GI Bill and dispatch school

[kylewoody]

Hello,

I am AD Air Force and am coming up on separation in about 8 months, currently deployed. Does anyone have any experience with using the GI bill for dispatching school? I am seriously considering going this route, however with a wife and kid it would be tough to pay all out of pocket for schooling - was hoping someone might have insight or experience with this.

Thanks!

Kyle

 

[Rober2ca]

Hey kyle,

I used the GI Bill for aviation courses. It paid for my flight training, and an associates degree. From what I understand, if the dispatcher courses are required course work for a degree its not a problem.

There maybe different rules for just trade schools.

 

[kylewoody]

Thanks - yeah as far as I know it'll cover most aviation programs bundled with a degree. I am wanting to just do the 5 week course, like Sheffield but not sure if it would cover that. I plan to reach out to the schools soon hopefully and talk with them - I'm deployed right now though so it's tough to use any phones and call stateside.

 

[Stanimal]

yeah i did it on my gi bill. hope youre not trying to maintain a household and stay in hotel while at school my advice is move the fam home to parents when youre going to school and i HIGHLY recommend going to the school and not the study on your own program. It will pay for your entire cost of the school though and some BAH as well.

 

[Salkadi]

I went to Sheffield and used the GI bill while I was there. I just got the regularly monthly tuition rate from the GI Bill was I there, which covered maybe half of what it cost me to go there. So, it helped but didn't cover the full costs. Having savings definitely helps. Though, I should say I was under the Montgomery GI Bill at that time. I'm not sure how the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits would work with that.

 

[PuddlePirate]

I used my GI bill to get my degree, then went to a different school and used my GI bill to get my dispatch certificate. I had no problems switching schools and using my GI bill for both a degree and certificate. I paid nothing out of pocket for courses and was given BAH as well. This was using Post 9/11. Fast forward a few years and now I’m happily employed as a dispatcher at a major.

 

[kylewoody]

Thanks guys - yea, I would probably have the wife and kid hang out with family in Florida while I focused on school. Stanimal, which school did you go to? I have the ability to use either - payed into the Montgomery GI, but can switch to Post 9/11 if it benefits me more.

What about you Puddle, what school did you go to?

I appreciate the feedback too, I am very motivated to slide back into the civilian sector here and dispatching sounds right up my alley.

 

[DontSink]

Thank you for your service

 

[manniax]

I think the new GI Bill would benefit you more. The Montgomery GI Bill only pays a certain amount of money per month - I think for me it was around $500 - so while it helped with school a bit it didn't cover the cost completely. No idea what the new GI Bill is like but it sounds better than the Montgomery one.

 

[kylewoody]

Thanks - I'll check into the Post then.

 

[Stanimal]

Thanks guys - yea, I would probably have the wife and kid hang out with family in Florida while I focused on school. Stanimal, which school did you go to? I have the ability to use either - payed into the Montgomery GI, but can switch to Post 9/11 if it benefits me more.

What about you Puddle, what school did you go to?

I appreciate the feedback too, I am very motivated to slide back into the civilian sector here and dispatching sounds right up my alley.

I went to IFOD in Irving Texas. Stayed at the Holiday inn (you could get a roommate that's in the class with you to lower cost while there.) The cost of the hotel was my only concern while I was there but only bc I was still paying rent for my home. I used post 9/11 it paid 100% for the school as well as the BAH rate which I tried to stretch to cover hotel and rent.

I got hired right out of school from there for a 121 regional, and now I'm dispatching for the kuwaiti air force. All in all best choice I ever made. I haven't missed the USAF one bit

 

[kylewoody]

I went to IFOD in Irving Texas. Stayed at the Holiday inn (you could get a roommate that's in the class with you to lower cost while there.) The cost of the hotel was my only concern while I was there but only bc I was still paying rent for my home. I used post 9/11 it paid 100% for the school as well as the BAH rate which I tried to stretch to cover hotel and rent. I got hired right out of school from there for a 121 regional, and now I'm dispatching for the kuwaiti air force. All in all best choice I ever made. I haven't missed the USAF one bit

Awesome, thanks for the info - this is the good news I like to hear!