Veterans Thread Forum

[ScottRiqui]

Welcome

SMU is a pretty military friendly school from what I understand. According to Craigsan's chart (link ITT above) you can attend SMU absolutely free if you have the full post 911 GI Bill available.

Thanks for the welcome. I was looking at SMU's Yellow Ribbon program last week, and there's a conflict between what's on SMU's site for the 2012-2013 year (ten slots) compared to the VA's site for 2012-2013 (which lists SMU as having unlimited YR slots). I figure it's too early to worry about it, and things will likely change between now and when I'd start, but I'll keep an eye on it.

[JCFindley]

Welcome

SMU is a pretty military friendly school from what I understand. According to Craigsan's chart (link ITT above) you can attend SMU absolutely free if you have the full post 911 GI Bill available.

Thanks for the welcome. I was looking at SMU's Yellow Ribbon program last week, and there's a conflict between what's on SMU's site for the 2012-2013 year (ten slots) compared to the VA's site for 2012-2013 (which lists SMU as having unlimited YR slots). I figure it's too early to worry about it, and things will likely change between now and when I'd start, but I'll keep an eye on it.

Believe it or not, 10 is not a horrific number assuming that is 10 for JUST the law school. (Not great, but not as bad as it sounds.) Apply early and you will likely be one of the first ten AND 10 vets per class is quite a few for a single school. I know there are 14 total in the 2/3L classes here and we have class sizes larger than 400....

[ScottRiqui]

Believe it or not, 10 is not a horrific number assuming that is 10 for JUST the law school. (Not great, but not as bad as it sounds.) Apply early and you will likely be one of the first ten AND 10 vets per class is quite a few for a single school. I know there are 14 total in the 2/3L classes here and we have class sizes larger than 400....

I was thinking that too in my post from last week - for all I know, ten slots at SMU may be more than enough to provide YR benefits to everyone who's eligible.

The one thing I've never understood about the advertised number of YR slots is whether that's the number of slots available for a particular class (say, the class of 2015), or if those slots are divided up among all three classes that are currently attending at any given time.

In other words, let's say a school is accepting applications from prospective class of 2015 members, but the class of 2014 / class of 2013 students who are already attending have ten students between them who are receiving YR benefits. Does that mean that the class of 2015 vets are out of luck during their 1L year, and have to wait until a veteran upperclassman graduates? Or does each entering class get its own ten slots?

[JCFindley]

Believe it or not, 10 is not a horrific number assuming that is 10 for JUST the law school. (Not great, but not as bad as it sounds.) Apply early and you will likely be one of the first ten AND 10 vets per class is quite a few for a single school. I know there are 14 total in the 2/3L classes here and we have class sizes larger than 400....

I was thinking that too in my post from last week - for all I know, ten slots at SMU may be more than enough to provide YR benefits to everyone who's eligible.

The one thing I've never understood about the advertised number of YR slots is whether that's the number of slots available for a particular class (say, the class of 2015), or if those slots are divided up among all three classes that are currently attending at any given time.

In other words, let's say a school is accepting applications from prospective class of 2015 members, but the class of 2014 / class of 2013 students who are already attending have ten students between them who are receiving YR benefits. Does that mean that the class of 2015 vets are out of luck during their 1L year, and have to wait until a veteran upperclassman graduates? Or does each entering class get its own ten slots?

Yupp, that answer is hard to find but it is per class...

[unc0mm0n1]

Believe it or not, 10 is not a horrific number assuming that is 10 for JUST the law school. (Not great, but not as bad as it sounds.) Apply early and you will likely be one of the first ten AND 10 vets per class is quite a few for a single school. I know there are 14 total in the 2/3L classes here and we have class sizes larger than 400....

I was thinking that too in my post from last week - for all I know, ten slots at SMU may be more than enough to provide YR benefits to everyone who's eligible.

The one thing I've never understood about the advertised number of YR slots is whether that's the number of slots available for a particular class (say, the class of 2015), or if those slots are divided up among all three classes that are currently attending at any given time.

In other words, let's say a school is accepting applications from prospective class of 2015 members, but the class of 2014 / class of 2013 students who are already attending have ten students between them who are receiving YR benefits. Does that mean that the class of 2015 vets are out of luck during their 1L year, and have to wait until a veteran upperclassman graduates? Or does each entering class get its own ten slots?

Yupp, that answer is hard to find but it is per class...

Not sure if every school is like this but at my school I was rushing to get all of my GI Bill stuff in (I didn't get accepted till March) and I called the school to see if I would be eligible for one of the ten spots they had. They told me they didn't expect ten military students but even if they did get more than that they'd cover every vet that decided to enroll. It actually was a big relief.

[JCFindley]

Not sure if every school is like this but at my school I was rushing to get all of my GI Bill stuff in (I didn't get accepted till March) and I called the school to see if I would be eligible for one of the ten spots they had. They told me they didn't expect ten military students but even if they did get more than that they'd cover every vet that decided to enroll. It actually was a big relief.

That's awesome.....

I am going to give a shout-out to my beloved Fordham here as well. While the education counselors on Fort Belvoir told me that my Title 32 time counts for the Post 911 GI Bill it in fact does not so I ended up NOT being 100% eligible. To Fordham's credit, they still honored 100% of the YRP that they would have paid had I been eligible.

Just one of MANY reasons I love this school.

[TheJanitor6203]

Hello fellow veterans.

Still AD Army. Staff Sergeant 91B. ETS March 2014. Multiple deployments to Iraq. I'll finish my BA about the time I ETS and I'm going to apply for ED at SMU for Fall 2014. My current GPA is a 3.66 but I should have over a 3.7 when I finish. I've only taken a diagnostic LSAT and got a 147. I'm hoping to score atleast a 165 in February. If not I'll take it again in June.

I'm wondering if other veterans have had success getting into SMU and what your numbers were.

Also, I'm a little concerned about my degree being from an online university (American Military University). Is there anyone here already in or excepted to LS with a degree from AMU or other online schools? Am I worried for no reason or could this hold me back?

[UVAIce]

So I've been kind of tracking this information for the schools I'm interested in as well. The thing I'm not 100% clear on is how the Restoring Fairness in the GI Bill Act effects us starting law school now. For example, this spreadsheet has NYC schools listed as rating only $12,293 in GI Bill funds, which is the amount that is authorized in fees under Restoring Fairness... however, reading through this http://www.gibill.va.gov/documents/fact ... 83_Q&A.pdf makes me think that the $12,293 does not in fact apply to those of us who are matriculating now and in the future... the whole point of the Restoring Fairness deal seems to be to allow HIGHER payments to those students who would have been screwed by the $17,500 cap and instead allowing, then current, NY students up to $12,293 in fees and $1k/credit tuition. The Restoring Fairness literature that I can find states that to be "grandfathered" (and thus fall under the other payment scale) you have to have been enrolled "in the same college or university since January 4, 2011." Which obviously makes me think that would not apply to us now...

TL:DR - Any vets with 100% eligibility in a NY school that can speak to whether the GI Bill pays out $12,293 or the currently offered $18,077???

OK, I FINALLY got paid and while I am not at 100% but my percentage is based on the bolded number. I am a 1L at Fordham. (Oh, and the VA paid the school ALL the money this semester so I am guessing that will cause issues next semester.)

It won't cause any headaches with the VA. They purposefully pay out the max amount in the first semester as the way the annual max total is calculated it is based on the calendar year and not your own enrollment. For example, if you just skipped the spring semester you would get another full annual total for the next calendar year's fall semester. Unfortunately it also means that all you will be getting towards your tuition next semester is whatever YRP the school is giving you plus the matching amount from the VA.

The changes to the GI Bill really makes it a downer to attend a private university.

[UVAIce]

Hello fellow veterans.

Still AD Army. Staff Sergeant 91B. ETS March 2014. Multiple deployments to Iraq. I'll finish my BA about the time I ETS and I'm going to apply for ED at SMU for Fall 2014. My current GPA is a 3.66 but I should have over a 3.7 when I finish. I've only taken a diagnostic LSAT and got a 147. I'm hoping to score atleast a 165 in February. If not I'll take it again in June.

I'm wondering if other veterans have had success getting into SMU and what your numbers were.

Also, I'm a little concerned about my degree being from an online university (American Military University). Is there anyone here already in or excepted to LS with a degree from AMU or other online schools? Am I worried for no reason or could this hold me back?

I would worry more about what you score on the LSAT than your undergrad institution. A strong score will wipe away any doubts about where you went to school. Also, the fact that you finished your degree while your on active duty will probably shine a favorable light on your application. BUT, you better rock the LSAT. Anything in the 140s or low 150s is going to make it really hard for you. Study hard!

[JCFindley]

So I've been kind of tracking this information for the schools I'm interested in as well. The thing I'm not 100% clear on is how the Restoring Fairness in the GI Bill Act effects us starting law school now. For example, this spreadsheet has NYC schools listed as rating only $12,293 in GI Bill funds, which is the amount that is authorized in fees under Restoring Fairness... however, reading through this http://www.gibill.va.gov/documents/fact ... 83_Q&A.pdf makes me think that the $12,293 does not in fact apply to those of us who are matriculating now and in the future... the whole point of the Restoring Fairness deal seems to be to allow HIGHER payments to those students who would have been screwed by the $17,500 cap and instead allowing, then current, NY students up to $12,293 in fees and $1k/credit tuition. The Restoring Fairness literature that I can find states that to be "grandfathered" (and thus fall under the other payment scale) you have to have been enrolled "in the same college or university since January 4, 2011." Which obviously makes me think that would not apply to us now...

TL:DR - Any vets with 100% eligibility in a NY school that can speak to whether the GI Bill pays out $12,293 or the currently offered $18,077???

OK, I FINALLY got paid and while I am not at 100% but my percentage is based on the bolded number. I am a 1L at Fordham. (Oh, and the VA paid the school ALL the money this semester so I am guessing that will cause issues next semester.)

It won't cause any headaches with the VA. They purposefully pay out the max amount in the first semester as the way the annual max total is calculated it is based on the calendar year and not your own enrollment. For example, if you just skipped the spring semester you would get another full annual total for the next calendar year's fall semester. Unfortunately it also means that all you will be getting towards your tuition next semester is whatever YRP the school is giving you plus the matching amount from the VA.

The changes to the GI Bill really makes it a downer to attend a private university.

Thanks....

[tyler.durden]

So I've been kind of tracking this information for the schools I'm interested in as well. The thing I'm not 100% clear on is how the Restoring Fairness in the GI Bill Act effects us starting law school now. For example, this spreadsheet has NYC schools listed as rating only $12,293 in GI Bill funds, which is the amount that is authorized in fees under Restoring Fairness... however, reading through this http://www.gibill.va.gov/documents/fact ... 83_Q&A.pdf makes me think that the $12,293 does not in fact apply to those of us who are matriculating now and in the future... the whole point of the Restoring Fairness deal seems to be to allow HIGHER payments to those students who would have been screwed by the $17,500 cap and instead allowing, then current, NY students up to $12,293 in fees and $1k/credit tuition. The Restoring Fairness literature that I can find states that to be "grandfathered" (and thus fall under the other payment scale) you have to have been enrolled "in the same college or university since January 4, 2011." Which obviously makes me think that would not apply to us now...

TL:DR - Any vets with 100% eligibility in a NY school that can speak to whether the GI Bill pays out $12,293 or the currently offered $18,077???

OK, I FINALLY got paid and while I am not at 100% but my percentage is based on the bolded number. I am a 1L at Fordham. (Oh, and the VA paid the school ALL the money this semester so I am guessing that will cause issues next semester.)

It won't cause any headaches with the VA. They purposefully pay out the max amount in the first semester as the way the annual max total is calculated it is based on the calendar year and not your own enrollment. For example, if you just skipped the spring semester you would get another full annual total for the next calendar year's fall semester. Unfortunately it also means that all you will be getting towards your tuition next semester is whatever YRP the school is giving you plus the matching amount from the VA.

The changes to the GI Bill really makes it a downer to attend a private university.

Thanks....

Good info, thanks guys.

[ScottRiqui]

Just found this out, but it took a little digging into the Texas Education Code, and the change is fairly recent (January 2012), so I thought I'd post it:

If you're eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, then you, your spouse or your child can qualify immediately for in-state tuition in Texas, regardless of how long you've lived there.

From Section 54.241:

(k) A person is entitled to pay tuition and fees at an institution of higher education at the rates provided for Texas residents without regard to the length of time the person has resided in this state if the person files with the institution at which the person intends to register a letter of intent to establish residence in this state and resides in this state while enrolled in the institution and the person:
(1) is eligible for benefits under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (38 U.S.C. Section 3301 et seq.) or any other federal law authorizing educational benefits for veterans;
(2) is the spouse of a person described by Subdivision (1); or
(3) is a child of a person described by Subdivision (1) who is 25 years of age or younger on the first day of the semester or other academic term for which the person is registering, except that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by rule shall prescribe procedures by which a person who suffered from a severe illness or other debilitating condition that affected the person's ability to use the benefit provided by this subsection before reaching that age may be granted additional time to use the benefit corresponding to the time the person was unable to use the benefit because of the illness or condition.
(l) In this section, "child" includes a stepchild.

Transferred and redesignated from Education Code, Section 54.058 by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 359, Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2012.

This is nice, because otherwise, it appears that you would need to qualify for in-state tuition by already having established legal residency, and all of the avenues I found for establishing residency require (among other conditions) that you live in Texas for 12 consecutive months. Under the subsection I quoted, you can qualify for in-state tuition immediately, as long as you're living in Texas by the time you start attending.

[txtochitown]

So yesterday I took the final step and applied to LS. it felt like a weight lifted off of my shoulders but at the same time it was terrifying!! i applied to about 10 schools yesterday (its all i could afford)

Chicago
Loyola Chicago
John Marshall
DePaul
Chicago Kent
Texas
Texas Tech
thomas cooley
Florida Coastal
Valparaiso

[TheJanitor6203]

Good luck!

[JCFindley]

So yesterday I took the final step and applied to LS. it felt like a weight lifted off of my shoulders but at the same time it was terrifying!! i applied to about 10 schools yesterday (its all i could afford)

Chicago
Loyola Chicago
John Marshall
DePaul
Chicago Kent
Texas
Texas Tech
Thomas Cooley
Florida Coastal
Valparaiso

Good Luck...

I have to say that is a pretty wide range of schools. Generally you don't see Cooley and Chicago on the same list. Any particular reason for these ten schools?

[txtochitown]

So yesterday I took the final step and applied to LS. it felt like a weight lifted off of my shoulders but at the same time it was terrifying!! i applied to about 10 schools yesterday (its all i could afford)

Chicago
Loyola Chicago
John Marshall
DePaul
Chicago Kent
Texas
Texas Tech
Thomas Cooley
Florida Coastal
Valparaiso

Good Luck...

I have to say that is a pretty wide range of schools. Generally you don't see Cooley and Chicago on the same list. Any particular reason for these ten schools?

Cooley, Florida Coastal, and Valparaiso are safe schools. I want to go to Chicago or stay in Texas but Chicago by far is my number 1 school. I applied to Harvard too just because I've wanted to go since I was 8.

[JCFindley]

So yesterday I took the final step and applied to LS. it felt like a weight lifted off of my shoulders but at the same time it was terrifying!! i applied to about 10 schools yesterday (its all i could afford)

Chicago
Loyola Chicago
John Marshall
DePaul
Chicago Kent
Texas
Texas Tech
Thomas Cooley
Florida Coastal
Valparaiso

Good Luck...

I have to say that is a pretty wide range of schools. Generally you don't see Cooley and Chicago on the same list. Any particular reason for these ten schools?

Cooley, Florida Coastal, and Valparaiso are safe schools. I want to go to Chicago or stay in Texas but Chicago by far is my number 1 school. I applied to Harvard too just because I've wanted to go since I was 8.

I certainly don't want to turn this thread into the rest of TLS "retake" stuff but, remember that post 911 GI Bill is basically up to a quarter million dollar benefit. You really do want to spend that wisely and if need be retake and go where you REALLY want to go and someplace that will give you a good shot at a job. Generally speaking, SMU and Houston are better options for TX than Tech and maybe add NU for Chicago. I know it is expensive to apply but see if you can get some fee waivers then it will only cost the LSAC report to apply. I would bet many schools will be willing to give a vet a break on the fees.

[SemperLegal]

I will have about 1 year of GI Bill left post gradation. Anyone try using it for Bar Prep?

[unc0mm0n1]

I will have about 1 year of GI Bill left post gradation. Anyone try using it for Bar Prep?

I'm using mine on an LLM. I didn't even know we could use it on Bar Prep.

[SemperLegal]

I will have about 1 year of GI Bill left post gradation. Anyone try using it for Bar Prep?

I'm using mine on an LLM. I didn't even know we could use it on Bar Prep.

You can use it to pay for the Bar Exam, but I don't know if you can use it for prep classes or BAH.

http://www.pabarexam.org/bar_exam_infor ... aforms.htm

http://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/sear ... ntent-area

[ScottRiqui]

Believe it or not, 10 is not a horrific number assuming that is 10 for JUST the law school. (Not great, but not as bad as it sounds.) Apply early and you will likely be one of the first ten AND 10 vets per class is quite a few for a single school. I know there are 14 total in the 2/3L classes here and we have class sizes larger than 400....

I was thinking that too in my post from last week - for all I know, ten slots at SMU may be more than enough to provide YR benefits to everyone who's eligible.

The one thing I've never understood about the advertised number of YR slots is whether that's the number of slots available for a particular class (say, the class of 2015), or if those slots are divided up among all three classes that are currently attending at any given time.

In other words, let's say a school is accepting applications from prospective class of 2015 members, but the class of 2014 / class of 2013 students who are already attending have ten students between them who are receiving YR benefits. Does that mean that the class of 2015 vets are out of luck during their 1L year, and have to wait until a veteran upperclassman graduates? Or does each entering class get its own ten slots?

Yupp, that answer is hard to find but it is per class...

I just got off the phone with the SMU Yellow Ribbon coordinator, and she said that their ten slots are divided up among *everyone* who's currently attending. So it would be possible for an incoming class to have no slots available to them until an upperclassman graduates, transfers out of the school, or runs out of GI Bill eligibility.

She did point out that the number of slots has changed twice already in the past few years, so they might go back to unlimited slots by the time I'd actually be going there.

[TheJanitor6203]

Believe it or not, 10 is not a horrific number assuming that is 10 for JUST the law school. (Not great, but not as bad as it sounds.) Apply early and you will likely be one of the first ten AND 10 vets per class is quite a few for a single school. I know there are 14 total in the 2/3L classes here and we have class sizes larger than 400....

I was thinking that too in my post from last week - for all I know, ten slots at SMU may be more than enough to provide YR benefits to everyone who's eligible.

The one thing I've never understood about the advertised number of YR slots is whether that's the number of slots available for a particular class (say, the class of 2015), or if those slots are divided up among all three classes that are currently attending at any given time.

In other words, let's say a school is accepting applications from prospective class of 2015 members, but the class of 2014 / class of 2013 students who are already attending have ten students between them who are receiving YR benefits. Does that mean that the class of 2015 vets are out of luck during their 1L year, and have to wait until a veteran upperclassman graduates? Or does each entering class get its own ten slots?

Yupp, that answer is hard to find but it is per class...

I just got off the phone with the SMU Yellow Ribbon coordinator, and she said that their ten slots are divided up among *everyone* who's currently attending. So it would be possible for an incoming class to have no slots available to them until an upperclassman graduates, transfers out of the school, or runs out of GI Bill eligibility.

She did point out that the number of slots has changed twice already in the past few years, so they might go back to unlimited slots by the time I'd actually be going there.

Did she say how many of those 10 slots are currently filled?

[ScottRiqui]

Did she say how many of those 10 slots are currently filled?

I think she said that they're all currently filled, but she also said that several of the slots would open up in the next semester or two due to students graduating.

[TheJanitor6203]

Did she say how many of those 10 slots are currently filled?

I think she said that they're all currently filled, but she also said that several of the slots would open up in the next semester or two due to students graduating.

So did they say how they determine who gets it if there's only 1 spot and 2 students? First come first serve? Merit? Needs?

[ScottRiqui]

Did she say how many of those 10 slots are currently filled?

I think she said that they're all currently filled, but she also said that several of the slots would open up in the next semester or two due to students graduating.

So did they say how they determine who gets it if there's only 1 spot and 2 students? First come first serve? Merit? Needs?

She was very clear that it's "first come, first served". I don't know if there's any kind of a waiting list, though. I'm hoping that sometime between now and when I start, they'll go back to having unlimited slots instead of just ten.

She also said that there's no way to get a slot prior to being admitted. Basically, after you're admitted, you call her and find if there's even a slot available. Then, you send her all the paperwork and as long as no one's beaten you to it, the slot's yours. I'm pretty sure you can get a slot before you've committed to the school and sent them your seat deposit.