Veterans Thread Forum

[SemperLegal]

Any of you know of any post-educational grants for vets? Recently graduated law school and have a great chance at a fellowship, but dat money is TIGHT.

A buddy of mine regularly takes a shit load of community college electives (like fitness and pass/fail "experience" classes) and lived of the BAH, assuming you got any GI Bill left.

Otherwise, Americorps and Equal Justice are on some kind of veterans law kick that you might be able to tap into. http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/news/e ... 20More&#ed

Wish I could do more.

[TheSpanishMain]

I appreciate the opinions, thanks. Civilian clothes it is.

Good luck to the other veteran applicants out there this season, I'm eager to see how things go.

Good luck to you. Whenever I see anyone wearing a uniform, particularly a dress uniform, when they don't have to be, I immediately think motard. You don't want to be a motard.

[Momincombatboots]

New here.

E-5 Navy- separated Aug '13
Senior year of Undergrad at University of DC
GPA: 3.47
LSAT: December 7th
URM-AA

I have a unique question but someone here might be able to help.
Has anyone used their ACE credits from military service towards their degree?
If so are they factored into the LSAC calc as pass/fail and do the Law School recalculate them again once they receive transcripts?

Trying to get a true measure of GPA to find target schools.

[TripTrip]

I have a unique question but someone here might be able to help.
Has anyone used their ACE credits from military service towards their degree?
If so are they factored into the LSAC calc as pass/fail and do the Law School recalculate them again once they receive transcripts?

Trying to get a true measure of GPA to find target schools.

I didn't use ACE specifically, but I did have military education credits from Basic and AIT. The GPAs on those were indeed factored by LSAC.

If when you submit them to LSAC, however, LSAC does not factor them, the schools will NOT recalculate. They'll use LSAC's GPA calculation.

[ArcticDeckie]

I appreciate the opinions, thanks. Civilian clothes it is.

Good luck to the other veteran applicants out there this season, I'm eager to see how things go.

Good luck to you. Whenever I see anyone wearing a uniform, particularly a dress uniform, when they don't have to be, I immediately think motard. You don't want to be a motard.

Yeah, I felt kind of weird even considering it. I'm sure everyone knows 'that guy' who just can't seem to stay out of uniform, which I definitely don't want to be.

[Rotor]

Any of you know of any post-educational grants for vets? Recently graduated law school and have a great chance at a fellowship, but dat money is TIGHT.

A buddy of mine regularly takes a shit load of community college electives (like fitness and pass/fail "experience" classes) and lived of the BAH, assuming you got any GI Bill left.

Otherwise, Americorps and Equal Justice are on some kind of veterans law kick that you might be able to tap into. http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/news/e ... 20More&#ed

Wish I could do more.

Be careful about just taking classes on the side. The credits you take have to be for a degree program, not just random classes. I have a friend who has been fighting the VA who has sent a $6000 bill to collections even though the campus VA rep told her she could do just this.

[esypsylmnsqsy]

I have a GI Bill question. I still have 36 months of full benefits, and I am considering activating to finish my last semester of UG in the spring. If I am charged five full months that leaves me with 31 months left. Can anyone confirm that this will be enough to make it through three years of LS? I emailed two of my top choices and was told that they can not tell me with certainty how many months of benefits I will be charged. I can't figure how LS would be more than 30 months (at most) of benefits, but I would hate to find out later that my GI Bill will run out before 3L is over.

[ScottRiqui]

I have a GI Bill question. I still have 36 months of full benefits, and I am considering activating to finish my last semester of UG in the spring. If I am charged five full months that leaves me with 31 months left. Can anyone confirm that this will be enough to make it through three years of LS? I emailed two of my top choices and was told that they can not tell me with certainty how many months of benefits I will be charged. I can't figure how LS would be more than 30 months (at most) of benefits, but I would hate to find out later that my GI Bill will run out before 3L is over.

I'm pretty sure they measure your time used down to the day, so (for example) you're not going to be charged ten months if you're in school nine months and one day. So the only way you'd be charged 10-1/3 months for each year of law school would be if you're actually in class that long each year, and I don't know of any school where the academic years are that long. You should be good.

[grungy89]

The VA absolutely does calculate it down to the day. It's designed to maximize your use of it, but it makes January a little rough if your fall semester ends around the second week of December because your BAH will only be paid though that portion of December. When you are going to school the VA will frequently send you letters telling you how many months and days you have remaining. Also, I have seen posts elsewhere on this site (unverified) that allude to the VA paying for a full semester if your benefits run out at some point in the middle of one.

[unc0mm0n1]

The VA absolutely does calculate it down to the day. It's designed to maximize your use of it, but it makes January a little rough if your fall semester ends around the second week of December because your BAH will only be paid though that portion of December. When you are going to school the VA will frequently send you letters telling you how many months and days you have remaining. Also, I have seen posts elsewhere on this site (unverified) that allude to the VA paying for a full semester if your benefits run out at some point in the middle of one.

Can someone confirm this?

[SemperLegal]

The VA absolutely does calculate it down to the day. It's designed to maximize your use of it, but it makes January a little rough if your fall semester ends around the second week of December because your BAH will only be paid though that portion of December. When you are going to school the VA will frequently send you letters telling you how many months and days you have remaining. Also, I have seen posts elsewhere on this site (unverified) that allude to the VA paying for a full semester if your benefits run out at some point in the middle of one.

Can someone confirm this?

I can confirm first hand all but the last sentence.

As for partial semesters, my understanding from the VA is that if you have a month left into a new semester, they will pay for the whole semester's tuition, but only one month of BAH. However, I don't believe its part of the Act, so the VA's policy might change under the new budget situations.

[unc0mm0n1]

The VA absolutely does calculate it down to the day. It's designed to maximize your use of it, but it makes January a little rough if your fall semester ends around the second week of December because your BAH will only be paid though that portion of December. When you are going to school the VA will frequently send you letters telling you how many months and days you have remaining. Also, I have seen posts elsewhere on this site (unverified) that allude to the VA paying for a full semester if your benefits run out at some point in the middle of one.

Can someone confirm this?

I can confirm first hand all but the last sentence.

As for partial semesters, my understanding from the VA is that if you have a month left into a new semester, they will pay for the whole semesters tuition, but only one month of BAH. However, I don't believe its part of the Act, so the VAs policy might change under the new budget situations.

Haha the last sentence is what I needed confirmed.

[grungy89]

I know its minor, but does anyone happen to know if you get your $1,200 (think $100 each from first 12 mos. mil pay) back after using all GI Bill benefits?

[14G]

(4) If I decide to convert my eligibility to the Post-9/11 GI Bill after attaining eligibility for that program and after the entire $1,200 is reduced whose pay was reduced under the provisions of sections 3011(b) or 3012(c) of Reference (b), will receive a refund of that pay reduction subject to the following:
(a) a full refund for an individual who used no months of benefit under the MGIB.
(b) a refund reduced by a proportion calculated by the number of months of MGIB benefits remaining at the time of election divided by 36.
(c) The refund will be added to the monthly stipend allowance paid in the last month of eligibility under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. If I do not exhaust entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, I will not receive a refund of the pay reduction.

This is from DD Form 2366 (available here: http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/info ... dd2366.pdf)

It appears that you must exhaust all 36 months of your Post 9/11 GI Bill before receiving the $1,200 refund. Hope this helps!

[ScottRiqui]

(4) If I decide to convert my eligibility to the Post-9/11 GI Bill after attaining eligibility for that program and after the entire $1,200 is reduced whose pay was reduced under the provisions of sections 3011(b) or 3012(c) of Reference (b), will receive a refund of that pay reduction subject to the following:
(a) a full refund for an individual who used no months of benefit under the MGIB.
(b) a refund reduced by a proportion calculated by the number of months of MGIB benefits remaining at the time of election divided by 36.
(c) The refund will be added to the monthly stipend allowance paid in the last month of eligibility under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. If I do not exhaust entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, I will not receive a refund of the pay reduction.

This is from DD Form 2366 (available here: http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/info ... dd2366.pdf)

It appears that you must exhaust all 36 months of your Post 9/11 GI Bill before receiving the $1,200 refund. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the link; that's the first thing I've seen that directly addresses what happens if you don't exhaust your benefits. The only thing I'm not sure about is what happens if you hit the fifteen-year limit for using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and still have months of eligibility left? Does that count as having "exhausted" your entitlement, and you get the $1200 back? Or do you have to actively use up all 36 months of benefits to get the deduction back?

[14G]

Thanks for the link; that's the first thing I've seen that directly addresses what happens if you don't exhaust your benefits. The only thing I'm not sure about is what happens if you hit the fifteen-year limit for using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and still have months of eligibility left? Does that count as having "exhausted" your entitlement, and you get the $1200 back? Or do you have to actively use up all 36 months of benefits to get the deduction back?

I can't say for sure, but I don't think they would count GI Bill expiration as exhaustion. I'd call the VA to check though

[TheJanitor6203]

I posted this in the "What are my chances" section but I figured I'd post here too.

161/3.3, 9 year Army Vet- getting out as a SSG/E-6

UT
SMU
SMU PT
Tulane
Houston

Edit: This is my 2nd score. I only improved 2 points. Before both tests I was PTing in the high 160's.. I just suck at the real thing. I already decided I'm not retaking- at least not this cycle- I don't have time. I'm open to putting LS off a year if I don't get into any of these schools.

[unc0mm0n1]

I posted this in the "What are my chances" section but I figured I'd post here too.

161/3.3, 9 year Army Vet- getting out as a SSG/E-6

UT
SMU
SMU PT
Tulane
Houston

URM? If not you're going to have to retake for UT.

[TheJanitor6203]

Non-urm

[grungy89]

@ TheJanitor

I like your chances at SMU FT, Houston, and Tulane. At UT, based on what I've seen and read you may get in, but it would probably be last minute off the waitlist. Did you apply ED to UT or Houston? Were you a TX resident at enlistment? If so, I would also look at TxTech, but Houston and UT would also let you use the Hazlewood Act exemption.

Also, being someone who is seriously considering Baylor, why are you not considering it? I view Baylor and SMU as essentially identical schools only SMU is in Highland Park and Baylor is in Waco?

[SemperLegal]

As an alternative to the laws, Veterans on Wall Street are pretty aggressively courting vets for the banking industry. Goldman even has a 8 week paid training program that mostly resembles a law firm SA.

https://www.seeuthere.com/rsvp/invitati ... Guid=41576

[TheJanitor6203]

@ TheJanitor

I like your chances at SMU FT, Houston, and Tulane. At UT, based on what I've seen and read you may get in, but it would probably be last minute off the waitlist. Did you apply ED to UT or Houston? Were you a TX resident at enlistment? If so, I would also look at TxTech, but Houston and UT would also let you use the Hazlewood Act exemption.

Also, being someone who is seriously considering Baylor, why are you not considering it? I view Baylor and SMU as essentially identical schools only SMU is in Highland Park and Baylor is in Waco?

I'm actually applying to all of these places. I was just asking about those 4 schools because they're my top (realistic) choices. I did not apply ED anywhere and yes, I am a Texas resident and was at enlistment. Baylor is not a top choice for me because I have read some horrible things about it. It's ranked #1 in the country for having the most competitive students. It's in Waco and the employment oppertunities aren't as good as Houston or SMU. Plus they no longer participate in the YRP.

[Rotor]

Pretty proud of having been a part of getting this off the ground. Thought folks here might like to read this:

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/16098.htm

[haus]

Pretty proud of having been a part of getting this off the ground. Thought folks here might like to read this:

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/16098.htm

It is sad that this is needed, but thank you for your efforts.

[14G]

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