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Get the most for your GI Bill dollar

In terms of funding their higher education, W.G. “Guy” Singletary and David Willett consider themselves fortunate.

Both Singletary, a former Marine sergeant who left the Corps in December 2001, and Willett, who retired from the Army as a master sergeant in October 2005, use the Montgomery GI Bill to pay for college — tuition and books for Singletary and tuition for Willett, whose books are free through an undergraduate book grant from his school.

Singletary, 30, of Bradenton, Fla., is a senior psychology major at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus. Willett, 47, of Lawton, Okla., is a college senior earning a management degree online from American Military University.

As the GI Bill’s buying power shrinks amid burgeoning college tuition costs, their accomplishment may seem remarkable. But both men planned carefully to ensure the money they receive from their GI Bill will cover the cost of their higher education. They both work full time to pay for housing and other personal expenses.

The path to a college degree has not been easy, nor ideal. Singletary, for example, has taken as many as 21 credit hours some semesters and as few as three in others.

“It just depends on circumstances,” he said. Time for studying takes away from time to earn money. “That’s why I’m not taking summer classes,” he said. “I need to catch up” financially.

He will do that by working two jobs, one at a residential youth shelter — a position related to his chosen degree — and a more lucrative job at his home remodeling business.

“If I didn’t have to worry about the other expenses in life, I could have graduated [this] December,” Singletary said. He started college in the fall of 2002, at Manatee Community College in Bradenton.

Still, he is grateful for the GI Bill.

“Without the GI Bill, I couldn’t afford to go to school,” he said. “It covers the cost of the education. I’m not having to go out of pocket for my tuition and books.”

The GI Bill pays a maximum monthly benefit of $1,075 for those who served on active duty for three years or more, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which administers the program.

That’s $38,700 for the up to 36 months of education benefits. Broken down over four academic years, that’s about $9,675 a year.

At USF — Singletary’s school — the estimated 2006-07 cost of full-time undergraduate tuition and books for a Florida resident attending the fall and spring semesters was $4,040. Add on-campus housing and meals, transportation and other personal expenses, and the total rises to $15,390.

USF’s prices are fairly typical. Tuition and fees at four-year public colleges averaged $5,836 for the 2006-07 academic year, according to the College Board. With tuition, fees, room and board, the total came to $12,796. At private schools for the same academic year, the average costs were $22,218 for tuition and fees and $30,367 including room and board.

Tuition and fees at public and private schools are up 35 percent from five years ago, the College Board found. Meanwhile, the maximum monthly GI Bill benefit has increased only $175 — or roughly 20 percent — in the same period.

Both the U.S. House and Senate are considering bills to raise education benefits for veterans who have served since Sept. 11, 2001.

In the effort led by Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, veterans would earn tuition, fees, books and $1,000 a month in living expenses.

Covering what your benefits won’t

College officials showed how, with a little creativity, you can use your GI Bill, along with other means, to realize the dream of a college degree. Some steps to consider:

Find the right school

Do your homework — before you even enter the classroom. Sure, a college education is expensive, but there are plenty of schools out there, so shop around for one that is good, affordable and military-friendly.

Cost was a big factor in David Willett’s choice of American Military University, an exclusively online school, when he was considering his college options. At AMU, the cost of each undergraduate class is an affordable $750, Willett said. What’s more, he liked that the school provides free books in the form of an undergraduate book grant.

Another important factor when choosing a school is making sure it has someone dedicated to working with veterans on the unique aspects of their college experience.

“There are a lot of choices out there, and you should not enter into a school or program without making sure it is best for you,” said Harry Wilkins, CFO and executive vice president of the American Public University System, which includes AMU.

“Research the schools. Try to talk to others who have been there — before you commit to spending that much money on your education.”

Examine grant options

Like scholarships, grants are monetary gifts that do not have to be repaid. Unlike scholarships, however, grants typically are need-based and not tied to academic achievement. According to the Web site CollegeScholarships.org, grants can originate from a variety of sources: federal and state, college and university, and public and private organizations.

The federal government’s Pell Grant is perhaps the most commonly known grant. According to the Education Department, the Pell is a need-based grant awarded to low-income college students.

Students who wish to apply for the Pell Grant or any other form of federal student aid must fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid every year.

“What we encourage students who have the GI Bill to do is come in and apply for financial aid up front,” said Chip Woodward, director of financial aid and VA benefits for American Public University System.

When filling out the FAFSA, do not include your GI Bill benefits as income, said FinAid.org’s Kantrowitz.

If your “expected family contribution” on the financial aid application qualifies you for a Pell Grant, you’ll still qualify regardless of your GI Bill benefits, Woodward said.

Look for scholarships

Additionally, seek out schools that recognize and reward those who have served in the military. You might be surprised at what’s out there.

Prospective students should ask individual colleges about any special programs or scholarships for veterans.

“This is not uncommon,” said Mark Kantrowitz, a nationally recognized financial aid expert and publisher of the financial aid Web site FinAid.org.

One caveat: Make sure any money promised you is available for the long haul, said APUS’s Wilkins. Schools sometimes offer scholarships to cover the start of a college career, “but after a semester to two, the money won’t be available,” he said.

Schools are not the only sources of scholarships for deserving veterans. Businesses, associations and military or veterans groups often offer special awards.

Finally, don’t overlook scholarships not specifically for former service members. The College Board outlines a good “scholarship strategy” online.

You should be wary of organizations that charge a fee in exchange for scholarship leads. Such places more likely are scholarship scams, according to the College Board.

Get a loan

For those students who don’t qualify for scholarships or financial aid, loans are another option. As with scholarships and grants, many different forms of loans exist, from federal loans like the popular Stafford and PLUS loans, to state loans, loans from private lenders, bank student loans, home equity loans or home equity lines of credit.

APUS’s Woodward recommends that students looking for loans through private lenders talk to someone from their school’s financial aid office about options.

“You are a consumer, so it is in your best interest to do your research and try to find the best rate out there,” he said.

Find a job

Finally, as W.G. “Guy” Singletary’s and Willett’s examples show, student veterans can work while attending school to offset costs not covered by GI Bill benefits.

“Sure, it could always be better,” said Singletary of the amount his GI Bill pays. “They could pay so much that I just have to go to school and study.”

Yet he remains philosophical about paying for his education.

“It’s not going to be easy. [The GI Bill] just makes something hard more manageable,” he said.

Financial aid resources

Consider the following resources when researching how to pay for the portion of your college education the GI Bill won’t cover.

• Web sites:

http://www.collegeanswer.com

http://www.collegescholarships.org

http://www.scholarships.com

http://www.needalift.org

http://studentaid.ed.gov

http://www.collegeboard.com

http://www.gibill.va.gov

https://www.horatioalger.com/scholarships_military

• Hire a Hero:

Lincoln Educational Services Corp. is offering scholarships to service members and their families through the nonprofit Hire a Hero program. The deadline is Aug. 17 to apply for one of eight full associate degree scholarships for military personnel serving overseas.

The scholarships pay 100 percent of tuition to Lincoln’s criminal justice or allied health programs. Courses will be administered online.

The Aug. 17 deadline also applies to 54 scholarships of “up to $10,000” for National Guard members, honorably discharged veterans and spouses, as well as 60 scholarships worth $2,000 for service members, honorably discharged veterans and spouses.

Programs include automotive technology, health sciences, skilled trades, business, information technology, criminal justice and hospitality services. Courses may be completed online or in person. Students with the partial scholarships may attend any of Lincoln’s schools, including Lincoln Technical Institute and its Center for Culinary Arts, Lincoln College of Technology, Lincoln College Online, Nashville Auto-Diesel College, Southwestern College, Euphoria Institute of Beauty Arts & Sciences and Florida Culinary Institute.

http://hireahero.com/frontline/rules

http://www.lincolneducationalservices.com