide Education Conference.
Post 9-11 GI Bill