I have some good news to report! The Post-9/11 GI Bill has finally come through. Last week I received a check for my housing allowance and books. The VA also gave NYU a check for $18,451 for this semester’s tuition. NYU kicked in the remaining $561 because they elected to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Certification isn’t automatic, so I need to do all this again next semester, but I’ve heard it gets easier. It definitely makes my leg hurt a little less knowing the government is paying for my education. Funny how that works.
Category: Marines
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Marine OCS blogs
Just stumbled onto a relatively new site called Our Marines. The site attempts to better connect America with the Marine Corps, and features the blogs of 6 candidates at PLC (Platoon Leaders Class). Though there isn’t much content, it’s a cool idea and has lots of potential. Check it out.
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Post-9/11 GI Bill
Back on July 2nd, I applied for education benefits from the VA. My application was received by the Buffalo New York processing office on July 13th, and I was told it would take about 4-6 weeks to get a response. Sure enough, 6 weeks after they received my application, I got a letter from the VA. It stated:
You’re entitled to receive 100% of the benefits payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program for training offered by an institution of higher education. We determined this percentage based on your length of creditable active duty service.
Awesome! With the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, you are awarded education benefits based on your length of active duty or reserve service. You will be given:
- Cost of tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher education (list of states and max tuition)
- Monthly housing allowance equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to a military E-5 with dependents, in the same zip code as your school (look up your zipcode)
- Yearly books and supplies stipend of up to $1000 per year
To calculate how much you can be awarded, check out the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits calculator. For those who want to know more about the eligibility requirements, see the VA’s Post-9/11 GI Bill’s website at gibill.va.gov.
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16 month post-FVFG follow-up
Finally got my 16 month post-FVFG follow-up yesterday in NYC. I had an MRI done last week and brought it to my appointment. My surgeon said the MRI doesn’t look terrible, and the hip’s head isn’t completely collapsed. He said my hip is still has pockets of avascularity, but there is a tunnel of life going through the hip, if it were completely dead and collapsed, I wouldn’t be able to stand. The increase in joint/arthritis pain is due to the fact that I’m using it so much more. He said “unfortunately we’ve seen what the biology can due, and since it’s not adequate, we have to think about other things,” and referred me to a hip reconstruction specialist.
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Rating received
Finally got a letter from the VA regarding my service connected compensation claim. I’ve been assigned a 30% rating, which I’m not too happy about. It’s like they ignored everything that was happening with my leg, and simply looked up what rating was next to “hip fracture.” I’m going to meet with the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) this week and file an appeal.