Personal+Story

Personal Story about M.G.I.B

My personal story is about my dad Kevin James and how he used the MGIB to pay for his degree while being on active duty. My dad is stationed in Columbus, OH with the U.S. Army and during the last year he was taking on-line classes thorough Ashford University. He graduated with a B.A. in Organizational Management with a Biology Concentration. He told me that the biology concentration came from when he studied for a degree in Biological Science when he worked as a Physician Assistant. He used his Reserve MGIB at that time which was the Chapter 1606. The Reserve G.I. Bill chapter 1606 is for reserve soldiers that have not been deployed and he said that after he was deployed he switched to the chapter 1607 which is the section of the program designated for reserve soldiers that have been deployed. The difference is that the chapter 1607 pays the soldier more for their educational needs. He is always telling my brother, sister and me that there is no reason we should not have an education. He is the second one in a family of five to get a college degree. Since we have been talking more about schools and college educations he said that when it was time he was going to switch his MGIB over to the Post 9/11 G.I.Bill. He told me the benefit of this section of the G.I. Bill is it allows a soldier to transfer their benefits to their children so that they can attend college and the added benefit is that it pays the student a allowance (stipend) each month equal to the pay of a E-5 Sergeant in the Army and the pay is based on the zip code of the school. His final words on the school issue were that there is no reason for his three children not to get an education since his service in the Army has earned him the benefits for us to do so.