House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller said, “We are keeping our promise to America’s student veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill through this legislation, enabling them to stay in the school of their choice without incurring severe fee increases.”

At issue were changes to the Post 9-11 GI Bill which went into effect in August, capping the covered fees at $17,500 per year at private institutions. In seven states, that would have meant a lower coverage amount than previous years, leaving students to drop out or cover the balance out of their own pockets.

The GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011 “grandfathers” up to 30,000 student veterans in Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.

Eligible student veterans who were accepted, or who are enrolled, in a private school in one of these states prior to or on January 4, 2011, will receive payment for tuition and fees on the original maximum, in-state undergraduate fee schedule, allowing them to complete their education at the school of their choice.

If you have been in school in one of these states and feared you would be unable to complete your program, contact your student advisor or federal aid advisor.

Shanna Fowler, career services manager, said “A common setback faced by transitioning service members is how to translate military experiences into corporate language — and how to best highlight their wide variety of skill sets for a specific position.” She went on to say “…employers have shared they’re interested in learning about recruiting best practices and challenges, and understanding how to review military experience for a civilian job description.”

Because of this interest by employers, the first series is for companies interested in hiring veterans and former military service members. These Webinars will held bi-weekly on Thursdays at 1pm CST starting March 8th. Register here: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/400442606

Transitioning service members and veterans are invited to participate in weekly Webinars held each Tuesday at 1pm CST. Register for these Webinars here: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/330926542

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company will start providing TRICARE services worldwide in February 2012. The TMA and Metropolitan Life are working together to smoothly transition the 1.9 million enrollees. Metropolitan Life has an extensive network of dentists, so most enrollees will not have to change providers. However, you may have to change dentists to receive the benefits of an in-network provider. You can still be treated by any non-network dentist but your out-of-pocket expenses will be higher.

The new contract includes enhancements and new benefits such as:

• An increase in the annual maximum from $1,200 to $1,300
• An increase in the lifetime orthodontic maximum from $1,500 to $1,750
• Coverage of posterior resin (white) fillings
• Additional $1,200 maximum per year for services related to accidents/injuries
• No cost shares for some periodontal services for diabetics
• Coverage of an additional cleaning for women during pregnancy
• First-year premiums at or below current rates

You can read about all of your TRICARE coverage in these handbooks:

• US Military Handbook
• US Guard and Reserve

In 2012, service members are receiving a higher COLA in most areas, COLA has been reinstated in some locations which were excluded in 2011, but a few select areas will no longer receive COLA payments.

COLA information can be found in these handbooks:

• US Military Handbook
• Guard and Reserve Handbook
• US Military Retired

In an effort to meet the growing need for printed versions of the handbooks, we also launched a store on Lulu.com (click here). We recommend viewing the handbooks on the featured page before purchasing them.