In the Military and I Want to Go to School With New GI Bill

by David

(afghanistane/oceanside CA)

WITH THE NEW GI BILL CAN you collect unemployment?

My situation is I’ve been in the marine corps for three years. I am currently in Afghanistan serving our country in a combat job that is not transferable when my contract is ended.

When my combat deployment is over I will have seven moths left till my contract is up. My higher chain of command is telling us that the marine corps is full and the only way to reenlist is in the same job.

What do I do? I have a wife and new born and I want to set myself up for success.

I would like to go to school and still be able to put a roof over our head and food on the table. I am a smart individual with many great work qualities

Q: Who will assist me and guide me to getting started?

Q: What are my options?

Q: Where do I start?

Q: Why would going to school on the government’s dime stop me from collecting unemployment if my job is untransferable?

Q: When should I apply if my EAS (end of active service) is July 9th 2011?

Q: How do I use unemployment to my benefit?

Q: Would I even qualify for unemployment benefits for ex-military members?

Hi David,

Thank you for your service! Words can’t express the gratitude I feel so, I’ll try to answer the questions I can and show you where you might go to explore the rest.

Q: Would I even qualify for unemployment benefits for ex-military members?

A: Yes, I believe you would qualify. It’s a special unemployment program each state administers for the federal government. The monetary eligibility (weekly benefit amount) is controlled by the state’s UI laws. The special program is called UCX (Unemployment Compensation for Ex-military members)

Aside from the monetary eligibility rules being controlled by the state, I’m pretty certain the other non-monetary requirement is an honorable discharge. And this was usually the only reason a UCX claim for benefit might cross my desk when it involved a “private sector” employer paid wages somehow being involved in a base period.

Q: How do I use unemployment to my benefit?

A: The same way a “private sector” and some “public sector” employees like a school teacher, benefit from the benefits.

As partial wage replacement while they conduct a bona fide job search for suitable work.

Q: Why would going to school on the government’s dime stop me from collecting unemployment if my job is untransferable?

A: Because even a UCX claim is controlled by state law, special permission from the re-employment half of the unemployment agency is important. You not only have to conduct that required job search for suitable work, you must also, be able and available to accept an offer of work when one comes along to meet the “able and available conditional eligibility requirement to collect a weekly benefit among other conditional eligibility requirement So, I would make sure I knew how the state laws compare and the labor market conditions for what I planned on going to school for .. before I decided which state might be better to file for benefits in and to settle my family down in.

Q: When should I apply if my EAS (end of active service) is July 9th 2011?

A: As soon as you are officially unemployed.

Q: What are my options?

A: Apparently, more than private sector employees losing their jobs through no fault of their own if you read the guidance letters to unemployment state agencies addressing the reemployment / education and training half of the dept.

Q: Who will assist me and guide me to getting started and Q: Where do I start?

The VA of course.

I do not really have any expertise to offer on navigating all the VA’s programs for returning Vets .. however, as to your question about how you will continue to put a roof over your family’s heads ..

Although I can say for certain, easonably, I would think that using the GI Bill to get the education you need in preparation for success, there would also be some sort of subsidy you could receive, while you attend college. It’s just logical that a student aid loan that has to be repaid can come with a subsidy that the GI Bill would also provide for one to make attending college a feasible idea and replace the unemployment benefits that historically haven’t lasted longer than 26 weeks .. until the unprecedented long term extensions of the great recession.

Good Luck,

Chris