TRANSFER OF POST-9/11 GI BILL EDUCATION BENEFITS (TEB) TO DEPENDENTS PROCESS
Date Signed: 7/12/2019 | MARADMINS Number: 391/19
Cancelled
MARADMINS : 391/19

R 111945Z JUL 19
MARADMIN 391/19
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/TRANSFER OF POST-9/11 GI BILL EDUCATION BENEFITS (TEB) TO DEPENDENTS PROCESS//
REF/A/MSGID: MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP/311723ZDEC13//
REF/B/MSGID: MSG/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP/071858ZNOV18//
REF/C/MSGID: DOC/MCO/01SEP2010//
REF/D/MSGID: DOC/DODI/31MAY2013//
REF/E/MSGID: DOC/DTM/31AUG2018//
REF/F/MSGID: DOC/MEMO/25OCT2018//
REF/G/MSGID: DOC/MEMO/03JUL2019//
NARR/REF A IS MARADMIN 704/13, UPDATE TO TRANSFER OF EDUCATION BENEFITS (TEB) POLICY. REF B IS MARADMIN 642/18, WARNING ORDER – CHANGE TO DODI 1341.13 POST-9/11 GI BILL. REF C IS MCO 1560.25, MARINE CORPS LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM. REF D IS DODI 1341.13, POST-9/11 GI BILL, INCORPORATING CHANGE 1, 12 JULY 2018. REF E IS DTM-18-006, TRANSFERABILITY OF UNUSED POST-9/11 GI BILL EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS BY RECIPIENTS OF THE PURPLE HEART. REF F IS OUSD(PR) MEMO, TIME LIMITED AUTHORITY TO APPROVE EXCEPTIONS TO POLICY FOR TRANSFER OF BENEFITS UNDER THE POST-9/11 GI BILL. REF G IS OUSD(PR) MEMO, EXCEPTION TO POLICY, DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION OF LIMITATIONS ON ELIGIBILITY TO TRANSFER THE POST-9/11 GI BILL.//
POC/R. W. BARRY/CIV/UNIT: MPO/TEL: 703-432-9422 EMAIL: ROBERT.W.BARRY@USMC.MIL//
POC/MMEA-1/TEL: 703-432-9124/9145 EMAIL: USMC.TEB@USMC.MIL//
POC/MMOA-3/TEL: 703-784-9284/9285 EMAIL: SMBMANPOWEROFFICERPR@USMC.MIL//
POC/RAM-1/TEL: 703-784-3676 EMAIL: RAM-1@USMC.MIL//
POC/MMSL/TEL: 703-784-9231 EMAIL: SENIOR LEADER HELP DESK@USMC.MIL//
POC/MF MRR-1/TEL: 703-784-9550//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/
1.  Purpose.  This MARADMIN cancels references (a) and (b), and provides guidance specific to the transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill (PGIB) educational benefits (TEB) to dependents process.
    a.  Eligibility and administration of the PGIB are the responsibility of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Policies and procedures for utilization of PGIB and TEB benefits are available at benefits.va.gov/gibill.  Information concerning the PGIB itself, eligibility, and benefits are provided in reference (c).
    b.  References (d) and (e) provide TEB policy.  References (f) and (g) deferred full implementation of reference (d) to 12 July 2019 and 12 January 2020, respectively.
    c.  Per reference (d), the Marine Corps is authorized to use TEB to promote recruitment and retention: TEB is not an entitlement.  Accordingly, Marines should not presume automatic approval of a TEB request.
2.  Effective Date.  This MARADMIN is effective 12 July 2019.
3.  Marines Already Approved to TEB.  Marines who are already approved to TEB are not required to take any further action, but are encouraged to review paragraph 8 of this MARADMIN, and review their current TEB-related service obligation date at the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) TEB Web application at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect.
4.  Eligible Marines.  Marines who meet the following four criteria may request to transfer to one or more of their eligible dependents all or a portion of their PGIB educational benefit.  Applicants should not presume automatic approval of TEB requests.
    a.  Currently serving on active duty or in the Selected Reserve (SELRES).  The term SELRES includes:  members of Selected Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR), Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMA), and members of the Active Reserve (AR).  Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), Standby Reserve, or Retired Reserve may not request to TEB unless they are serving on active duty or in the SELRES and meet all other eligibility requirements.
    b.  Currently eligible for PGIB educational assistance.
    c.  Have greater than or equal to 6.0 years of creditable military service on the TEB request date.  The term 6.0 years means 6 years, 0 months, and 0 days of service.
        (1) Creditable service uses the Armed Forces Active Duty Base Date (AFADBD) and/or number of Satisfactory years reflected in the Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS).  The determination the total years of creditable service and TEB Obligation End Date is based on the date of the TEB request on the DMDC TEB Web application, not the date that the request is approved.
        (2) Effective 12 January 2020, a member must have greater than or equal to 6.0 years and less than or equal to 16.0 years of creditable military service on the TEB request date.  The term 16.0 years means 16 years, 0 months, and 0 days of service.
    d.  Be eligible for retention for 4 years (on active duty or in the SELRES) from the TEB request date.
5.  Purple Heart Recipients.  Per reference (e), eligibility provisions regarding years of creditable service or ability to complete an additional period of obligated service do not apply to Service members awarded the Purple Heart.  All other TEB requirements remain in effect, to include the requirement that TEB eligibility is limited to Marines currently serving on active duty or in the SELRES.
6.  Eligible Dependents.  Only dependents enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) and reflected as eligible in the DMDC TEB Web application at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect are authorized to be designated as a transferee.
7.  Process
    a.  Prior to or concurrent with submitting a request to TEB, Marines will review references (c) and (d) and speak with their unit Career Planner about re-enlistment and extension options available to be retained for 4 years (on active duty or in the SELRES).
    b.  Eligible Marines must use the DMDC TEB Web application at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect to request to TEB, modify, or revoke transferred benefits.
    c.  When submitting a request to TEB, Marines will designate their transferees and the number of months to be transferred to each transferee.
        (1) Marines will designate at least 1 month to each desired eligible transferee.  At least 1 dependent must receive a minimum of 1 month upon election.  Marines are advised to designate at least 1 month to each eligible dependent prior to separation, retirement, or discharge, as a Marine may not change a 0-month designation once separated, retired, or discharged.
        (2) Marines will ensure the total number of months transferred not exceed the lesser of: the months of PGIB unused benefits available, or 36 months.
        (3) Marines will complete the TEB Acknowledgements checklist.  All acknowledgements must be selected to complete the application process.  Marines completing this checklist agree to complete the prescribed additional period of service and acknowledge their responsibility for any overpayments due to not completing the additional obligated term of service before separating from active duty or the SELRES.  See paragraph 8 of this MARADMIN.
    d.  For additional questions, Marines should contact their respective TEB primary point of contact (POC) listed in paragraph 9.
    e.  Purple Heart recipients who are requesting to TEB should contact their respective TEB primary POC to confirm award information in conjunction with their application.  See paragraph 9.
    f.  Before approving a request to TEB, CMC (MM/RA) will determine whether the Marine meets eligibility criteria, to include whether the Marine is eligible for retention under retention policies and is not precluded by either policy or statute from being retained for 4 additional years from the TEB request date.
    g.  CMC (MM/RA) will maintain TEB requests in a pending status for a reasonable period (i.e., generally, no more than 150 days) to allow Marines to request to extend or re-enlist, when necessary.
        (1) Desired retention and extension actions, consistent with current retention policies, are a shared responsibility between the Marine, his or her unit, and CMC (MM/RA).  Marines are responsible to track their request to extend or re-enlist:  do not assume approval.
        (2) TEB requests held in a pending status beyond this period, when MM/RA has not authorized a Marine to extend or re-enlist to meet the additional service obligation, will be rejected.
    h.  Marines must check the status of their TEB request via the DMDC TEB Web application.
    i.  If a TEB request has been approved:
        (1) An auto-generated approval letter (in PDF format) will post in the DMDC TEB Web application.  Approval letters are addressed to the Marine, and provide the specific TEB Obligation End Date along with the allocation of benefits per dependent.  Marines without an auto-generated approval letter from the DMDC TEB Web application have not been approved to TEB.
        (2) Prior to using approved transferred benefits, dependents must request a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA by completing VA Form 22-1990E, which is available through the Veterans On-Line Application (VONAPP) website, vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp.
        (3) A spouse may use transferred benefits upon approval.  Once a spouse has been designated as a transferee, a subsequent divorce will not affect their eligibility.  TEB may not be treated as marital property, or the asset of a marital estate, subject to division in a divorce or other civil proceeding.
        (4) A child may start to use transferred benefits only after receipt of TEB approval and when the Marine has completed at least 10.0 years of creditable military service, or if the Marine is separated for one of the reasons listed in subparagraph 3.g.(2) of enclosure 3 of reference (d).  Once a child has been designated as a transferee, their subsequent marriage will not affect eligibility.
        (5) A Marine may modify or revoke an approved transfer at any time through the DMDC TEB Web application.  A Marine may not change a 0-month transferee designation once separated, retired, or discharged.
        (6) A Marine may add eligible family members while serving in the Uniformed Services through the DMDC TEB Web application.  This action does not incur additional obligated service.
        (7) A Marine may not designate new transferees once separated, retired, or discharged.  A limited exception is provided for upon the death of an originally designated dependent.
    j.  If a TEB request has been rejected, the Marine may determine the reason for rejection by referring to the rejection codes provided and take appropriate, corrective action and reapply, if desired.  Subsequent requests will be automatically assigned a new TEB request date.  In these cases, Marines already eligible to receive educational assistance under the PGIB retain this eligibility.
8.  Failure to Complete Additional Service.  Any amount of approved transferred entitlement that is used by dependent(s) of a member who fails to complete the additional obligated service (i.e., serve to his or her TEB Obligation End Date on active duty or the SELRES) shall be treated as an overpayment of educational assistance and subject to collection by the VA.
    a.  In these cases, Marines retain their eligibility to receive educational assistance under the PGIB, but forfeit TEB eligibility.
    b.  This provision does not apply to a Marine who fails to complete the additional obligated service due to the specific exceptions listed in subparagraphs 3.g.(2)(a) through (h) of enclosure 3 of reference (d).  Broadly, these exceptions apply in the case of death, or under particularly designated involuntary separations that include medical discharges, force shaping initiatives, and selective continuation.  A Marine, already approved to TEB, who believes that one of these specific exceptions applies to his or her case, must notify his or her respective TEB primary POC listed in paragraph 9 for final determination.
9.  TEB primary points of contact
    a.  Active Component enlisted Marines:  Manpower Management Enlisted Assignments (MMEA-1).
    b.  Active Component officers:  Manpower Management Officer Assignments (MMOA-3).
    c.  Reserve Component Marines:  Reserve Affairs (RAM-1).
    d.  General Officers:  Manpower Management Senior Leadership (MMSL).
    e.  Voluntary Education Program, education systems and training, and liaison with the VA and the DMDC regarding the PGIB:  Marine and Family Programs (MF).
    f.  TEB policy, determinations, and adjudication:  Manpower Military Policy (MPO).
10.  This MARADMIN is applicable to the Total Force.
11.  Release authorized by Lieutenant General Michael A. Rocco, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.//