Recently, my fiance (who is a veteran) has decided to return to school and take advantage of one of the better benefits being in the military can get you.  Since we have started the process, we have learned a lot and I wanted to share some tips for anyone who knows a veteran who is going to be starting school in the near future.  We have had horrible dealings with Bakersfield College and Linda Cordova, the woman who processes registration (I'm not sure of her exact title yet, but she was supposed to help us with getting him registered for school and making sure all G.I. Bill requirements for the school were taken care of).

When my fiance went to Bakersfield College to register, he was encouraged to apply for the Post 9/11 bill.  We were told that he would be put on a list of students who did not have to pay registration fees because of the Post 9/11 bill to ensure he would not be dropped from his schedule.  We were also told he could only take classes for one particular type of major or certification (for example, his certification right now is automotive, so we were told he could only take automotive classes).

The problem is, none of this was correct.

My fiance was dropped from all of his classes due to unpaid fees because Bakersfield College "forgot" about the Post 9/11 bill.  Since we were told he could only take one type of course, this severely limited our ability to build up his schedule again.  We couldn't.  BC wouldn't put him back in the classes he was previously registered for because someone else had already been added.  Bakersfield College told us it was a "mistake" but there was "nothing they could do about it."

Yesterday, we went to Veterans Services.  We were told in no uncertain terms that we SHOULD NOT have applied for the Post 9/11 bill and SHOULD NOT have been advised to do so by Bakersfield College.  We were basically told that we've been "screwed out of" thousands of dollars that would have been used towards my fiance's education. 

The following is based on my understanding of what I was told yesterday at Veterans Services:

The Montgomery G.I. Bill will pay for your classes, including online and distance learning.  They will also help with costs of living expenses paid based on the amount of credits that you are taking.  For example, if you only take 1/3 of the credits needed to be a full time student, you will get 1/3 of the allotment entitled to you.

The Post 9/11 bill does not pay for online or distance courses, as well as those courses that are not taken on an approved college campus.  Many programs approved by the VA for the Montgomery G.I. bill are not approved under the Post 9/11 bill.  You also receive no cost of living assistance unless you are 3/4 on your credits for a full time schedule.

Unfortunately, since my fiance was dropped by Bakersfield College from his courses, and was told he couldn't apply for classes outside his major and get Post 9/11 G.I. bill acceptance, we did not meet the 3/4 requirement.  We were depending on this money to help us survive, avoid vehicle repossession and pay rent.  Since we were not informed by BC that he had been dropped from his previous classes, he was planning on being a full time student and trying to get part time work after school started to see how he adjusted to his schedule.

We were told by Veterans Services that he can take whatever classes he needs.  Of course, now it's three days before school starts and there are very few options.  We added classes to his schedule but all have wait lists (some of those wait lists show him being #49 in line).  We were also told by Veteran's Services that if we did not get the needed classes, we would not be receiving any form of assistance.  He cannot take distance or online courses, since they are not covered.

We also have to hope that once he registers, when he goes and sees Linda she does not adjust his schedule on her belief that he cannot take various courses outside of his declared major.  We have to work on hope that she will not change his schedule.

He has to obtain three separate Student Education Plans to hopefully convince Linda to allow him to take the classes he needs to get a full schedule.  For the record, many of these classes are applicable to other certificates he is trying to obtain (welding, air conditioning/heating, automotive) to help him begin a career, not just basic classes taken in an attempt to get money.

We were also told that this new bill only covers up to $6,300 in California.  If the school is a Yellow Ribbon School, this means the school will either match the VA contributions or cover remaining costs.  However, if you want to go to a more vocational school like San Joaquin Valley College (who has declined to be a Yellow Ribbon School) you can expect any additional costs to come out of your own pocket.

My fiance paid into this program while he was in the military to be able to get an education.  Bakersfield College and Linda Cordova have given us nothing but misinformation and problems.  It should not be this hard for veterans to get assistance or attend school in an attempt to better themselves.

We went to Bakersfield College trusting they would have competent employees who could assist us, especially if that employee is designated to work with veterans.  We followed all of their directions, never guessing we would be lead down a path that has turned out so badly for us.  We were given incorrect advice that could costs us thousands of dollars.

We did everything we were supposed to but when BC dropped the ball on class registration and dropped him, we were sent back to the drawing board without any idea that we would now be receiving little to no assistance.

If you know a veteran who is considering going to school, please advise them to talk with their local Veteran's Services first.  They can help them with applications for the G.I. bill benefits and advise them which bill fits their needs.  If they are considering schools in California, please tell them to talk to Veteran's Services before they consider applying for it.  Once you are accepted, you can't go back.  Veteran's Services informed us they are advising veterans to hold off on applying for the Post 9/11 bill until they have a better understanding of how this system is going to work in California.

I know we are fortunate to be receiving any kind of assistance but my fiance put a lot of money into this program and paid four years of his life for this purpose.  I wanted to share this story in the hopes that I could maybe save someone else from experiencing the same problems we were having.